CRUNCH, the Art and Philosophy Festival (November 18-20) is back, and has now released its full programme.
Produced by the Institute of Art and Ideas and held annually in Hay-on-Wye, Crunch brings together over 500 art industry professionals from curators, critics and writers to musicians, gallery directors, actors and Turner Prize-winners, to discuss the core issues facing art in contemporary society.
The theme for this year’s Crunch is 'awake in the universe' – what gives art the ability to raise us from our emotional and intellectual slumbers and where is its edge currently to be found? Are elements of the contemporary art world asleep and where should we look for vitality?
Join Arts Council Wales chair Dai Smith, former ICA director Philip Dodd, and Tate Modern curator Cedar Lewisohn on the politics of imagination; Serpentine Director Hans-Ulrich Obrist on the daily practice of curating; outspoken artist Jake Chapman on the inspiration behind his seminal works in conversation with Paradise Row founder Nick Hackworth; plus National Theatre Wales artistic director John McGrath, director Nicolas Roeg, RSC director Adrian Noble, artist Susan Hiller and many, many more.
Running alongside this, the Crunch Art Fair will showcase the best of contemporary art, with exhibitions from leading galleries including Paradise Row, Poppy Sebire, and Sumarria Lunn, as well as local-to-Hay artist Blue MacAskill and Hereford Photography Festival.
Elsewhere, they’ll be welcoming a selection of the UK’s finest musical and comedic talent for late-night parties, providing a platform to Wales’ most promising rising talent. Look out for Sion Russell Jones, Rob Lear, Aspel Orchid, Colum Regan, Heed the Thunder, and Catharine Hughes and Paul Sweeting.
On top of all this, they’ll have British Sea Power presenting a semi-acoustic set arranged specially for the Globe at Hay, acclaimed singer Mara Carlyle, former The Hold Steady member Franz Nicolay, DJ Scratchy, folk star and BAFTA award winner Emily Barker & the Red Clay Halo and hotly tipped Beaty Heart.
See http://artfestivalathay.org/ for the full programme release.