Theatre, performance and play in shops and spaces, precincts and places.
The UK’s first pilot Shop Front Festival on 23rd and 24th March will see theatre, performances and invitations to play in shops and spaces, precincts and places across Coventry city centre bringing the city to life. You can find the full Shop Front Festival listings at www.theatreabsolute.co.uk/shop-front-festival.
There are many ways to experience and join in the Festival on the Friday and Saturday. There’s theatre performances and shop talks at the Shop Front Theatre in City Arcade and two doors up you can visit Artspace Arcadia Gallery and the Photo Archive Miners Precinct Shopping exhibition to remind yourself via renowned Coventry photographer Richard Sadler’s work and the City Archives how the city centre and our shopping experience has changed. Supported by BBC Coventry & Warwickshire, there is also an opportunity to bring your own photographs of city centre shop fronts and contribute to the exhibition with your own stories.
Orit Azaz, Shop Front Festival co-artistic director said: “Shoppers and Festival audiences will happen across theatre, dance and a range of wonderful sights in shops, in precincts and in a number of Coventry’s buildings. The Shop Front Festival invites you to experience Coventry city centre in new ways and we are delighted that so many businesses and locations will play host to artists and performers from the region and internationally.”
Trish Willetts Coventry BID Manager added: “We are delighted to be working with businesses across Coventry to get behind the Shop Front Festival in order to promote the city centre as a great place to work and visit. This pilot Festival is the start of exciting cultural events to come as we build up to City of Culture and it’s great to be working in partnership city-wide to make things happen.”