20 days to go

Frequency by Alex Cotterell, Will Kendrick, Lumen and OCD. Photograph by Edward Lockyer.

Just under three weeks to go until Illuminate Bath. I'm so excited to see everything come together after all the planning and preparation. Predictably whenever I get busy with work I tend to neglect my blog. The festival  takes over and it's a struggle to keep up with my other projects. The next few weeks are likely to be a whirlwind of site meetings, risk assessments, finance and last minute issues to sort out.

I'm really proud of the programme that we've put together. I think the festival showcases a range of original, playful and accessible artworks, created by internationally renowned, as well as local artists, university students and Bath school children. We're working with a lot of student volunteers to deliver the festival. I hope that the experience will inspire them to get involved in more arts projects and events and organise their own in the future.

This photo above is of Frequency, a new light installation in the Roman Baths. The balcony area of the baths will open for audiences to view the artwork  for free on two nights. We're already getting some good media coverage, such as this article in Venue . Let's hope lots of people hear about the festival and brave the January weather to come to enjoy it.

Just over 3 months to go

Just over 3 months to go until Illuminate Bath at the end of January and there is a lot to organise. I'm probably not going to sleep well from now on because there is so much to think about. Tomorrow we're sending out a press release about the programme and our new website goes live so that's very exciting.

It's fantastic to see it all coming together. Not long ago in 2009 it started as an idea I was thinking about. Then other people began to get excited about it too and it just took off. The first festival in November 2010 was a great success and the 2012 festival is shaping up to be even better. Moving it to January means it will take place right at the start of Games year and I think concentrating everything into four evenings will help to generate a real buzz around Bath.

Behind the scenes at the Paralympics GB training camp in Bath

Me chatting with some of the Paralympic GB fencing team at the simulation camp

Last week I was invited by BT Storytellers to go on a ‘behind the scenes’ tour of the Paralympics GB simulation camp held at the University of Bath.

The scale of a Paralympic Games is much bigger than most of the athletes have experienced previously, so the simulation camp is designed to help them prepare for the unique conditions that they will live and train in during Games time. During the camp athletes stay in student accommodation on site, providing a distraction-free environment for them to eat, sleep, train and relax in.

Over 150 athletes will spend time at the camp over a two week period. The first thing I noticed when I arrived was the tremendous buzz around the place. I’ve been to the University of Bath before for meetings and young people’s events but this time was different. Security was tighter and everyone wore special passes to allow them access to the camp area.

We headed straight for the busy dining hall marquee where athletes, coaches and staff catch up and bond over lunch. A selection of hot food is available including pasta and vegetables, and there are lots of fridges full of drinks provided by Coca cola. After lunch we joined a tour group of about 15 people who I think were mostly press and corporate sponsors.

On the tour we looked around the sporting facilities and heard from some of the numerous coaches, therapists and practitioners involved in supporting the athletes. There is even a designated pee station where they carry out hydration testing and weigh athletes before and after they train. We saw a reproduction of an athlete’s bedroom in the Olympic village. The athletes share twin rooms and I was surprised at how sparse and functional they are, very similar to student halls of residence. The highlight for me was seeing the fencing and sitting volleyball squads training. Fast-paced, noisy and energetic, we were offered a tantalising preview of how exciting it will be to watch the Games next summer.

It was amazing to experience the atmosphere within the camp for an afternoon and catch a glimpse of how the British Paralympic team are preparing for London 2012.