Tickets have gone on sale for this year’s Bedford Park Festival, one of West London’s longest-running and most popular arts and community events, which St Michael & All Angels Church runs as part of its mission for community engagement and the arts. With a wide range of concerts, talks, walks, film & theatre performances, exhibitions and open-air events, the Festival offers something for everyone, whatever their age. It runs from June 7th to 23rd 2024.
New venues, partners and performers will give a fresh look to “Chiswick’s favourite fortnight” alongside the familiar favourites – Green Days weekend, the Bedford Park Summer Exhibition & Photography Exhibition, the Festival Mass in St Michael & All Angels Church and the Open Gardens walk on the final Sunday.
We’re delighted to announce a new partnership with Sanderson Design Group, which is moving back to Chiswick, where its founder Arthur Sanderson set up his wallpaper factory in 1879. The company has refurbished Voysey House, Charles Voysey’s iconic office building in the centre of Chiswick, as its new headquarters. In ‘Homecoming: Sanderson, Voysey & Chiswick’ on Thursday June 20th, you’ll have the first chance to look inside and hear about the group’s ambitious plans, including its new “Bedford Park” collection of fabrics and wallpapers. Space is limited and tickets may sell out early – you can book via TicketSource.
We’re also pleased to partner for the first time with McVities (which opened its first shop in 1839) and itsparent company pladis, which moved into Chiswick Park in 2021. Their generous sponsorship has enabled the Festival to launch a series of concerts in St Michael & All Angels Church, and workshops in schools, to broaden local young people’s access to music.
They will feature the period performance group Apollo’s Cabinet; trumpeter Aaron Azunda Akugbo (Classic FM’s Rising Star nominee) & harpist Milo Harper; and violinist Elena Urioste & pianist Tom Poster of the award-winning #UriPosteJukeBox, which features classical gems and an interactive concert experience! Tickets are on sale for these and the other Festival events on TicketSource.
We also have a new venue and partner for the Bedford Park Photography Exhibition, co-sponsored for several years by The Chiswick Calendar and Snappy Snaps. It moves into St Michael & All Angels Church, where the photos will be displayed on the south wall, sharing the church with the Bedford Park Summer Exhibition of artworks in the north aisle. The exhibition is extended to a full week, from June 8th to 14th , and Chiswick Auctions becomes a co-sponsor, highlighting its sale of 19th and 20th Century Photographs on June 6th and Photographica on July 10th 2024.
The Chiswick Cinema will host its first Bedford Park Festival screening to mark the 50th anniversary of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, starring Albert Finney as Hercule Poirot. It will be introduced by Andrea Carnevali of The Chiswick Cinema Film Club on Saturday June 22nd.
Finally, another company that has returned to Chiswick – after a shorter gap than Sanderson – is the wealth management firm Killik & Co. Throughout its time in Chiswick it was a generous partner of the Bedford Park Festival, and on its return it is sponsoring the Craft Fair, supporting 20 local creative businesses that will be exhibiting their wares on Green Days weekend this year (June 8th and 9th).
Other Festival highlights will include an interview with the Italian wine and travel writer Marc Millon; a birthday celebration of Chiswick’s Nobel Prize-winning poet WB Yeats, with guest speaker Jeremy Vine; and “The Royal Ballet in 60 Minutes” by Sarah Lenton of BBC Radio 3, at the Theatre at the Tabard. At the Theatre, the Festival will also include performances of ‘Fondly Remembered’ by Gareth Armstrong.
WB Yeats’ connections with Bedford Park will also be explored in a literary walk – Land of Heart’s Desire – led by Cahal Dallat, poet, broadcaster and founder of the WB Yeats Bedford Park Artwork Project; while the Festival’s longest-running event, the annual Bedford Park Walk will explore the area’s architectural and literary heritage led by Dr Pamela Bickley and John Scott.
Further extending the Festival’s musical range, the hugely popular ten-piece band Frank the Cat will perform vibrant versions of ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s soul, disco and fun covers; Danish/Hungarian organist David Bendix Nielsen will give a recital on the acclaimed organ in St Michael & All Angels Church; and Festival favourites David Juritz, violin, Mark Viner, piano, and friends will perform Schubert’s Trout Quintet and Faure’s Piano Quartet No 1.
As well as the schools’ music workshops, events for children will include Building the St Michael’s Bug Church, to provide nesting sites and shelter for insects and wildlife in the church garden; a concert by the young choir The Choristers; and several events on Green Days weekend, where the Fancy Dress Competition, Children’s Corner and Turnham Green Treasure Hunt are all on the theme of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.
The two-day Green Days Fete & Craft Fair is the Festival’s opening weekend and will feature the usual array of bands, refreshments and stalls, supported by many local companies headed by the Festival’s major partner Savills. Returning sponsors include Andrew Nunn & Associates (Beer tent), ArtsEd (Bandstand), Knight Frank (Refreshments tent), Fudges Cycles & Whitman & Co (Cycle Zone), and BMW, Kia & MG (Electric Vehicle Zone).
Profits will support St Michael & All Angels Church, which runs the festival as part of its mission of community outreach, and its three 2024 charities: The Upper Room, helping the needy in Shepherd’s Bush; Swinfen Telemedicine, which links specialist medical expertise to doctors and nurses in remote regions of the world; and Crosslight Chiswick, which provides face-to-face debt advice, together with money education and budgeting support to individuals and families in need.
