A festival celebrating the best of European theatre is returning to Birmingham and will have a new home.
BE FESTIVAL, which is being held for the fifth year, will feature more than 20 performances from 11 European countries including Spain, Italy, Denmark, France, Hungary and Germany.
It will take over Birmingham REP, turning the building back to front as festival-goers will be able to go backstage and experience the REP in a new way.
The set construction workshop will be transformed into a festival hub with a bar while the paintshop will become an interactive exhibition space.
Each evening will feature four 30-minute shows, with audiences offered the opportunity to dine with the performers in the interval.
BE FESTIVAL began life in a disused metal pressings factory and the organisers wanted to continue the industrial and atmospheric feel for which the festival has become known.
Co-director Miguel Oyarzun explains, “Our first home, A E Harris, was the perfect setting and beginning for BE FESTIVAL. But the factory is now manufacturing again, which is great news for them, but it meant we had to find a new home.”
In the first year, the festival had applications from 60 companies wanting to perform. This year more than 600 applied.
“It’s great to see that Birmingham and the festival are fast becoming a destination for artists from across Europe,” he adds.
The REP’s artistic director Roxana Silbert says, “BE FESTIVAL was one of the first city arts events I attended when I took over and I became an instant fan.
“It’s a unique festival where you can enjoy and engage with a diverse programme of European theatre no matter what language you speak.
“The festival also reflects what we do at the REP. We create new work, support and nurture artists and provide a platform for emerging companies to develop and share their work with an audience.
“I’m delighted that the REP will be home to this brilliant creative festival and it’s particularly nice to be able to allow audiences backstage to enjoy and explore spaces where usually our carpenters, metalworkers and scenic artists create and build sets.”
BE FESTIVAL runs from Wednesday 2 July until Saturday 12 July. Further details are available at the BE FESTIVAL web site.