The Observer-sponsored Bristol festival of ideas is 10 years old in May. Director Andrew Kelly explains the festival's history before we pick out some highlights from this year's programme
Ten years ago, as part of Bristol's (failed) bid to be European Capital of Culture, we launched the Bristol festival of ideas. We wanted more debate in the city. We also wanted to celebrate the work of great writers, commentators and thinkers in and outside the city. In the past 10 years we've run more than 2,000 events, as well as major projects on Brunel, Charles Darwin and Bristol aerospace; we've launched a new annual festival of economics; started a publishing programme and a young people's festival of ideas (in May they will discuss the army and war); and this year we will have the UK's largest programme commemorating the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the first world war.
Our month-long May festival has nearly 100 speakers in more than 60 events many of them listed below. For the 10th anniversary we will take time to reflect, with our Observer partners, on some of the issues of our time: inequality, the size of the state and the future of cities with a series of panels that will run through 2014. We have debates on Europe and we will help relaunch Pelican Books a festival of ideas for everyone throughout its long and distinguished history with Ha-Joon Chang, Robin Dunbar, Orlando Figes and Bruce Hood. We also look at Lynn Barber's illustrious career; take a walk in the footsteps of the Bristol suffragettes in a time of war with historian Lucienne Boyce; look at Gone With the Wind 75 years on; and hear Everything But the Girl's Ben Watt talk about his life, the lives of his parents, where we come from and how we love and live together.
Continue reading... Reported by guardian.co.uk 2 days ago.
Ten years ago, as part of Bristol's (failed) bid to be European Capital of Culture, we launched the Bristol festival of ideas. We wanted more debate in the city. We also wanted to celebrate the work of great writers, commentators and thinkers in and outside the city. In the past 10 years we've run more than 2,000 events, as well as major projects on Brunel, Charles Darwin and Bristol aerospace; we've launched a new annual festival of economics; started a publishing programme and a young people's festival of ideas (in May they will discuss the army and war); and this year we will have the UK's largest programme commemorating the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the first world war.
Our month-long May festival has nearly 100 speakers in more than 60 events many of them listed below. For the 10th anniversary we will take time to reflect, with our Observer partners, on some of the issues of our time: inequality, the size of the state and the future of cities with a series of panels that will run through 2014. We have debates on Europe and we will help relaunch Pelican Books a festival of ideas for everyone throughout its long and distinguished history with Ha-Joon Chang, Robin Dunbar, Orlando Figes and Bruce Hood. We also look at Lynn Barber's illustrious career; take a walk in the footsteps of the Bristol suffragettes in a time of war with historian Lucienne Boyce; look at Gone With the Wind 75 years on; and hear Everything But the Girl's Ben Watt talk about his life, the lives of his parents, where we come from and how we love and live together.
Continue reading... Reported by guardian.co.uk 2 days ago.