An extraordinary week of performance is set to take place in the South West as Bristol prepares for an event like no other. This September will see the city host Doing Things Differently, a festival that celebrates accessibility and integration across all walks of life, in the most extravagant way.
Running from Wednesday September 14th to September 21st, a range of diverse and thought provoking shows will take over various venues across Bristol, with residents and visitors alike being encouraged to not just enjoy the programme but get involved.
Famed for its calendar of events; Bristol is no stranger to spectacular scenes throughout its streets however Doing Things Differently brings something completely new. This celebration of accessibility in the arts not only shares ideas and changes the face of performance regionally and nationally, but helps move us all closer to a true reflection of diversity on stage and in performance.
Behind it all is Diverse City; a team of cultural entrepreneurs working through the arts to activate social change, Bristol City Council’s Culture Team; whose focus is to highlight and reflect upon the city’s diversity as well as support creativity across Bristol, and Cirque Bijou; the show designers who make everything from stunning artistic creations for rock concerts to seamlessly produced large scale shows.
But it takes more than a team of three to execute an event of this scale, and that’s where the links of CircoMedia, Trinity Bristol, The Island, Bristol Plays Music, Theatre Bristol and Wyldwood Arts come in to play.
With a hugely varied schedule, from high-rig circus spectaculars to beautiful puppet shows and even crash courses in British Sign Language (BSL)promises to have something for everyone.
Headlining Doing Things Differently is outdoor circus spectacle Weighting, brought to you by integrated circus company, Extraordinary Bodies. Combining circus, dance and theatre, Weighting tells the story of an extraordinary family making new discoveries in the face of love and loss.
With a cast of seven extraordinary disabled and non-disabled performers taking to the air on a huge transformative set in a joyful exploration of equilibrium and balance; accompanied by a five-piece band playing an original score and backed by a mass community choir of 200 singers, the show celebrates risk-taking, transformation and asks ‘when is the right time to let go’?
