10-26 May
Become a FriendFestival at 250
Norfolk & Norwich Festival has a long, rich history as a community celebration.
Founded in 1772 as a fundraising event for the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital we have been at the cultural heart of Norfolk ever since. We are a Charity, which holds true to the central commitment of those first events: to celebrate, to share cultures and to bring our community together.
We were pleased to have been awarded National Lottery Heritage Funding to produce a key project for our 250 celebrations. Festival Forever investigates the extensive history of the Festival, delivering work throughout the year. Keep an eye out for updates as this incredible project progresses.
As we approached our 250th anniversary, we looked to the future. We explored the role of a Festival in the twenty-first century with artists, audiences and communities, creating bold new art, working with more young people, exploring our social responsibility and celebrating this wonderful place in which we live.
250 Projects
To landmark the 250th year of Norfolk & Norwich Festival, we developed a number of projects working with communities and young people across the county. We celebrated people, places and culture, nurturing creativity and brought our Festival Spirit to every corner of the county.
Festival Forever
We are thrilled to announce that we have been awarded National Lottery Heritage Funding to produce a key project for our 250 celebrations. Festival Forever has three principals: research, record and celebrate the history of Norfolk & Norwich Festival and the people whose lives it has touched. It is the historical context and cornerstone project in our celebration of Festival Spirit – the story of community aspiration and engagement we’re telling during our 250 anniversary.
Common Ground
Common Ground inspired new forms of heritage interpretation, enabling young people to generate and present unconventional ideas. This project ran in partnership with Norfolk Wildlife Trust, National Trust, Prince’s Trust, SHARE Museums East, Suffolk Wildlife Trust, supported by National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Lost and Found Films of Norfolk
Andy Field of Forest Fringe (News News News 2019) worked with artists, including Christopher Brett Bailey and Keisha Thompson, and children from schools across Norfolk to uncover lost films about the very true history of Norfolk.
Festival History
One of the oldest Festival’s in the UK, our origins can be traced back to the founding of the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital in 1772
Click here to read more about our historyPast Festivals
Relive your past favourite shows
Take a look back at some of the highlights from previous FestivalsImage credits: Masthead © JMA Photography. Common Ground © TBC. The Two Fifty © Lone Twin. Lost & Found Films of Norfolk © Andy Field.