About

The Curious Minds Festival returns to Bath for over two weeks of talks, walks, workshops, film screenings and performances, bringing together writers, thinkers, artists and audiences across the city. Events take place at multiple venues across Bath.

Thursday 12 March 2026

The Infamous Gilberts with Angela Tomaski
Mr B’s Emporium, 7 pm to 8 pm
A crumbling gothic house, five fatherless children, and one last tour before the past is erased. This is a spellbinding debut steeped in secrets and memory.

Food Noise: Weight Loss Drugs, Cravings and the Future of Eating with Dr Jack Mosley
St Swithin’s Church, 7.30 pm to 8.30 pm
A science-led dive into why ultra-processed foods hijack our appetite, how new weight-loss drugs quiet “food noise,” and what that means for the future of eating.

Friday 13 March 2026

Movie at the Museum: Man with a Movie Camera
Museum of Bath Architecture, 6.15 pm to 8.30 pm
Explore the Museum of Bath Architecture after dark before sitting down for a screening of ‘Man with a Movie Camera’ (1929).

An Evening with Guy Chambers
St Swithin’s Church, 7.30 pm to 9.30 pm
From Angels to writing a song live on stage - an intimate night with one of Britain’s greatest hitmakers.

Saturday 14 March 2026

How Can We Raise Resilient Teens in a Digital World with Nicola MacDonald
BRLSI, 11 am to 12 pm
Practical, compassionate guidance for parenting teens with confidence, connection and calm in a screen-saturated world.

Molly Taylor and Early Women Architects in Bath Walking Tour with Dr Amy Frost
Meeting point provided on booking, 11 am to 12 pm
Uncover the overlooked women who helped shape modern Bath and the buildings whose stories risk disappearing.

The Unfragile Mind with Dr Gavin Francis
BRLSI, 1 pm to 2 pm
What does it mean to be well in an age of soaring diagnoses, rigid labels and fragile understandings of mental health?

Who Belongs? Britain and the Small Boats Debate with Horatio Clare and Nicola Kelly
BRLSI, 3 pm to 4 pm
Shining a light on the small boat crisis, revealing the human stories and global pressures shaping one of the defining issues of our moment.

Sunday 15 March 2026

Exploring the Other Side of the River Walking Tour
Outdoor locations, 11 am to 1 pm
Step off the beaten track and rediscover Bath through gardens, canals and stories hiding in plain sight.

Silent Book Club
Coret, 2 pm to 4 pm
No pressure, no discussion,  just good books, quiet company and uninterrupted reading time.

Movie at the Museum: Uncommon Voices
Museum of Bath at Work, 5.30 pm to 7.35 pm
Join at the Museum of Bath at Work for a screening of ‘Uncommon Voices: Exploring Class in New British Cinema’, including a wander through the museum collections after hours.

Monday 16 March 2026

A City in Stone with Andrew Ziminski Morning Walking Tour
Bath Abbey main doors, 11 am to 1 pm
Read Bath’s history written in stone with a master stonemason who knows where every secret is carved.

A City in Stone with Andrew Ziminski Afternoon Walking Tour
Bath Abbey main doors, 3 pm to 5 pm
Read Bath’s history written in stone with a master stonemason who knows where every secret is carved.

Tuesday 17 March 2026

Don McCullin in Conversation with Mariella Frostrup
The Forum, 7 pm to 9.30 pm
A once-in-a-lifetime conversation with a living legend reflecting on war, beauty and a lifetime behind the lens.

Kiran Millwood Hargrave with Almost Life
Elim Church, 7 pm to 8 pm
A tender, sweeping love story about the lives we nearly live — and the courage it takes to choose differently.

Chimes Poetry Night with Sophie Dumont and Malaika Kegode
The Bell Inn Back Bar, 7.30 pm to 9.45 pm
Two electrifying voices headline Bath’s best-loved poetry night - plus open mic magic and spoken-word energy.

Wednesday 18 March 2026

Exploring Alternative Forms in Poetry Writing Workshop
Jesters Comedy Club, 3 pm to 5 pm
Break the rules, bend the form and find your poetic edge in this playful, inclusive writing workshop.

Zandra Rhodes: A Life in Print
The Forum, 7 pm to 9.30 pm
Fashion, art and fearless creativity collide in conversation with one of Britain’s most iconic designers.

Hollie McNish
Komedia, 7 pm to 8 pm
Raw, funny and fiercely honest poetry about love, loss and life straight from one of the UK’s most loved voices.

Babel Book Club
Living Room at The Grapes, 7 pm to 9 pm
Babel Book Club is a vibrant local book club for books in translation that brings together curious minds to explore the world through literature.

Perfect Pairing Wine Tasting and Bookish Chat with Helen McGinn and Veronica Henry
Boston Tea Party, 7.30 pm to 9 pm
Delicious wines, two bestselling authors and a sun-soaked literary escape to the South of France.

Thursday 19 March 2026

How to Write a Bestseller with Veronica Henry Writing Workshop
Homewood Hotel, 10.30 am to 12.30 pm
Practical, encouraging and full of insider wisdom; discover how bestselling novels really begin, grow and get finished.

The Writing Life with Harriet Evans
The Gainsborough Hotel, 5.30 pm to 7 pm
An honest, uplifting look at how real writers build sustainable creative lives - one small habit at a time.

Cerys Matthews on Dylan Thomas Under Milk Wood
Komedia, 7.30 pm to 9.30 pm
Poetry, music and magic collide as Dylan Thomas’s most beloved work is brought vividly to life.

How Can We Best Defend Our Planet? with Jonathan Porritt and Monica Feria Tinta
St Swithin’s Church, 7.30 pm to 8.30 pm
From courtrooms to climate protests, don’t miss this powerful conversation about the tools that could still save our planet.

Friday 20 March 2026

Movie at the Museum: A Knight’s Tale
Bath Abbey, 6.30 pm to 9.45 pm
Rock anthems, romance and rebellion: a joy-filled medieval classic in one of Bath’s most spectacular spaces.

Spring Equinox Ambient Music Night with Bath Beats Collective
Roseberry Road Studios, 7 pm to 11 pm
Ambient Sessions takes a deep dive into the downtempo, ambient and experimental soundscapes that soundtracked club chillout rooms in the 90s, alongside more recent releases which suit the mood.

How Does This Government Thing Work Again? with John Crace
St Swithin’s Church, 7.30 pm to 8.30 pm
Sharp satire, political absurdity and laugh-out-loud insight from Britain’s best-loved parliamentary sketch writer.

How Can You Create a Forever Wardrobe with Anna Cascarina
Boston Tea Party, 7.30 pm to 9 pm
Less clutter, more confidence -  learn how to love getting dressed.

Saturday 21 March 2026

Write Your Book Get It Published! with Juliet Pickering Writing Workshop
Persephone Books, 11 am to 1 pm
From pitch to publisher - focus on how to get your book publication-ready.

The Sack of Julian Road Walking Tour
Meet at No. 1 Royal Crescent, 11 am to 12 pm
Discover the Bath that was erased and the planning decisions that changed the city forever.

What happens when local news disappears? with journalists Anu Anand, Lynne Fernquest, Priyanka Raval and historian Dr Kevin Grieves
BRLSI, 11am to 12pm
Who tells a city’s story and what happens when they stop?

Festival Read: Nussaibah Younis with Fundamentally
BRLSI, 1pm to 2pm
‘Bridget Jones goes to Iraq’ is probably the simplest way to explain this razor-sharp satire debut novel.

At Least 50 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Bath - A Walking Tour
Meet at the Orange Grove, 2pm to 4pm
Think you know Bath? Think again..  this interactive walking tour is packed with surprises.

LGBTQ+ Lives Behind Net Curtains with John Grindrod
BRLSI, 3 pm to 4 pm
Hidden histories, suburban secrets and queer lives lived in unexpected places.

An Evening with Larry Lamb
Homewood Hotel, 7.30 pm to 9 pm
From Shakespeare to sitcoms - and poetry too - an intimate night with a true national treasure.

MX Tape from the Ashes
The Bell Inn Back Bar, 8 pm to 10 pm
Punk poetry, queer joy and unapologetic energy. This is a night where nothing stays safely boxed in.

Sunday 22 March 2026

Contrast Therapy Exploring Heat Cold and Resilience
TONIQ Studio, 11 am to 12.30 pm
This hands-on workshop introduces contrast therapy, a practice that uses the interplay of heat and cold to enhance recovery, calm the nervous system, and boost resilience.

Movie at the Museum: Rashomon
Museum of East Asian Art, 1 pm to 3.45 pm and 5 pm to 7.45 pm
A groundbreaking Japanese classic that unravels truth and deception, experienced in an intimate museum setting.

Exploring the Other Side of the River Walking Tour
Outdoor locations, 2 pm to 4 pm
Step off the beaten track and rediscover Bath through gardens, canals and stories hiding in plain sight.

Gentle Angry Women plus Director Q&A
The Little Theatre Cinema, 2.45 pm to 4.35 pm
Three young activists trace the legacy of Greenham Common Women’s Peace protest forty years on and discover the alarming reality of British nuclear armament.

Develop Your Poetry Writing with Josie Alford Online
Online event, 3 pm to 5 pm
Playful prompts, bold ideas and infectious energy to help your poetry find its voice.

Movie at the Museum: Rashomon (Evening Screening)
Museum of East Asian Art, 5 pm to 7.45 pm
A groundbreaking Japanese classic that unravels truth and deception in an intimate museum setting.

Tuesday 24 March 2026

How To Talk To AI (And How Not To) with Jamie Bartlett
BRLSI, 5.30 pm to 6.30 pm
A practical guide to talking to AI without being misled or overwhelmed.

All Stars Poetry Evening with Anthony Anaxagorou, Tryone Lewis and Jasmine Gardosi
St Swithin's Church, 7.30 pm to 10 pm
Three powerhouse voices on one electrifying stage.

How To Stop Hating the People We Disagree With? with Paul Dolan
BRLSI, 7.30 pm to 8.30 pm
Exploring how to step back from the brink when beliefs become battle lines.

Wednesday 25 March 2026

Movie at the Museum: Almost Liverpool 8
The Holburne Museum, 6 pm to 8.30 pm
Explores the people, history, and evolving identity of Liverpool’s Toxteth district.

Wolf Wine and Life Writing with Yvonne Jewkes – Writing Workshop
Wolf Wine, 6 pm to 8 pm
A relaxed route into writing your story with wine and conversation.

Nelio Biedermann with Lazar
Mr B's Emporium of Reading Delights, 7 pm to 8 pm
A sweeping family epic from a major emerging literary talent.

Thursday 26 March 2026

IceBreakers: A Story of Community, Wellness and a Resilient Future
The Holburne Museum, 7 pm to 8 pm
Cold water, connection, and courage creating a grassroots wellness movement.

Women of Ukraine: Stories of War with Yuliia Ilkayha and Felicity Spector
St Swithin's Church, 7.30 pm to 8.30 pm
Intimate, powerful voices revealing the impact of war beyond the headlines.

Friday 27 March 2026

Up Late at Holburne: Unanchored with EMERGE
The Holburne Museum, 5 pm to 9 pm
An evening of wandering, curiosity, and playful discovery.

How Can We Face Big Change and Come Back Stronger? with Helen Thorn
Elim Church, 7.30 pm to 8.30 pm
Stories of rebuilding and resilience when life knocks you sideways.

Saturday 28 March 2026

At Least 50 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Bath – Walking Tour
Various outdoor locations, 11 am to 1 pm
An interactive tour full of surprises about Bath.

Telling Stories Through Spaces – Arvon Masterclass with Tessa Hadley
Persephone Books, 11 am to 1 pm
Master the art of writing interiors with acclaimed storyteller Tessa Hadley.

Why Does Modern Life Often Feel Too Much? with Claudia Hammond
BRLSI, 1 pm to 2 pm
A science-based guide to escaping overwhelm and finding balance.

Small Presses. Big Impact: with Burning Eye Books, Bad Betty Press & Broken Sleep Books
BRLSI, 3 pm to 4 pm
An insight into the indie publishing world and bold presses shaping the future.

Write It Down! with Dionne McCulloch – Writing Workshop
Persephone Books, 3 pm to 5 pm
Confidence-building exercises to reconnect with your writing.

Sudan: Voices, Advocacy and Cultural Memory – A Conversation with Yassmin Abdel-Magied
Fairfield House, 6 pm to 8 pm
Stories, music, and reflections exploring Sudanese identity and hope.