Arts festival for 'newest and most exciting work'

2 hours ago

Jon Wrightin Ipswich

Rachael Clerke will be running Transactionland, with conversations, workshops and performances inside an empty shop

Ruby Turner/SPILL Rachael Clerke stands in a high street carrying shopping bags. — Rachael Clerke will be running Transactionland, with conversations, workshops and performances inside an empty shop

A new arts festival will focus on work‑in‑progress performances and innovation.

In the Works, taking place in Ipswich from 11–27 May, was revealed at the town's County Library on Tuesday night.

Supporters include New Wolsey Theatre, Brighten the Corners, Eastern Angles, SPILL, King Street Cinema, and Suffolk Community Libraries. It comes as Ipswich bids to be the UK's City of Culture 2029.

"Audiences deserve the chance to experience the newest and most exciting work being made right now... by coming together we can make a bold statement about what we can achieve here," said Douglas Rintoul, chief executive and artistic director of New Wolsey Theatre and chair of We Are Ipswich.

Pictured (left to right) are poet Amy Wragg, Melissa Matthews, from Suffolk Community Libraries, Robin Deacon, artistic director of SPILL, and Douglas Rintoul and Sally Jones from New Wolsey Theatre

Jon Wright/BBC Poet Amy Wragg, Melissa Matthews, from Suffolk Community Libraries, Robin Deacon, artistic director of Spill, and Douglas Rintoul and Sally Jones from New Wolsey Theatre stand in a line in front of a stage. — Pictured (left to right) are poet Amy Wragg, Melissa Matthews, from Suffolk Community Libraries, Robin Deacon, artistic director of SPILL, and Douglas Rintoul and Sally Jones from New Wolsey Theatre

There will be more than 30 events across eight venues celebrating "bold new work, fresh voices, and next‑generation creativity".

Shows will include work from theatre makers and filmmakers, musicians, comedians and writers.

There will be a mix of premieres, works‑in‑progress, experiments, and one‑off events.

Melissa Matthews, cultural programmes manager for Suffolk Community Libraries, said: "This big moment of social action... let's just utilise libraries as that gateway into culture, really bring those high quality experiences and actually show what opportunities are there.

"There's this gorgeous ecosystem that's starting to build in Ipswich, something that's going to be really transformative for the town."

What can you see?

SPILL will stage Transactionland, an unusual high-street retail emporium hosted by artist-turned-shopkeeper Rachael Clerke. It is a response to a collective fear of talking about the economy.

King Street Cinema will show a mix of storytelling from across the UK and beyond, including Drawn From Life, a vivid collection of animated shorts that celebrate everyday lives alongside Our Land, a timely documentary exploring the UK's Right to Roam movement.

Brighten the Corners gigs will include Styrofoam Winos, a music‑led evening of folk‑infused songs and personal stories, and ICHI fusing poetry, beat‑driven music and theatrical presence in a hybrid performance.

Eastern Angles continues its commitment to championing homegrown talent and premiering new writing through its popular Play, Pizza, Pint Night programme, serving audiences work from the Eastern Angles Playwrights Club and Emma Zadow's play Marsh Kin.

Ipswich County Library will host an intimate series of gigs curated by the Creative Communities young producers' programme, Booked, featuring emerging local musicians and writers-in-residence from the Bound/Unbound poetry collective, all within the atmospheric setting of the historic library.

Gifted Melon injects a burst of comedy energy into the festival with stand‑up nights upstairs at The Thomas Wolsey Pub.

New Wolsey Theatre features Edinburgh Fringe hits, daring new voices, and the latest play by award winning Ipswich writer Martha Loader.