We are pleased to announce that booking is now open for our Annual Conference which will once again be held at the Warwick University Conference Centre situated on the University's leafy Coventry campus.
The conference will be held over 2 days this year starting at 10:00am Saturday, 10th October and ending at 1:30pm (followed by lunch) on Sunday, 11th October 2026.
The theme for this year's conference is Emergence. Our programme offers the opportunity to learn, share ideas, watch live performance, network and take part in interactive workshops and discussions to help to grow our festival community.
The venue address is: Warwick Conference Centre, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry, CV4 7SH.
To open Conference this year we are delighted to welcome our keynote speaker, Thangam Debbonaire, the former Labour MP for Bristol West (2015-2024), former Shadow Culture Secretary (2023-24) and current life peer in the House of Lords. Away from politics, Thangam is an accomplished classical cellist studying the Royal College of Music and is a passionate advocate for the arts.
We are also excited to introduce some members of our Youth Board and hear what they have been working on.
The BIFF Annual Gala Dinner will be held on Saturday night. The Annual General Meeting will take place on Sunday morning at 9.45am.
Event highlights include:
- Our mutual expectations - adjudicator and festival interactive session covering key topics such scheduling and length of days
- Discipline specific breakout and performance sessions in Music, Dance and Speech & Drama
- An update on Child Licensing at festivals by Ed Magee, the Licensing Team Manager from the London Borough of Camden and Chair of the NNCEE
- Ensuring safe, appropriate and sensitive interactions with children and young people within a festival context
- Reaching out to bridge the gap – how festival outreach can increase festival engagement and increase inclusion
- Storytelling in Dance: A look at Narrative Dance at Festivals
- “Are you sitting comfortably”? - Alexander Technique with Jonathon Heather
Conference this year is offered as a non-residential package only. You can book for either one or two days and your booking will include conference sessions, coffee breaks and lunches but will not include accommodation. This means that you have the flexibility to choose your own accommodation to meet your own needs and preferences. You will receive more information on nearby accomodation options once you have booked.
Click below to book your place!