ArtReach has been developing Night of Festivals since 2010. The Festival has visited many different towns and cities with different content to suit the locations. The festival “welcomed the world to the UK” for the 2012 Olympics, celebrated the Rio Olympic opening ceremony in 2016, initiated and produced many new commissions and programmed over 500 different artists from across the globe.

 

Night of Festivals adapts to political, social and artistic change, its unique but broad theme of 'celebrating freedom and democracy through artistic innovation' allowing the key topics and artistic focus to reflect a changing environment. Over the last six years the special focus has included:  Latin American Independence, Welcoming the World, Women’s Rights, the Arab Spring, Racial Equality, and Slave Revolution (Haiti).

 

In 2015/16, ArtReach teamed up with partners in Germany, Romania, Bulgaria and Denmark to explore a European response to notions of Freedom and how the arts can both explore and advocate for increased freedom. 

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In 2017, the festival celebrated the 70th anniversary of India and Pakistan, continuing to explore issues around freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom to act or not to act, and the price people can pay for their freedoms. 

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The tabs above will take you to the past festivals, where you can explore what made each festival a unique celebration of freedom and democracy.