Richard Wyatt talks to Phil Shepherd about Bath Arts Workshop
Bath Arts Workshop:
Counterculture in the 1970s
from Tangent Books and all good booksellers
An intimate and often hilarious account of how a 1970s counterculture exploded upon an 18th-century city
They thought art could change the world
Thousands joined in and things were never the same again
#beforewego
‘These were great days, days of hope.’
— Mike Westbrook, jazz pianist and composer
As the swinging 60s gave way to the turbulent 70s, a unique counterculture sprang up in Bath. Amidst the contrasting tapestry of Georgian architecture and post-war council estates, Bath Arts Workshop was born – a spectacular flowering of creative activity, community technology and social enterprise.
But what was it exactly and what were the people involved trying to achieve? In this fascinating book, many of those involved tell their stories for the first time – how it came about and their struggles to keep it going.
Daring, irreverent and often hilarious, it created a space for everyone to get involved, young and old alike. At a time when people felt free to take risks, Bath Arts Workshop was a unique experiment, an everyday revolution that is still relevant today.
What people are saying
‘I grew up in the formative years of the Bath Arts Workshop, where abstract creativity was a thing to be embraced not stifled.
I wanted to be Rocky Ricketts. Luckily I got close and will be eternally grateful.’
— Curt Smith, Tears for Fears
‘The time I spent with Bath Arts Workshop had a deep influence on my work for the next 40 years. This book will remind everyone of what was achieved. It gives us hope for the future.’
— Ros Rigby OBE, Former Performance Programme Director, Sage Gateshead
‘Comtek means community technology. It is also a department of that example of anarchy harnessed to practical purposes – the Bath Arts Workshop.’
— Terry Pratchett, Bath Evening Chronicle 9 August 1975
‘So important to tell these stories.’
— Michael Eavis CBE, Glastonbury Festival
The Natural Theatre Company grew out of Bath Arts Workshop
LEARN MORE ABOUT NATURAL THEATRE COMPANY
With special thanks to the Nachman family and Somerset Film