Brighton Festival is delighted to announce that the 2013 Guest Director of Brighton Festival is the celebrated poet, writer, broadcaster and previous Children’s Laureate

 Michael Rosen.

Brighton Festival – three weeks of unrivalled arts celebration across the city ofBrightonandHove– will take place from 4 – 26 May 2013. Full programme details will be announced on Wednesday 27 February 2013.

Andrew Comben, Chief Executive of Brighton Dome & Festival said, “We are delighted to welcome Michael Rosen on board as Guest Director for 2013. For the past five years we have invited a Guest Director to bring their knowledge and experience of the arts to this Festival, which has helped us to nurture and grow an extraordinary range of art and ideas appealing to our local, regional, national and international audiences. For several decades Michael Rosen has entertained, educated and moved audiences of all ages. He has the infectious energy of a polymath and is curious about and interested in everything – perfect for such an eclectic and wide-ranging festival as ours. I am looking forward to another fantastic Festival here inBrighton.”

Michael Rosen said, “It’s a wonderful opportunity for me to be involved with Brighton Festival. It’s exciting but it’s also going to be a challenge! I am a great believer in festivals – they are an informal college of the arts for everyone. There’s been a big change since I was a child when the arts were tucked away in theatres and galleries and Brighton Festival takes cultural activity and brings it to many different audiences across a whole city.”