People living in Bath and Bristol are being invited to ‘live like a tourist’ this weekend and experience the rich culture of their cities through the eyes of a visitor.
From Jane Austen to Banksy and from the Roman Baths to the Georgian House, the two cities boast iconic art and buildings that attract visitors from across the globe. 
But many locals don’t consider staying in their home cities for culture. The first Residents Weekend, organised by the Bristol & Bath Cultural Destinations Project, aims to change that mindset by staging scores of events across the two cities.
They will give locals a unique opportunity to discover just why millions of people chose to visit each year.
Already confirmed as taking part are:
In Bath – Holburne Museum, Roman Baths, Fashion Museum, No 1 Royal Crescent, Victoria Art Gallery, Herschel Museum, Beckford’s Tower, The Edge Arts, Museum of Bath Architecture, University of Bath, Bath Racecourse.
In Bristol – St George’s, Natural Theatre, MShed, Bristol Museum and Gallery, Bristol Old Vic, Arnolfini, Colston Hall, Bristol Cathedral, Spike Island, Festival of Ideas, Watershed, Brunel’s ss Great Britain.
Among the highlights will be Go Motown, a free singing workshop led by Dionne Draper, pictured, of Sing With Soul and a former backing singer for Basement Jaxx and the Spice Girls.
The event is one of four St George’s Bristol, just off Park Street. In total 26 venues across the two cities will support the Residents Weekend, which is likely to become an annual event.
Other activities offered by St George’s for the weekend include a behind-the-scenes tour of the music venue on May 5), and tickets to concerts featuring international star of world music Mor Karbasi (May 5) and virtuoso violinist Kyung Wha Chung (May 6).
The demand for the Residents Weekend tickets was so high, all 1,400 were snapped in minutes when booking opened on April 21. More events and offers are being added this week. For more information visit https://bbresweekend.co.uk/
Dionne said: “I have performed in St George’s and the acoustics are perfect for choirs and the sound of Motown.
“My ‘Go Motown’ singing workshop will be fun. We will be encouraging people to dress up, to dance, but most importantly to try out their vocal chords. I have chosen to sing songs arguably from the King and Queen of Motown – Stevie Wonder’s Signed, Sealed, Delivered and Diana Ross’s Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”
Bristol & Bath Cultural Destinations Project manager Martin Pople added: “This Residents Weekend is an opportunity for our locals to get under the skin of the cities and live like a tourist, so that our tourists can live like a local.”
