Bournemouth’s annual celebration of arts and culture, Arts by the Sea Festival, has unveiled its new theme for the tenth anniversary will be ‘journeys’.

The title celebrates the decade-long journey of bringing artists and audiences together in Bournemouth and opens the next chapter of creating new projects for the town.

The festival will take place across Bournemouth from Friday, September 25 to Sunday, September 27. Audiences will be able to participate in an intriguing and unique celebration of art.

The entertainment at the festival, which will be announced throughout 2020, will involve diverse music performances, film screenings, art and dance, and large-scale spectaculars.

The theme will consider how a lifetime constitutes a journey, complete with the many challenges along the way, and how the human experience is defined by the very concept of journeys, from expeditions to destinations unknown, to the personal transformations that accompany lived experiences and relationships.

It will be thought-provoking too as the festival considers the many people who journey from lands of conflict in search of a better life, and how we are reminded that too many journeys are indicative of deep social problems, to which we are yet to find an answer.

Guests can also expect futuristic topics as Arts by the Sea looks at the human yearning to journey further still, taking in NASA’s Mars 2020 Mission and how this is set to pave the way for an astonishing journey, taking mankind further away than ever before.

Arts by the Sea Festival recently announced its search for creative people to take part in the 2020 event. Funding streams of £5,000 will be allocated for exceptional, outdoor commissions, and up to £500 is available towards other projects.

Proposals that explore the theme of ‘journeys’ will be favoured, as will applicants coming from the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole areas, although anyone from the UK is eligible to apply. Interested parties can find more information at www.artsbythesea.co.uk.

With over 100 performances, workshops and exhibitions, and an anticipated crowd of over 100,000 people, Arts by the Sea 2020 is set to be another exhilarating year of art and culture offering depth, insight and excitement. Join the festival this year as it asks: Where have we come from and where are we going next?