Bridport Town of Culture 2024 Launch
Image by Carol Tritton
Next weekend, Dorset’s first Town of Culture season launches. Creatives and organisations from across Bridport have come together to create a vibrant programme of cultural events from July to December. Music, performance, visual art and much more will flood the town’s streets and venues. With young people at the core, Bridport is creating a rich and diverse cultural programme for residents and visitors. And it all kicks off on Friday 5 July.
The Launch Weekend
For the first three days the focus is on the public space outside Bridport Arts Centre. Friday sees premieres of two new dance performances from Fingerprint Dance’s Anna Golding, featuring Grace + Growl.
Throughout Saturday, the Portrait Challenge returns to the town, brought together by the Lyric Theatre and Bridport Arts Centre, inviting everyone to create their own portrait. And in the evening, you can enjoy legendary London Reggae label, Greensleeves Records, bringing their rhythmic reggae classics to Bridport.
The launch weekend wraps on Sunday when Tociya, Bridport’s new collective of young people dedicated to programming culture, takes over the Art Centre’s forecourt for The Community Jam. Everyone is invited to experience their evolving art installation, share some food, take to the stage and chat about what you’d like to see happening in Bridport in the next six months.
Next weekend, escape the football (and the politics) and immerse yourself in a rich programme of quality community culture as Bridport becomes Dorset’s inaugural Town of Culture.
Image by Chris Hilton
Dance Performances
Friday 5 July, 12:30pm and 2pm
Bridport Arts Centre’s Forecourt
Fingerprint Dance, featuring Grace & Growl, premiere two new performances: Nothing To See Here and A Field Dance.
The Portrait Challenge
Saturday 6 July
Bridport Art Centre’s Forecourt
In collaboration with the Lyric Theatre, the Portrait Challenge returns to Bridport. Everyone is welcome to create a portrait.
Greensleeves Records Reggae Night
Saturday 6 July, 8pm
Bridport Arts Centre
Buy tickets here: https://www.bridport-arts.com/event/greensleeves/
Legendary London Reggae label, Greensleeves Records is bringing their rhythmic reggae classics to Bridport.
Community Jam
Sunday 7 July 1-5pm
Bridport Art Centre’s Forecourt
Free, drop-in event
Tociya, Bridport’s new collective of young people dedicated to programming culture, is taking over the Art Centre’s forecourt. Experience their evolving art installation, share some food, take to the stage and chat about what you’d like to see happening in Bridport in the next six months.
Future Events
Bridport Swift Town
This Summer, Common Ground are launching a new community project that celebrates and protects the swifts in Bridport and surrounding countryside.
There will be a series of free walks and creative workshops run by local ornithologists, educators, conservationists, musicians, artists, storytellers and poets. The stories, songs, poems and creative responses created will be performed and exhibited at a future Swift Welcome Party in May 2025.
This combination of community creativity and data collection will be the beginnings of an ongoing commitment to swifts in Bridport.
Find out more: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/bridport-swift-town
What Does Culture Mean to You?
Throughout July, the team behind Bridport Town of Culture is taking to the streets to ask residents and visitors what culture means to them, and filming the answers for a future video.
More events will be planned for Bridport Town of Culture very soon. Check Bridport Arts Centre’s website and Tourist Information notice boards across Bridport and West Bay for updates.
About Dorset Town of Culture
Dorset Town of Culture is a new initiative we created to fund and support a town, village or hamlet in the county for a year’s worth of extraordinary cultural activity. This can include new and existing creative events and projects that their community and visitors can enjoy.
Sherborne and a partnership between Weymouth & Portland have progressed to the second stage of the biding process of 2025’s Town of Culture.
Bridport Town of Culture 2024 is funded by Dorset Council with match funding from Bridport Town Council.