Slapstick Festival

Our friends at Cinema Rediscovered are back this week with another programme full of cinematic gems! Check out the line-up here:

Cinema Rediscovered 2024 The 8th edition of Cinema Rediscovered (Wed 24 – Sun 28 July), Watershed’s annual festival dedicated to the rediscovery and revival of great films, showcases screenings of new restorations, rediscoveries and film-on-film rarities, cinema walks, a quiz, talks and more.

We've released another video from our archives! Revisit 2021 and Robin Ince's conversation with showbiz legend Bernie Clifton! https://buff.ly/3Lo9Ed6

We are excited to reveal our dates for ! Put the 12-16 of February in your diaries for a celebration of silent, visual, and classic comedy!

We will be announcing some news alongside our latest YouTube video soon! Sign up to our mailing list to have the latest updates sent straight to your inbox. https://buff.ly/419FOQ8

Cary Grant Comes Home For The Weekend Catch a beautiful screening of Arsenic & Old Lace in Clifton today with the Cray Grant Festival 🤩 Book here https://www.bristolfilmfestival.com/clifton-summer-screenings/cary-grant-at-120

July update from Cary Comes Home - https://mailchi.mp/5e689e4a79aa/july-update-from-cary-comes-home Vote Cary today at Bristol Film Festival's Clifton Summer Screenings and join us for a sneak peak at this year's festival!

We love it when Tim Vine visits Slapstick! In this event from 2019, Tim shares his favourite top comedy flicks with Richard Herring! https://buff.ly/2P1UeRI

Victoria Wood was such a comic genius and we were incredibly lucky to have her host one of our Silent Comedy Galas! Revisit this event from our archives that explores her legacy and influence. https://buff.ly/361OI5X

We love The Goodies at Slapstick and it was such an honour to help celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2020. Sadly, this would be one of the last times the trio would appear onstage. Revisit some happy memories in this video from our archives. https://buff.ly/2Lc0Vve

We just wanted to say a massive thank you to all of our amazing Slapstick Volunteers - you are all stars 🌟 💪🤩

We are revisiting our YouTube channel and videos from our archives. This week, find out about Harry Hill's top comedy picks with footage from our 2014 event. https://buff.ly/2yXqHR4

Over the summer, we are revisiting some of our YouTube videos! In 2016, we had John Cleese, Ronnie Golden, Rory Bremner, Neil Innes, & Barry Cryer join us for a fundraiser hosted by Tim Vine. We were so lucky to have such a legendary line-up! https://buff.ly/3eAnAyH

We uploaded the first video from our archives to YouTube over four years ago! Revisit Eric Sykes chatting about his career with Graeme Garden here: https://buff.ly/4bGTXbN

We are still laughing from last week's Big Comedy Bash! Many thanks to our wonderful line-up (Lucy Porter, Angela Barnes, Marjolein Roberston, Jon Culshaw, Josh Widdecombe, and Robin Ince) and the wonderful team at the Hexagon Reading Arts! Photo credit - David Betteridge Photography

We will miss the fantastic Festival of ideas, and are truly grateful to Andrew and everyone involved, for everything they have done for Bristol. We look forward to seeing the journeys of Festival of Economics, Festival of the Future City and all of those involved 👏

Here’s what our director Andrew Kelly said today at our closing event for Bristol Ideas:

Yesterday we ran our final official Bristol Ideas event with the poet Jackie Kay. Our work ended as it started 31 years ago with an ambitious programme delivered by a small team. In the past three months we have arranged to close the company, started our archive, built legacy projects, supported many organisations, writers, poets and artists and individuals with funding. In the last three weeks we have run 11 events, two conferences, published two books and put two more into production.

We wanted to end well with impact.

I have long believed that one of our roles is to be a good ancestor. In decades to come, if we are remembered at all, I hope it is because we did things that lasted and that did some good.

Today we publish our final book. Why Our Project Was the City? Our project was not just about culture it was about making cities work. It was about making cities better. Culture was at the heart of this. But the city - perhaps the greatest invention for creativity - was the project throughout.

The book is full of inspiration of people who have contributed ideas and projects. I look for inspiration widely: George Orwell and James Baldwin; Jane Jacobs and Rachel Carson. Writers like David Olusoga. All seekers of the truth.

I get inspiration from cities too, especially this city. And on cities a great inspiration has been Walt Whitman. He wrote:

‘I DREAM'D in a dream, I saw a city invincible to the attacks of the whole of the rest of the earth;

‘I dream'd that was the new City of Friends…’.

I hope we have helped create a new city of friends. We’ve worked together for 30 years. Auden said let all your last thinks be thanks. My thanks to you and to all members of my small teams. I still think it remarkable that we achieved so much as the book we launch today shows. Thanks to my board for guidance and advice over 30 years and especially during the past few months. Particular thanks in this time to Danni Cockerill and Jo Cave for guiding our finances; to Melanie Kelly for coming back in to help; to Kate Sim Read for not just helping with marketing but for providing general support and for being a good friend; to Jane Duffus for help with research and for writing the report on Bristol Broadsides - a project I have wanted to do for many years - read her report on our website: it’s terrific; to Simon Cook, Suzanne Rolt, Judith Squires and Lynn Barlow for help in our final weeks.

In the last three weeks I’ve been asked many times why are you closing? It’s a question I have asked myself every hour of every day since I came back into the role as director.

There’s little point in regrets though. We need to move forward. It’s not just what we have done that counts. It’s what happens next. So what happens next? We have saved Festival of Economics, Festival of the Future City and our City Poet work. I’m delighted to announce that Kate Read will become the new project manager for our legacy festivals. Danni - my financial support - remains now as the only member of staff. If you are looking for an accountant, hire her. You won’t be disappointed.

I’ve agreed new film seasons and have more books to write. I remain determined to deliver the big Bristol Ideas projects I planned to 2030: on Englishness; on John Berger; on Pandaemonium and the new Industrial Revolution; on disruption in the film industry from the coming of the talkies to AI; and on building the cities of the future.

This is a time for reflection and for thanks. It is also a time for renewed commitment. Here - as on everything we have done - I look to my greatest inspiration: Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Directing Brunel 200 in 2006 was a great honour. Brunel united arts and sciences. He wanted to build castles in the air. He lived his life, as Kenneth Clark said, in love with the impossible. His friend Daniel Gooch wrote on his death:

‘By his death the greatest of England’s engineers was lost, the man with the greatest originality of thought and power of ex*****on, bold in his plans but right. The commercial world thought him extravagant; but although he was so, great things are not done by those who sit down and count the cost of every thought and act.’

‘Great things are not done by those who sit down and count the cost of every thought and act.’ This should be at the front of every evaluation report we do.

Brunel’s motto was ‘En Avant: forward!’ I hope in what I do next I will continue to unite arts and sciences. To be a good ancestor. To build castles in the air. To live life in love with the impossible. To help deliver that dream of a resilient city of friends and to continually move forward. I hope you will work with all those now taking on our projects and with me. Thank you all.

Thankyou so much to all the brilliant performers at last nights Big Comedy Bash and to the wonderful audience , our great photographer David, and all the Hexagon Team - what a completely fantastically funny and great night! 🤩

Start your week with some laughs! Our Big Comedy Bash is Monday night! Robin Ince hosts a stellar line-up that includes Jon Culshaw, Lucy Porter, Josh Widdecombe, Angela Barnes, and Marjolein Robertson! https://whatsonreading.com/venues/hexagon/whats-on/big-comedy-bash-24

Hilarious night at with the brilliant Alasdair Beckett-King 🤩

We may have gone a bit quiet on our social channels, but that doesn't mean we've stopped working behind the scenes! If you would like to get the latest Slapstick news delivered to your inbox, sign up for our mailing list today. https://buff.ly/419FOQ8

We are delighted to have Jon Culshaw joining the line-up for our Big Comedy Bash on the 29th! He'll be joining Angela Barnes, Lucy Porter, Josh Widdecombe, and Marjolein Robertson in this festival fundraiser hosted by Robin Ince. https://whatsonreading.com/venues/hexagon/whats-on/big-comedy-bash-24

We are just a few weeks from our Big Comedy Bash! Book your tickets now for a fantastic line-up that includes Josh Widdecombe, Lucy Porter, Angela Barnes, Lou Sanders, Marjolein Robertson, and host Robin Ince! https://whatsonreading.com/venues/hexagon/whats-on/big-comedy-bash-24

Missing our live events? (We most certainly are)! Check out our YouTube channel for highlights from our archives. Make sure to hit the subscribe button to be notified when the latest video goes live.

https://www.youtube.com/

Tickets are flying fast for next month's Big Comedy Bash! Book your ticket by Sunday the 31st to get a special early bird discount! https://whatsonreading.com/venues/hexagon/whats-on/big-comedy-bash-24

Our next event is 29th April! Book now for a special early bird discount. Our Big Comedy Bash is back at The Hexagon! Robin Ince hosts our line-up that includes Angela Barnes, Lou Sanders, Josh Widdicombe, Lucy Porter, and Marjolein Robertson! https://buff.ly/42QvkpR

You may have noticed that our social media channels are a bit quiet at the moment... but fret not! We are busy behind the scenes making plans for this coming year & beyond! Keep up to date with the latest Slapstick news by subscribing to our mailing list: https://buff.ly/419FOQ8

Our Big Comedy Bash returns to Reading Arts next month! Robin Ince is our host for the fundraiser that will help us deliver the next edition of the festival! The lineup includes Josh Widdicombe, Lucy Porter, Angela Barnes, Lou Sanders, and Marjolein Robertson! https://whatsonreading.com/venues/hexagon/whats-on/big-comedy-bash-24

It was so fantastic to have Sylvester McCoy join us for ! Here he is with his Slapstick Legacy Medal which is presented to those who help keep the slapstick spirit alive!

If you are new to finding us - make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel! We regularly upload event highlights from our archive. https://www.youtube.com/

We are in post-festival recovery mode... but we'd love to hear from you! What was your highlight of ? Photo credit - David Betteridge Photography

ICYMI our Big Comedy Bash is back at the Hexagon in Reading on 29th of April! Robin Ince is hosting our fantastic line-up that includes: Lucy Porter, Josh Widdicombe, Angela Barnes, Lou Sanders, & Marjolein Robertson. Book now for early bird prices. https://whatsonreading.com/venues/hexagon/whats-on/big-comedy-bash-24