Oxford Festival of the Arts is back, a celebration of the Arts with theatre, comedy, performance and art all on display. Daily Info sat down with the director of the festival to disucc what audience's can expect this year.
Daily Info: What's the Oxford Festival of the Arts all about?
Oxford Festival of the Arts is a multi-disciplinary celebration of the arts in our glorious city! It is about bringing people together. It is about collaborating with several partners so that we can, together, create a wonderful, colourful tapestry of everything Oxford. With our office based just on Magdalen Bridge, the festival aims to be the metaphoric bridge between Town and Gown. The festival embraces different art forms, such as music, dance, theatre, installation, film, and the visual arts. It includes speakers and discussions on various subjects, as well as, this year, political satire. It is about bringing fun, laughter, and enrichment. But it is also about ensuring we are “speaking” through the Arts. Particularly close to my heart this year is a collaboration with Justice in Motion and OVADA, working together with Ukrainian women living in Oxford. The Arts are a way of communication – and that is very important to the festival. We bring different artists together – local artists and international artists; we create participation projects with schools and communities throughout the year; we give platforms and opportunities to young artists; we commission new work to support, represent, and applaud the Art of our Time. The festival was founded by Magdalen College School – who remains our lead sponsor. It was visionary of the school to have a festival of this ilk. To my knowledge, this does not happen in any other school, certainly not on this scale. The Master, Helen Pike, immediately saw the importance and potential of having the festival within the Oxford community and with a broader and more ambitious remit, creating local, national and international links, and decided to bring in a bespoke director for the festival. This is my fifth year in post. Partnership projects with schools remain a strong part of the festival’s remit; and MCS performances and exhibitions shine throughout, this year culminating in a production of The Hobbit at the Oxford Playhouse, as well as a whole day with over 300 children from different schools.
DI: What can audiences expect from this year's festival?
OFA 2023 is our most kaleidoscopic to date. Across history, humanity has always created memories and searched for things to commemorate. 2023 is packed with possibilities. It is always about the people. It is about us – our stories – our histories. I hope that OFA 2023 will bring everyone enjoyment, laughter, enrichment, moments of reflection; and, above all, a sense of community, helping all make their own connections; their own anniversary commemorations; their own stories… in the Cathedral, or in the Tiltyard!
DI: This year's theme is 'People. Stories. Histories.' How will that be reflected in what the festival has planned?
There are links throughout: The stories of the people and masters and artists of the Renaissance with Luxmuralis; or Caravaggio with Tableaux Vivants; to a celebration of Joni Mitchell; Divas of Swing and their stories through jazz with the BBC Big Band, to a discussion of Joan of Arc together with Lord Sumption; Boris Johnson at 10 – the inside story with Sir Anthony Selcon to Anna Frank and Anne Lister (Gentleman Jack); Going to Church in Medieval Oxford together with Professor Nicholas Orme to Olympian Tim Foster and the concept of “Winning”; Exhibitions at different Colleges displaying their stories and histories and their people and Oxford’s stories; the collaboration with The North Wall and Photo Oxford with 12-17 year old creating their own stories capturing real life through photography; Celebrating Dylan Thomas or William Byrd, or Lewis Carroll. Everywhere you look, there are always connections; and my aim was to find these, and make more.
DI: What are some of the highlights from this year's line-up? What are you most looking forward to?
Sir Willard White and the Brodsky Quartet kick off the performances, and a whole celebration of William Byrd awaits anyone who loves sacred polyphony, including the immersive, interactive and theatrical Secret Byrd with Gesualdo Six and Fretwork. The well-loved Instruments of Time and Truth with Bojan ?i?i? will be recreating the 18th century Parisienne concerts at Dorchester Abbey. A ‘Director’s Favourite’ is the extraordinary Italian troupe coming to Oxford for the first time to present the mesmerising CARAVAGGIO: Tableaux Vivants. Enjoy a festival cocktail or a good Whisky on the Dylan Thomas night. Celebrate the legend that was Joni Mitchell, or wallow in the sounds of The Choirs of Magdalen College, New College & Christ Church culminating in Thomas Tallis’ Spem in Alium! There are exhibitions and installations throughout, including meaningful and poignant projects together with artists from Ukraine and Oxford-based Ukrainian women; as well as the gloriousness of the Renaissance with LUXMURALIS. From young artists’ platforms to Bernstein’s supercharged Candide; an evening of terrific political satire with Rosie Holt to the BBC Big Band and Claire Martin; a whole range of speakers (including Johnson at 10: The Inside Story with Sir Anthony Seldon) to a one-night-only double-act with Ronni Ancona and Sally Phillips; and Music at the Festival Hub, there really is something for everyone. I always find it hard to choose my “favourites”. Every event has been a nurturing of relationships and lots of discussion with wonderful people – so it is difficult to choose one over another. I always tend to say that my favourite page in the brochure is our partners page where we thank everyone we have worked with. “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” [Helen Keller] I believe that collaboration is one of the most beautiful things.
DI: Can you sum up the festival in three words?
FUN. ENRICHING. CURIOUS.
Oxford is your city. This is your festival. It is a joy to present this year’s edition of Oxford Festival of the Arts to you.
Oxford Festival of the Arts is on Friday 23rd June to Sunday 16th July. The full line-up can be find here.