Dewsbury arts organisation launches Festival of Conversations with double Grammy winner, Dame Evelyn Glennie

In Conversation with Dame Evelyn Glennie will be held on Thursday, May 11, at Dewsbury Town Hall and will kick off the Festival of Conversations, an exploration of the power of words and conversations between diverse communities.

The festival will feature a series of conversation-focussed events, covering a broad range of subjects and challenges that unite us, emphasising the similarities between communities rather than the differences.

Solo percussionist and composer Dame Evelyn Glennie is a double Grammy winner, BAFTA nominee, recipient of the Polar Music Prize and the Companion of Honour.

Supriya Nagarajan, artistic director and founder of Manasamitra, said: “We are excited to be developing a brand-new Festival of Conversations and we are currently leading sessions with different community groups to see what is interesting, exciting, infuriating or amusing to local people.

“These discussions will inform the series of talks, seminars and forum events that we are hosting throughout 2023.

“Working with Dame Evelyn has been fantastic and is a testament to the calibre of performers and artists that we can attract here in Kirklees.”

Festival of Conversations is funded by Taking the Lead, a Dewsbury Town Investment Plan project funded by the Town Fund.

The festival aims to support a vibrant cultural community in Dewsbury and surrounding areas using a programme of events, skills development and participatory opportunities across music, textiles, visual arts and performance.

Tickets for a Festival of Conversion range from £13.20 to £16.50.

To book tickets, visit: https://www.manasamitra.com/in-conversation-with-dame-evelyn-glennie/.