Coventry City of Culture: Coventry Opens begins
Over 200 events are planned for the next four days
Over 50 venues across Coventry will open their doors to the public as part of a four-day celebration of the city’s creative sector today.
More than 200 events are set to unfold across the city centre and beyond as part of 'Coventry Opens'.
The city-wide campaign is aiming to promote local cultural venues and other spaces in the city.
There will be music all over the city – in the usual performance and spaces like halls and theatres, but also in faith spaces, in tents, in the library, in cafes and bars, in shops, pubs with open mics – and on a canal boat.
There will be African drumming and discos, orchestras, acoustic gigs, an all-day rave, and three choirs to try.
The campaign marks the beginning of the City of Culture Trust’s May celebrations and is shining a spotlight on the people and places that make up the city’s creative culture, with the public invited into the city’s performance spaces, cultural organisations and other venues across the city.
More than 50 Coventry institutions from The Belgrade Theatre and Warwick Arts Centre to libraries, community centres, and faith buildings will host activities across the four days to continue building connections with new communities who have engaged with arts, culture and their local venues across the city over the last year.
Chenine Bhathena, creative director of Coventry City of Culture Trust, said:
“This is an amazing opportunity for the public to engage with the diverse array of spaces and venues across the city, as we open the door to them for a long weekend of wide-ranging activities.
“We’ve had two years of on/off restrictions and this is a great opportunity to go back to some of those places people visited before the pandemic and also discover new places or see venues in a different light after so much investment brought about by City of Culture.
“The enthusiasm that the city’s venues and organisations have shown to get involved in Coventry Opens has been inspiring. It’s a strong indication that Coventry residents will continue to have plenty of arts and entertainment to sink their teeth into once the City of Culture year ends.
“And, what’s more, it will show that the people of the city can decide what they want culture to be in Coventry in the months and years ahead. Our work with communities during our year as City of Culture has shown that art and culture belong to the people of Coventry and they will have a say in that in the years to come.”