Barton Arts is celebrating its 20th anniversary in style this year with film, comedy, music, theatre and the spoken word among the highlights of the 11 day festival which begins on Thursday (June 22).

From small beginnings, the festival has grown to 11 days of top national performers showcasing their work alongside local and regional performers and artists and is packed with an entertaining selection of art forms performed at many of the town’s iconic venues.

One of the highlights of the festival comes on the first weekend when Clare Teal, the internationally acclaimed jazz vocalist and radio presenter, will perform an evening of Doris Day’s best loved songs at the Joseph Wright Hall in the town centre.

Other music during the week include Green Matthews, as they transport you through 600 years of music playing period instruments, the First United Methodist Church of Birmingham Youth Choir, that will perform at Trinity Church with the festival concluding on Sunday, July 2 with the beautiful harmonies of Nashville-based group,

The Danberrys.Spoken Word features heavily with a prose and poetry show called Mind the Gap, a Barton Muse Poetry Night and poetry maverick John Hegley bringing his family show, Alphaboat Show, to Ropery Hall while local author Sue Wilsea continues her series of “in conversation”, this time with fellow writer Louisa Beech.

BBC Radio 4 favourite Mitch Benn is attempting to avoid the grim reaper now he has reached the dizzying heights of 47 years of age and Phil Hammond, NHS doctor, BBC broadcaster, Private Eye journalist, and whistle-blowing comic, brings his hit show Health Revolution to Barton.  In just 99 minutes he promises you can laugh, sort your life out, stay sane, plan your death, and save the NHS!

In addition there will be Burton, an award winning production about the actor Richard Burton, the first of the free Performance in the Park’s with Heartbreak Theatre’s adaptation of David Walliams book Billionaire Boy, the Graham Sanders Lecture, art exhibitions, Film Night and an animation workshop with Andrew Sanders.

Details of all the events that make up the Barton Arts Festival 2017 as well as ticket prices and how to buy then can be found on bartonarts.co.uk