It's an insult to Swindon to describe it as a cultural desert
Culture has never been more in your face in the town
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The next free entry Ink Community Talk will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 9 September at The Hop Inn in Devizes Road with Prospect Hospice Chief Executive Jeremy Lune. The talk will be part of The Swindon Shuffle which takes place that week.
The talk entitled ‘Don’t mention the D-words’ will discuss the charity’s vision of a community where death is no longer a taboo and everyone lives and dies well.
The negative stereotype of Swindon having no culture has never been more wrong
In the next few weeks you would have to be hiding under a large rock and point blank refuse to come out in order to not notice some of the amazing cultural experiences the town has on offer.
Swindon has always been wrongly seen as somewhere culture goes to die. How many times have you heard someone say ‘there’s never anything to do in this town’?
But the absolute opposite is true as the town is a hotbed for cultural talent. Swindon is a borough that is bursting at the seams with art, dance, music, poetry, heritage, food and drink, film, and theatre.
In fact, it is an insult to all those who put their souls into artistic endeavours in the town whenever anyone describes Swindon as a ‘cultural desert’.
Over the next few weeks, apart from the usual theatre, music, dance and art events, there are five particularly amazing events to whet your appetite that are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Swindon’s artistic offerings.
By Jamie Hill
I’ve been involved in the cultural sector of Swindon for nearly 20 years now, having run arts and culture magazine The Ocelot since 2006.
And although The Ocelot fell victim to covid in 2020 and is no more, the arts scene in Swindon is stronger than ever.
To be honest though, I’ve had enough.
I’ve had enough of the countless people who repeat the same old boring and tired mantra that Swindon has no culture, when if they simply opened their eyes they would see that it’s all around them.
The town definitely has its faults but lack of culture is not one of them.
There’s just so much happening that it’s impossible to keep up with it all.
I used to think that it’s because culture seemed to be invisible in the town - something I tried my utmost to correct through my magazines The Ocelot and Swindon Link and also by direct lobbying through a group I created called STAMP (Swindon Theatre and Music Project) whose very core mantra was to ‘Make Culture Visible’ (the idea was to install culture boards across the town, serving as visible advertising areas for the cultural sector but it ended up getting shut down by an indifferent borough council about a decade ago.
But nowadays culture has never been more visible.
And the main thing that has slowly been changing people’s perception of the town has been Paint Fest - as wherever you go in the town now you are likely to come across some of the most amazing murals you’ve ever seen.
It’s given Swindon a shot in the arm. A colourful vibrancy offering people an escape from the monotonous grey of the endless urban landscape.
At the end of this month the fourth annual Paint Fest will be held, with even more buildings to be given a colourful makeover.
With that in mind, I thought it would be a good idea to highlight five upcoming events, including Paint Fest, that show that Swindon really is the centre of all things ‘culture’.
And one last thing, if you ever hear someone say that Swindon is a cultural desert again - just tell them to open their eyes. With luck, their minds will follow.
Swindon Paint Fest 2024
Founded by Artsite, Swindon Paint Fest’s fourth iteration is going to be huge, with a range of inclusive activities planned including large scale murals, live painting, exhibitions, family-friendly workshops, music and more.
Over 50 talented artists from Swindon and around the world are bringing their creativity and energy to the town on Saturday, 31 August and Sunday, 1 September.
This year, the festival continues to build on Swindon's existing mural art trail. It aims to continue to brighten up the town and create a sense of pride in local communities. Another goal for the festival is to include as many free and inclusive events as possible, inviting individuals from all ages to express their creativity through a range of hands-on workshops.
The inclusive line-up of events includes live painting all weekend in various locations, a Clothing & Tie Dye workshop, a Body Painting demo and a Spray Can Art workshop, all held on Saturday, 31 August at Artsite on Theatre Square. On Sunday, 1 September, you can expect a fun-filled family day at Rudi’s Bar.
Visitors can also enjoy two exciting exhibitions by Bristol-based artist, Andi Burns Colwill, called “Sketches & Stuff”, held at Artsite from Friday 30 August to Sunday 8 September. Over the festival weekend, a Street Art Exhibition titled “BRICKS, DOTS + BLOCKS 2” will be held at Oink Gallery, Old Town and an exhibition by Wiltshire-based artist, Charlotte Abraham, will be held at Gustoso Bistro and Bar, Old Town.
This year’s Swindon Paint Fest is proudly supported by the Arts Council and local businesses and organisations. The organisers extend their thanks to the event sponsors: Rudi’s Bar, Tom Faulkner, GEL Studios, Pentel, Brewers Decorators Center, SAS Elite Scaffolding, Painting by Numbers, Zurich, U Be You Paint, Kobra, Gustoso, Swindon Borough Council and Central Swindon North Parish Council.
The organisers of Swindon Paint Fest said: “It's been really important to us to continue to build on Swindon’s rich mural heritage. The amazingly talented local and international artists, travelling as far as from Australia to be part of this year's event, will be creating unique artwork that taps into everyone’s imagination”.
Charlotte Abraham, local artist, said: “The 2023 Swindon Paint Fest was my first taste of murals and live painting. It was such a fantastic experience, and so much so that I'm coming back for more!”
Featured artists:
Dayna Baxter and Paul Exton + Sophi Odling + Remy Uno + Jack Lack + Ricky Also + Mr Cenz + Leonidas Giannakopoulos + Emic + Liam Bononi
Find the official programme here and keep an eye out on their social media @swindonpaintfest.
Street Food Festival
For its second year, the now annual Street Food Festival organised by the Old Town Business Association will be taking place in Wood Street on Sunday 1 September from midday to 5pm.
A wide variety of food and drink stalls will be on offer featuring different cuisines from around the world and live entertainment all in the heart of Old Town.
Last year’s was absolutely packed with hungry punters soaking up the sun whilst munching on various cuisines.
Definitely one to head to if you fancy giving your tastebuds a treat.
Heritage Open Days
Swindon Heritage Open Days will be celebrating history and culture from 6 to 15 September.
The open days are part of the country's largest heritage festival and it returns this year with the theme: 'Routes, Networks, Connections'.
From 6 to 15 September you can explore both hidden and familiar places and try out new experiences in historic locations that are right on your doorstep.
Swindon has even more to offer at this year’s festival, with many of Swindon’s historic buildings open for events, guided tours, talks, exhibitions and family activities.
Check out the Heritage Open Days webpage for Swindon and plan your festival now - and it's all free.
Swindon Shuffle 2024
The cream of Swindon's musical talent are getting ready for this year's Swindon Shuffle, set to take place at venues across the town from Thursday 12 September to Sunday 15 September.
The festival, whose headline sponsor is Swindon-based UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), will again be raising money for Prospect Hospice. All events are free, but music lovers are invited to donate.
Acts lined up include Chasing Dolls, Matt Owens & The DVP, Ellis Evason, Talk In Code, Reuben's Daughters, NervEndings, JB & The Mojo Makers, B-Sydes and Subject A.
Organiser Ed Dyer said: "We're into the 18th year of the Shuffle and the 17th running of it.
"What we're trying to do is really illustrate to everybody the breadth of musical talent in Swindon. It's all original acts - singer-songwriters, bands - their own music, and no genre is off limits."
Those genres range from heavy duty guitar bands to folk and all points in between.
Ed added: "We're highlighting the talents that are around in the town, but also another key part of keeping us motivated is to encourage the venues who support the music."
The venues are The Beehive, The Castle, The Hop Inn, The Tuppenny, The Victoria, Baristocrats, Eastcott Community Centre, Swindon Central Library and The Eternal Optimist.
"It's good to give something back to support the work they do all year round for Swindon," Ed said. "And of course, it's raising money for Prospect Hospice."
Ed highlighted the work of the hospice, which must raise the overwhelming bulk of the funds it needs to help people both at its premises in Wroughton and in people's homes throughout the communities the charity serves.
Only a small fraction of its funding is provided by the Government.
There is also a poignant personal reason why so many of those involved with the local music scene are committed to supporting the hospice. The late Dave Young, a major figure in that scene who worked tirelessly to promote and offer spaces to local musicians, as well as being a gifted musician himself, died at the hospice in 2021.
Another major Swindon music event, the My Dad's Bigger Than Your Dad Festival, was established in his honour.
Full details are at www.swindonshuffle.org.uk
Swindon Open Studios
This year marks the 20th anniversary celebration of Swindon Open Studios (SOS) - and the 2024 celebration will be the biggest ever.
There will be 130 artists and craftspeople in 56 venues across Swindon and surrounding areas, and some of their pieces are shown above.
The free community-based art event during the last two weekends in September - 21 and 22 and 28 and 29 - will give access to a wide range media including oil paintings, acrylics, watercolours, ceramics, stained glass, jewellery, mosaics, digital art and life-size film props.
Originally, a few artists invited family and friends but by 2004, 53 artists were taking part. Since then, SOS has more than doubled, growing into a thriving and supportive arts community which banishes the myth that Swindon is a cultural desert.
A spokesperson said: "Swindon's event is proudly inclusive and celebrates creativity by welcoming amateur artists alongside full-time professionals.
"Everyone benefits. Visitors see many beautiful creations and artists get to meet their audience, gaining valuable feedback. The muck and mess behind the scenes is all part of the creative process and visitors might even be inspired to take up a new hobby.
"The back catalogue of work shows how themes develop, and creatives share the stories behind particular works. Some venues offer “Have a go” sessions such as pottery classes or how to cut stained glass.
"Venues and artists taking part include many in central Swindon, including Artsite with 21 artists and PodPad with 19 artists, while New College offers an End-of-Year show for students of their work in Art & Design, Media Make-up and Photography.
"Artists include Bare Glazed Pottery, Eastcott Studios, MAMS Gallery, Sue Barnes, Victoria Carter, David Bent, Lisa Lowe, Tim Carroll, Steve Sewell, Andi Theokle, Ken White, Sholeh Jafari, Patrick Taylor, Alex Crump, Helen Savin, Carmen B Norris, Tracey Baker-Stewart, Sheena Dickens and Deepti Arora."
Several homes, studios and exhibition spaces offer light refreshments and garden spaces to enjoy.
Full details, including locations, accessibility and a full catalogue can be found at swindonopenstudios.org
Brochures are available across Swindon in libraries, community centres, pubs and clubs.
The Swindon Link Magazine Archive
Over on The Ink’s sister publication Swindon Link’s website you will find an impressive archive of the past 45 years of Swindon Link magazines, giving you a huge glimpse into the town’s recent past from the beginnings of West Swindon to now. You can find the archive here.
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Great article Jamie! Squeezed in before the start of the Swindon Paint Fest this month was also Swindon & Wiltshire Pride and today’s Ukraine Fest 🏳️🌈🇺🇦