Bloomsbury Festival 2022 Announces Initial Line Up Of Events

The Bloomsbury Festival has announced the initial line-up of shows, exhibitions, events, concerts, walks and talks in the 2022 programme with the theme 'Breathe' encouraging us to think about the air, the environment and being inspired through culture, art, communities, heritage, and science. With more events to be announced with the full brochure launch mid-July.

A world class local festival Bloomsbury Festival has a distinctive creative programme made by the artists, academics and residents of London's premiere cultural quarter. Some of the Festival events are FREE to attend. 2022 sees a focus on emerging artists, writers and musicians and a series of events with writers of colour supported by a grant from Arts Council England. The festival is partnered by some of Bloomsbury's major institutions including UCL, University of London, The Bedford Estates and the Central Alliance Business Investment District. The festival's New Wave programme supports emerging creative talent in the area, with new theatre productions supported by a theatre writing bursary scheme, an exhibition featuring the winners of a Fine Art competition, and an outstanding programme of music.

Presented by Bloomsbury Festival:

Store Street Global Garden Party

14 October, 18:30 - 21:00

Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BT

Join us on Alfred Place Gardens and Store St as we celebrate the opening of the Bloomsbury Festival 2022. Celebrate as it gets dark with entertainment, a Zen Zone, arts and environmental activities and enjoy global street food through the afternoon and evening

FREE - Just Turn Up | Suitable for all ages

A Language of Shapes Outdoor Projection

14 October 19:00 - 21:00

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

A fairytale animation projected onto the façade of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), highlighting the important research being undertaken on the cell biology of infection within the University. By Samantha Moore in collaboration with the Mostowy Lab at LSHTM.

FREE - Just Turn Up

Discovery Hub

20 - 22 October

Senate House Library, Malet St, London WC1E 7HU

An interactive exhibition with an exciting mix of science and creativity at Senate House for three days at the heart of the festival. The Discovery Hub features science and creative teams from universities and institutions who offer interactive exhibitions and workshops relating to the theme of Breathe and Wellbeing. Join in the activities and workshops in the beautiful surroundings of University of London's Senate House. Including:

Terrariums - Gardens in Glass - Micro Gardening with the Clean Air Community from UCL and Great Ormond St Hospital.

Press Pause - John Avery's immersive soundscape is inspired by the life experience of holistic therapist Nina Chesworth. In collaboration with the NIHR Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre,

Make Popcorn Pop - See hydrogen fuel cells power the making of popcorn. Presended by UCL Department of Chemistry

FREE - Just Turn Up | Suitable for all ages | For KS2 school bookings email admin@bloomsburyfestival.org.uk

Linen and Mindfulness

15 - 23 October

Holborn Community Association, London

Made using hand-dyed linen and quilted with hand embroidery, Christina Rose Brown's textile works feature drawings of the artist in bed with her two young children, in a liminal state between sleep and consciousness, that will be familiar to anyone who has shared a bed with restless babies. With Saturday embroidery workshops and meet the artist session.

FREE Just Turn Up

Remembering the Streets of the Past

October 14 - 23

Greater London Properties (windows)

Jessica Strang's images of Kings Cross taken during 1987 are a reminder of how Kings Cross looked before being given a new lease of life with its redevelopment around the turn of the 21st century. This exhibition documents how the area looked before redevelopment.

FREE - Just Turn Up

New Wave Art Competition: Winners Exhibition

October 15 - 23

Spaghetti House, 20 Sicilian Ave, London WC1A 2QD

The Bloomsbury Festival Art Competition exhibition this year features three winners selected by our panel of judges. Each has a focus on a different interpretation of this year's festival theme 'Breathe'. Artists: Jan Pimblett, Glenda Frieder and Emma Todd.

Bloomsbury Festival Art Competition and Group Exhibition 2022 is supported by The Bedford Estates. Artists' prizes are offered by The Bedford Estates, Camden Together and H.I.G. Capital.

FREE - Just Turn Up

Silent Calligraphy

15 October - 11:30 - 15:00

St George's Church, Bloomsbury Way, London WC1A 2SA

Professional and amateur calligraphers from the South London Lettering Association will be practising their art using a wide variety of scripts and tools. Visitors will be able to walk around and watch the scribes at work and stewards will be available to answer questions about the calligraphy world and what people are doing.

FREE - Just Turn Up

The Old Black Door

15 October - 14:00 - 15:00

The Studio Theatre, RADA Studios

Join storyteller Laura Sampson, accompanying sound artist Sam Enthoven and special guests for a selection of grown-up folk and fairy tales on the theme of mortality. Presented and produced by Sinister Masterplan.

£12 / £10 conc | Age 16+

Choking Game

Multiple Showings: 13, 14, 15 & 16 October - 18:30 - 20:00

Dr Williams's Library

This new play by Yifan Wu questions the western-centric presentation of climate change and performative tokenism in marine wildlife conservation. The play also discusses the impact of capitalism on indigenous lives and local ecology.

£12 / £10 conc | Age 14+

4:48 Digestion

Multiple Showings: 14 October - 20:00 - 21:00 at The Studio Theatre, RADA Studios

& 19, 20 October - 21:00 - 22:00 at Dr Williams's Library, London

A highly physical piece of theatre that presents a multi-layered journey into the biological and emotional life of five female identifying performers. They serve as mirrors for each other, used to face the pure essence of themselves in relation to the world they inhabit. Created & directed by Tommaso Giacomin, starring Anita Pomario, Araminta Wraith, Claudia Gambino, Grace church and Miriam Elwell-Sutton.

£12 / £10 conc | Age 16+

The Hippie Shakes

Multiple Showings: 13, 14, 15 & 16 October - 21:00 - 22:00

Dr Williams's Library

Based on a true story, this new piece of gig theatre by Frankie Regalia is a distinctly female story of motherhood, survival and intergenerational cycles of abuse. Produced and presented by Sweaty Palms Productions.

£12 / £10 conc | Age 16+

Stories of Orphans, Ponies & Pussycats

15 October - 11:00 - 12:00

Starts at Holy Cross Church

A walk for families with Sam Nicholls of SeekOut London and Camden Tour Guides Association.

£5 | Bursary places are limited and are aimed at families or individuals who otherwise may not be able to attend events in the festival. Please email admin@bloomsburyfestival.org.uk to apply. | Age 7+

Promised Land

15 October - 19:00 - 20:00

The Studio Theatre, RADA Studios

The story of Promised Land begins with a barren couple-she is a computer engineer, and he is a musician. Unable to bear a child of flesh and blood, they choose to conceive a piece of artificial intelligence named Rose. Through the figure of Rose, we reflect on the crisis of lovelessness in our contemporary capitalist world, and the contradictory ways in which we attempt to live and love within hierarchical structures that inevitably subjugate other people and nature. Performers include Elisabeth Gunawan and Saksi Bisou.

£12 / £10 conc | Age 14+

Past Life with Alice Corrigan

16 October - 19:00 - 20:15

The Studio Theatre, RADA Studios

Extant's genre-bending, multi-sensory and creatively accessible exploration into the normalisation of sexual assault in relationships. Past Life creatively intertwines access into its heart, using creative captioning, audio descriptive language and soundscapes to evoke a new and dynamic way of making theatre. We follow Kiera (and Betty the Brain) as they navigate through their new life, full of art classes, boxing rings, tears, fights and coming to terms with trauma.

£12 / £10 conc - Plus free companion tickets for carers | Age 18+

Pierrot XXI

20 October - 18:00 - 19:00

Senate House Library, Univercity College London, Malet St, London WC1E 7HU

An immersive one-hour concert, where music, tarot cards and costumes create a dream-like, mysterious and colourful atmosphere. Produced and presented by Clara Barbier Serrano and Ensemble Matters.

£8 | All Ages

Daytimers Mehfil: An Evening of South Asian Poetry

21 October 19:00 - 23:00

Conway Hall

Daytimers, the collective at the heart of the re-emerging Asian Underground, present an evening spotlighting and celebrating South Asian poetry and spoken word.

£10 | All Ages

Dream.risk.sing - Elevating Women's Voices

22 October - 19:30 - 20:30

Conway Hall

dream.risk.sing is a recital programme which gives voice to women's experiences which are rarely heard in song. Curated and performed by soprano Samantha Crawford and pianist Lana Bode, the programme highlights five specific aspects of a woman's life: growing up, love and lust, motherhood, career and legacy.

£12 / £10 conc | Age 16+

The Magician's Apprentice

20 October - 19:00 - 21:30

The Museum of Comedy, The Undercroft, St George's Church, Bloomsbury Way, London WC1A 2SR

With a top hat from a junk shop and mail-order wand, pioneering storyteller and writer Sally Pomme Clayton explores the secret world of the magician.

£10 / £8 conc | Age 14+

To post a comment, you must register and login.