words: BECKY PARKER
ART, philosophy, cabaret and live music come together in a unique blend this November as the Crunch Festival returns to Wales’ ever popular book town from Fri 18-Sun 20 Nov.
The younger brother of the How The Light Gets In festival, Crunch is organised by the London-based Institute For Art And Ideas and draws a broad spectrum of speakers, artists and musicians over three days to the heart of Hay-On-Wye. More than 30 talks, debates and discussions are set to take place throughout Crunch 2011, with important names from the worlds of philosophy and art taking part in the programme. Adrian Noble, the former director of the Royal Shakespeare Company; Susan Hiller, an exciting artist who had a solo exhibition in the Tate this year; Turner Prize nominee Jake Chapman, and award-winning playwright and novelist Mark Haddon will all be speaking on various topics throughout the weekend.
As the evenings set in, The Globe venue will also see brilliant comedy performances from the likes of Izsi Lawrence, who got to the semi finals in the BBC New Comedy Awards, and John-Luke Roberts – a finalist in the BBC New Comedy Awards and a BBC4 writer. There’s also fantastic music to be found on this year’s bill. The beautiful and very talented Mara Carlyle performs following fantastic reviews of her latest album, whilst the stunning British Sea Power also make an appearance in what is sure to be a very intimate show. With over 50 speakers and performers all deserving of a mention, it’s hard to condense down all the highlights of this excellent festival of intellectual thought, art and culture.
For unlimited access to the whole of the festival, a £58 early bird ticket is a fantastic bargain. With the advanced price costing £88 and full price costing £120, it is well worth booking ahead. If, however, you’d prefer to dip in and out of the festival, there’s a great opportunity to buy tickets for individual events, specific evening performances, or indeed a ticket purely for the late night music sessions. The wonderful people behind Crunch seem to have thought of everything.
Crunch at The Globe, Hay-On-Wye, Fri 18-Sun 20 Nov. Info: 01497 821762 / www.artfestivalathay.org