A new arts collective with collaboration at its heart comes to Bath

Bath Arts Collective is a new Community Interest Company (CIC) that’s on a mission to enhance Bath's vibrant arts and events scene, with a more collaborative approach that will benefit residents and visitors alike.

BAC has been founded by three highly experienced arts professionals, Kate Hall, Kate Abbey and Jasmine Barker, who between them have an award-winning track record of creating, producing and marketing over 2,500 events across books, music and film festivals.

This new venture will offer a rolling programme of curated events specifically around books, film, art and music; provide consultancy services on events programming, production and marketing; and work with performers on their ‘festival footprint’ - finding ways for them to give back to the city and surrounding areas. Alongside creating events, BAC wants to bring together arts organisations and venues across the city by creating a network that meets regularly to support each other and collaborate.

Kate Abbey, who specialises in event programming and festival curation, says “Books, film, art and music have the power to challenge, educate and entertain us and bring people together. As a collective, we have a desire to open up our city’s cultural experiences to all local people as well as visitors.”

2024 will bring an exciting programme of events as the team plans to partner with Rebalance Festival, Persephone Bookshop and Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institute. Bath Arts Collective will also produce its first original project called Curious Minds: a festival to ignite ideas. This festival will run over March 2024 in a variety of venues, and it will offer a selection of handpicked talks, films, performances and workshops that will challenge and captivate audiences. Curious Minds kicks off on March 7th with The Big Pop Culture Quiz at Komedia, a fundraiser that is open to all for some serious (or not so serious) quizzing. Tickets will go on sale soon.

Kate Hall, who specialises in event and festival production, says “We want to mix up our programming with events that take audiences into venues and spaces that they never normally get access to. These extra special moments are the icing on the cake when it comes to creating memorable events. That’s what Bath Arts Collective will bring to Bath.”

Bath Arts Collective plans to partner with Mr B’s Emporium of Books, FilmBath, Bath Life, Bath BID, Good Crowd Media, Visit West, The Co-Foundry, Forest of Imagination, Komedia, Creative Bath, The Official Photographer and TSL.

Jasmine Barker, who specialises in marketing and audience development, says “Arts are a vital part of any city and I strongly believe that the way to maximise their potential is by working together to create a vibrant arts scene that Bath can be proud of, so please do reach out and join our network.”

Bath Arts Collective plans to offer the best experiences to diverse audiences, and support arts organisations and community groups with insights, best practice and cost-effective solutions to ensure that Bath remains a top global destination for leisure and tourism.

Kathryn Davis, Managing Director, Visit West said: “This new initiative by Bath Arts Collective will bring exciting additions to Bath’s vibrant calendar of events and festivals, giving visitors even more reason to spend time in the city to explore and engage with many well-known artists and performers as well as rising talent. The team’s vast experience, and determination to work closely with and bring together many businesses, organisations, and venues across Bath, will be a huge asset in helping grow the city’s cultural offering. We look forward to working with and supporting the team going forward and amplifying their events and activities across the Visit Bath consumer platforms and to the wider travel industry.”

To find out more, sign up to Bath Arts Collective’s newsletter here. To discuss a possible collaboration, kate.batharts@gmail.com. And follow Bath Arts Collective on instagram @BathArtsCollective.