Light Source: A Festival of the Accused

light source

This event has been postponed to 2023 - more details to follow. Those who have booked tickets will be contacted.

A day festival, shedding light on the English Witch Trials which affected thousands and claimed 500 lives from the 15th to the 18th century.

The figure of the witch has been claimed as a source of feminine power; a symbol of sexual liberty, a repository of indigenous knowledge and a rebellious figure, resisting social oppression.

But fear and revulsion towards the ‘Witch of the Sabbath’ still lingers in the popular imagination, with its ‘othering’ of marginalised women and girls. This festival challenges centuries of that stereotype, and seeks to memorialise the victims and restore a sense of who they were.

The festival concludes as dusk falls with a spectacular memorial performance by artist Amy Kingsmill.

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Series events

light source
At the Library and online

Light Source: A Festival of the Accused – Day Pass

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light source
Online

Live Art at the Library

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Zoe Howe
At the Library and online

Witchful Thinking: The Wise Woman's Handbook

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John Callow and Shami Chakrabarti
At the Library and online

The Bideford Witches: John Callow and Shami Chakrabarti in Conversation

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Witches of Scotland
At the Library and online

Witches of Scotland at the Festival of the Accused

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Magic diagram
At the Library and online

Rituals: Performance Art and Witchcraft

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Woman with flame
At the Library

Light Source: Finale Performance and Memorial Reading

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