PREVIEW: Crunch 2011: 18 – 20 November

Crunch 2011

Having previously hosted the excellent HowTheLightGetsIn back in May, The Institute of Art and Ideas brings a little light to the dark winter with the smaller Crunch festival, Hay-On-Wye, 18-20 November 2011.

The remit for Crunch 2011 is similar to it’s summer sister – to bring together all the neurons of modern culture into one central nervous system for a weekend, to get people thinking, having fun, and feeling inspired. The weekend will host more than 30 live talks and debates, over 20 live music performances, a host of cabaret and comedy acts, and this year a new art pavilion showcasing some fantastic galleries from across Europe.

Talks and debates include a discussion on how art makes us alive – the theme of this years festival entitle ‘Awake in the Universe‘ – between Julian Stallabrass (art historian), Susan Hiller (creative polymath recently featured at the Tate) and Bracha Ettinger (Psychoanalyst and artist). Other talks include the role of the curator, arts influence on politics and particularly intriguing talk from Raymond Tallis and Julian Spalding on the surprising impact that limitations can have on artistic endeavour.

Alongside the brainfood, there are live sessions from British Sea Power, Polinski, Mara Carlyle and Dan Hayes (Man Like Me) among others, comedy from John-Luke Roberts and Selena Godden, and showcases from leading art galleries including Gabriel Rolt and Eb&Flow.

Though if you’re concerned you won’t be able to cram all this in over just a few days, many of the sessions have tickets available individually (starting from £3.00 on some sessions in advance), you can buy tickets for the music programme only (£28 for the weekend), or £58 for full festival access. Wot Credit Crunch? – Crunch 2011 is here to bring a little illumination to your winter. Get yourselves down there!

God is in the TV is an online music and culture fanzine founded in Cardiff by the editor Bill Cummings in 2003. GIITTV Bill has developed the site with the aid of a team of sub-editors and writers from across Britain, covering a wide range of music from unsigned and independent artists to major releases.