Arts by the Sea has confirmed four new performances for its 2025 festival in Bournemouth, ranging from surreal falconry to techno-playing poodles.
The free event runs from Friday 26 to Sunday 28 September and follows the theme WE ARE HERE, which focuses on identity, community and presence.
Falconry Dismay by Dizzy O’Dare is an outdoor comedy performance led by fictional bird handler Kevin Tickle. It parodies traditional falconry displays without using real animals, instead blending humour with surprising facts about bird behaviour and flight.
Dogshow is a high-energy act performed by two brothers in poodle costumes. Mixing live techno and jazz with theatre and choreographed movement, the performance explores identity and self-expression through sound and costume.
Two works supported by Without Walls will also feature at this year’s festival. The Journey by Perhaps Contraption combines live pop music, theatre, choral harmony and British Sign Language in a travelling performance. The piece includes brass musicians and BSL poet-dancer Hearns Sebuado and explores shared experience and joy.
World Kiosk by Variable Matter is a sound and light installation that collects audio stories from local and international communities. It offers an intimate and reflective space for people to consider belonging and identity.
Andrea Francis, Festival Director, said the acts bring different interpretations of this year’s theme. “From the joyful anarchy of Dogshow to the intimacy of World Kiosk, each offers a different kind of presence. Together, they invite audiences to take up space, celebrate identity and feel a true sense of belonging.”
Councillor Andy Martin, Portfolio Holder for Culture, Customer and Communications, said the festival continues to bring people together through shared experiences across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
Arts by the Sea is run by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council and supported by Arts Council England as a National Portfolio Organisation. It brings installations, dance, street theatre, music and participatory experiences together in Bournemouth town centre and along the seafront.
Further details of this year’s programme will be released soon.
