Tessa thrilled to play lead role in Jane Austen festival
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a regency city in possession of a good festival must be in want of a director.
There has been a change of management at Bath’s Jane Austen Festival and the new appointee Tessa Kerslake is rumoured to share the same three qualities as Jane’s heroine Emma Woodhouse: “Handsome, Clever and Rich.”
“I wouldn’t describe myself as any of those things,” said Tessa,
27, chuckling. “It’s incredibly exciting. It’s a unique job and I feel very lucky to be able to lead it.”
The new director is friendly and enthusiastic about the festival’s future and is clearly relishing her new responsibility.
“The route of the promenade changes every year that we do it. We have hundreds of people parading through Bath in regency clothing and we do two: a big one at the start of the festival then a mini one at the end.”
With almost a year still to go until the 2022 edition, the team are laying the foundations for another “ten wonderful days of celebrating all things Austen in the beautiful city of Bath,” and next year the festival will run from Friday, September 9 until Sunday, September 18.
The festival attendees have a varied age range. Nationalities in 2021 were different due to travel restrictions, but typically in 2015 just under 50 per cent were from the UK, almost 25 percent were from the US and about 15 percent were from Europe.
Australia and Canada made up about 10 percent between them. Three per cent were Bath residents.
“The Summer Ball on June 25 will come first,” said Tessa.
“It’s a really nice thing that keeps the festival alive in the summer,” she said.
This time, the event will be held in the banqueting room at the Guildhall.
Next year will be the first year that longstanding director Jackie Herring, known to her friends as “Mrs Bennet” will no longer be in charge.
“I have loved every minute of organising the Jane Austen Festival,” said Jackie.
“It never feels like work when something is so much fun! The people, the costumes, the wonderful performers and this beautiful city make the Jane Austen Festival very special.”
Under Jackie’s leadership the long running celebration of all things Austen has expanded from a weekend to ten days and from 16 to over 90 events.
After 21 years she has packed up her
bonnet and passed on the parasol to Tessa.
But Jackie isn’t going very far. Her successor has let me in on a secret.
Jackie Herring will be returning regularly to the Jane Austen centre in
her favourite role as Mrs Bennet, to look out for rich men to marry her daughters.
The Jane Austen Centre is at 40 Gay Street, Bath BA1 2NT. For more information go to: janeausten.co.uk.