Welcome

The RWB Arts Festival is a competitive arts festival for both children and adults that takes place annually. The Festival covers music, speech, drama, musical theatre, classical guitar, and dance. We are affiliated to the British and International Federation of Festivals (BIFF) which is the umbrella body for performing arts festivals throughout the UK and beyond.

Dance

Dance takes place across two weekends with a wide range of classes. This year Dance has a whole new section for Novice performers. These are open to those who have never been placed 1st , 2nd or 3rd with a mark of 84 or above at any festival before, offering great opportunities to newly fledged dancers! Once achieved however, those highly esteemed performers can only enter the Open Dance Classes in the future.

Music

The Music Festival  concentrates on many different styles: including competitive classes in woodwind, brass, strings, vocal (choirs, songs from shows, modern pop songs, sacred songs and operetta), a specialist classical guitar section, piano, ensemble and junior accompanist. There are also various musical genres to be enjoyed ranging from Jazz, Folk, Blues to Rock and Musical Theatre. In addition this year they have:

Electronic Keyboard Classes, Traditional Music from any country using traditional instruments for solo, duet and groups. There are now Recital Classes in the Instrumental Section; Piano have introduced new German Composer Classes and a new Pupil Class, supported by their Teacher (who will not be adjudicated), and in Singing the Disney Section, by popular request, now has three new classes for Years 10 – Adults.

Classical Guitar

This section now has classes for the ukulele and the mandolin and a new Plucked Strings Family Ensemble Class.

Speech and Drama

The Speech and Drama section covers a wide variety of classes, from: solo acting, verse speaking, prose reading, group acting, mime, prose recitation, public speaking and Shakespeare performances. We have a new Duo-Mime Class for Year 4 & under.

Musical Theatre

Musical Theatre classes take place on the same weekend as Speech and Drama. This is a relatively new section for RWBAF. We offer classes for solo, duologue and group performances demonstrating a combination of singing, acting and dance where appropriate. We have also split the younger age range classes for solo and duo performances.

Competitions

The Poetry Competition is now open to Adults! A Radio Script Writing Competition is new this year! Entry can only be by the RWBAF Radio Entry Form and potential authors cannot enter on Run My Festival. The winning play will be performed and broadcast on local radio and on the web! Find your entry form here.

Highlights Concert

The festival culminates with a Highlights Concert, which will take place the February following the Festival and will showcase outstanding performers who are invited to return and perform their work with an audience of family, friends and local dignitaries.

Festival History

The festival first began in 2005 and initially concentrated on music and art only. Although it was intended to be a bi-annual event with the second festival taking place in 2007, numbers grew so significantly that, along with the ever-popular classes for Speech and Drama, the festival is now run annually.

We are continuing to grow each year thanks to the wonderful support of all those who join us in sharing their creative talents!