As restrictions are lifted further, Coventry City of Culture Trust is continuing to add to its huge programme of events with 92 events spanning 1438 shows and over 79,000 individual tickets launched so far. Here are the latest events that have just been announced for this summer and beyond.
In July, Walk the Plank and Coventry UK City of Culture 2021 will host Creative Europe: Celebration, an event that gives insight to the creativity of international artists and local families. The event encourages visitors to explore nature through outdoor performances, storytelling and music.
Having launched its Green Futures programme with the multisensory woodland experience Observations on Being, which runs until 15 August, Small Bells Ring continues Coventry City of Culture’s programme of events that give citizens new ways to engage with nature in the city and beyond. Visitors can hop aboard to indulge in the UK’s largest collection of short stories housed on a beautiful artist-made canal boat, whilst taking in the peaceful green surroundings of the Coventry Canal.
Following hot on the heels of Terry Hall presents Home Sessions in July, the music city of Coventry will host a number of outdoor gigs and festivals, showcasing Coventry’s youthful and vibrant spirit. Generate Festival will take place across five weekends this summer, illuminating hidden talent within Coventry. The Sound of Cov will feature an exciting line-up of local musical talent that has been entirely curated by Coventry’s radio stations, shining a light on the role radio plays in championing up-and-coming artists.
Party on the Green will showcase professional outdoor arts performances, whilst a celebration of togetherness and unity will be hosted at the Assembly Festival Garden for Coventry Pride and Joy, via a series of performances and workshops celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community. Other vibrant events include the HeARTS Festival, which will share Eastern European culture with visitors, while over two days, CVX x B-SIDE ft ONEWAVE will bring together talent from Hip-Hop – dance, graffiti, DJs and MCs - encapsulating Coventry’s vast and energetic spirit.
The Made in the Midlands podcast recordings will explore the regional identity of those who have grown up in the Midlands and Debbie Isitt and Ken Loach will speak about how their perceptions of life, politics and society have been shaped by their upbringings. The Assembly Festival Garden will hold Da Balie’s The Island, inviting visitors to discuss a short film regarding a powerful social experiment.
This autumn, art lovers have much to look forward to with inspiring and creative installations and exhibitions that invite visitors to explore themes from our connection with nature to the wonder of space. The Coventry Biennial 2021 will showcase a significant programme of local, national and international artists who will explore existential themes. Listening to the Anthropocene is a major new exhibition of sound and moving image artworks, inspired by the movements of the planets, whilst HOUSE, curated by the Coventry Biennial, is a show that delves into the complex relationships that exist between humans and their homes. HAUNT also explores the meaning of home, as well as homelessness, social disadvantage and the nature of domestic space.
Chenine Bhathena, Creative Director of Coventry, City of Culture, said:
“With restrictions starting to lift further, we are delighted to be spotlighting a great mix of summer events, showcasing Coventry’s youthful and creative energy. From art trails, storytelling, live music, festivals and spectacle, there is truly something for everyone to enjoy. There are so many opportunities for visitors to be immersed in all that Coventry has to offer, illuminating the themes of harmony and freedom that the city holds close to its heart. We hope the summer will bring people back together, to the great outdoors, and show off an extraordinary range of locally designed and created events in surprising locations all over the city.”
CREATIVE EUROPE: CELEBRATION (Festival)
Sat 24 Jul 2.00 - 4.00pm
Coventry Canal Basin
Hosted at Coventry Basin, this event will include storytelling and music presented by Walk the Plank and Coventry UK City of Culture 2021. The outdoor performances will have been put together from scratch in a single week and will encourage visitors to explore nature. Walk-ins are also encouraged on the day.
The event is supported by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union and led by Walk the Plank. Coventry is one of 9 international partner cities including Plovdiv 2019 (Bulgaria); Novi Sad 2021 (Serbia), Graz (Austria); Kaunas 2022 (Lithuania); and associate partners Limerick (Ireland); Yerevan (Armenia); Tartu 2024 (Estonia) and Veszprem (Hungary).
More information about the European School of Participation programme can be found here.
Supported by Creative Europe Programme of the European Union, National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England, led by Walk the Plank.
Small Bells Ring (Literature, nature and heritage)
Wed 28 Jul – Sun 12 Sep 2021
Floating Library: Wednesdays at Hawkesbury Junction
Floating Library: Thursdays at Bridge 4, Stoney Stanton Road
Floating Library: Fridays at Coventry Canal Basin
Small Bells Ring will invite visitors to indulge in the UK’s largest collection of short stories, whilst floating along the scenic route of Coventry Canal. This fully-functioning narrow boat will be mooring at three locations along the Coventry canal on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. There will be no booking necessary, as the event is free to attend.
There will also be bookable activities as part of the event hosted on a Thursday, Saturday and Sunday that will also be free and open to all. These include Thursday library walks, Saturday Salon with families and a Sunday Cruise, with tea and stories for 2 groups of up to 6 people.
Small Bells Ring is a Studio Morrison project, co-commissioned with Super Slow Way in collaboration with Coventry Libraries & Lancashire Libraries supported by Canal & River Trust, BBC CWR & Coventry City Council.
GENERATE Festival of Community Performance (Festival)
Sat 31 Jul – Mon 30 Aug 2021
Blue Coat Church of England School Music College
Taking place across five weekends this summer, GENERATE Festival brings a wealth of
diverse and hidden talent in Coventry and Warwickshire to green spaces in the area. The event is set outdoors and will be an afternoon brimming with food, drink and entertainment. It promises to be fun for families, festival-goers and anyone looking for a chance to watch up-and-coming talent from across the region.
This programme is part of #LoveCoventry, a Coventry UK City of Culture 2021 programme
funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.
The Sound of Cov (Festival)
Fri 7 Aug
Assembly Festival Garden: The Garden
The Sound of Cov will fill Assembly Festival Garden with live music, food, drinks and sunshine, hosted by Coventry’s community, student and hospital radio stations. The exciting line-up of local musical talent has been entirely curated by Coventry’s radio stations, shining a light on the role radio plays towards championing and providing platforms for up-and-coming acts.
Block Radio, Coventry Hospital Radio, Hillz FM, Radio Abbey, Radio Panj, Radio Plus and Vanny FM have selected some of their favourite acts that represent the wide range of genres that they believe are ‘The Sound of Cov’ in 2021. Supported by Creative Lives.
Party on the Green (Festival)
Fri 7 Aug, Sat 14 Aug – Sun 15 Aug 2021
Tile Hill, Holbrooks and Binley
Party on the Green will be a free neighbourhood celebration for the whole family. Taking place in Tile Hill (7 Aug), Holbrooks (14 Aug) and Binley (15 Aug), each event will feature professional outdoor arts performances, music, dance, street food and giant puppetry from local and national companies. Walk-ins are encouraged on the day.
This event is in partnership with OPUS, an outdoor arts and events company, based in South West Birmingham. Led by independent producer Caroline Davis, OPUS plan, design and manage cultural interventions in place-based settings that connect audiences to each other and the space they are in.
PRIDE AND JOY (Festival)
Sun 8 Aug
Assembly Festival Garden
Pride and Joy: Assembly Festival Garden X City takeover will be accessible to all and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community. The event will feature the best of local LGBTQIA+ performers, workshops and nationally acclaimed talent throughout the day. Alongside the limited capacity event, organisers encourage those who are unsure about large scale events to attend the low capacity drop in space on the 7th August.
This event is in partnership with Coventry PRIDE.
CVX x B-SIDE ft ONEWAVE (Festival)
Thu 12 Aug – Sun 15 Aug 2021
14/15 August Assembly Festival Gardens Site
14/15 August - Gosford Street Car Park/Grove Street Car Park
This two-day event, produced by official UK City of Culture partner Birmingham Hippodrome, celebrates youth counter-culture and creativity. Across these days, CVX x B-SIDE ft ONEWAVE will bring together some extraordinary artists from across all four elements of Hip-Hop – dance, graffiti, DJ’s and MC’s. The event will be livestreamed and viewed on a big LED screen in an iconic city centre location – underneath Coventry’s infamous ring road.
Commissioned as part of UK City of Culture 2021 and working in partnership with Positive Youth Foundation and organisations and artists across the city, CVX is a pioneering arts activism programme curated by young people around the themes of community, unity and social change. CVX will bring together local, regional and national artists using their platform as role models to stand up for young people and take a stand against violence. CVX x B-Side & CVX x OneWave will launch the CVX programme. Following this launch, CVX will be delivering a 10-month programme including talks, workshops and performances exploring the issues facing young people in the city and showing the power of arts and culture in helping to shape their futures.
HeARTS Festival (Festival)
Sat 14 Aug
Riley Square
Riley Square will transform into a marketplace of music, art and food, sharing Eastern European cultures with people of all ages and backgrounds. The multicultural festival will bring communities together to celebrate the cultural differences in the region.
This event is part of #LoveCoventry, a Coventry UK City of Culture 2021 programme funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.
The Island (Film and discussion)
Sun 22 Aug (3pm - 4.40pm)
Online
Digitally focused, the Island is an online social experiment in which a diverse group of citizens from Coventry need to work democratically to create a shared home on an island under challenging circumstances. This spring, eleven Coventry residents started this journey. Recorded interviews and sessions will be edited into a short film that will premiere on 22 August . The Island will invite an audience to discuss the short film, as well as the findings and process of the experiment itself.
Made in the Midlands with Debbie Isitt (Podcast, live recording)
Fri 27 Aug (5:40pm)
Piccolo Tent, Assembly Festival Garden
The Made in the Midlands podcast will broadcast and explore the regional identity of the Midlands through the voices of those who are from the area and have risen to prominence in Britain. Debbie Isitt will be the main focus on the 27th, as visitors can expect to learn more about her life and connection to Coventry.
The podcast is made by independent production company Loftus Media and is presented by committed Brummie and Baggie Adrian Goldberg. The producer is a son of South Derbyshire, Andrew Smith.
Made In The Midlands With Ken Loach (Podcast, live recording)
Tue 28 Sep (1pm)
Priory St, Coventry
Ken Loach joins The Made in the Midlands podcast, where visitors can expect to learn more about his life and connection to Coventry, as well as how his childhood in the Midlands affected his work and politics.
The podcast is made by independent production company Loftus Media and is presented by committed Brummie and Baggie Adrian Goldberg. The producer is a son of South Derbyshire, Andrew Smith.
Coventry City of Culture Trust have supported four episodes of Made in the Midlands, three of which will be recorded at live events in the city.
COVENTRY BIENNIAL 2021 (Art)
HYPER-POSSIBLE
Fri 8 Oct – Sun 6 Feb 2022
Herbert Art Gallery and Museum
HYPER-POSSIBLE brings together newly commissioned projects and existing artworks from national
collections, creating an opportunity to look back at what has made Coventry and the surrounding
area unique, whilst also reflecting on an increasingly complex global situation. It references the radical nature of Coventry’s history whilst also signifying a positive way forward following a deeply difficult 2020 and 2021. The exhibition explores the legacies of artist-led networks, activisms and pedagogies that have emerged from and through the local area since the 1960s. These distinguish the city as an outstanding exemplar of innovative, experimental and radical artistic practice.
UK City of Culture 2021, Arts Council England, Coventry City Council, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Art Fund, Arts Council Collection, British Council, Tate, Stephen Friedman Gallery, Leamington Spa Art Gallery and Museum, University of Warwick, Coventry University, Nottingham Contemporary, Kunstencentrum Vooruit, Compton Verney Art Gallery and Park, American Folk Art Museum, Novus, Michigan Prison Creative Arts Project.
Listening to the Anthropocene
Fri 8 Oct – Sun 23 Jan 2022
Coventry Cathedral
Cathedral is a major new exhibition of sound and moving image artworks that explores the ways
in which field recording and sonic research can help attune us to the shifting state of our planet. International artists with relationships to locations that have been affected by climate change
present artworks along all six of the Biennial’s HYPER-PATHS. The exhibition explores the idea that we have moved into a new geological epoch – one that is marked by the impact of human activities on the Earth.
This exhibition is generously supported by:
UK City of Culture 2021, Arts Council England, Coventry City Council, Art Fund, Coventry
Cathedral, University of Warwick.
Image credit: Ben Rivers, Look Then Below, 2019. Courtesy of Ben Rivers and LUX, London.
Proof
8 October 2021 - 23 January 2022
The exhibition brings together newly commissioned projects and existing artworks, creating an
opportunity to look back at what has made Coventry and the surrounding area so innovative in the
field of creative education and production.
HOUSE
8 October 2021 - 23 January 2022
Artists exploring our increasingly complex relationships with the places that we live and dwell in.
Several artists who are exhibiting here are also embedded in the Biennial’s other HYPER-PATHS,
responding to the city’s relationship to House music, the venue’s post-industrial aesthetic, it’s
cinematic history and the role that the building is hoped to have in the redevelopment of City
Centre South.
The exhibition brings together newly commissioned projects and existing artworks, creating an
opportunity to look back at what has made Coventry and the surrounding area so innovative and
creative.
Haunt
8 October 2021 - 23 January 2022
Haunt is an exhibition of photographs in the window gallery of the STEPs for Change drop-in
centre produced by members of Crisis and Underground Lights during a series of workshops that
will take place over the Summer of 2021.The participants of these workshops, all of whom have lived experience of homelessness, social disadvantage or mental illness, will explore the city and their domestic spaces to create intimate photographs that examine our understanding of home and other habitats.
This exhibition is generously supported by: UK City of Culture 2021, Arts Council England, Coventry City Council, Crisis, Underground Lights, Belgrade Theatre, STEPs for Change, University of Warwick.