 | A truly eclectic festive season takes over at the Barbican
December 2011 – February 2012, Barbican Centre
Thursday 10 November 2011
The Barbican gears up for a Christmas season which will transform its foyer spaces into a bustling alternative high street, reinvent its Theatre into an interactive promenade (featuring saucy shopaholics and supermarket sweepers!), and stage a late night seasonal social with festive drinks, dancing and show business. For the more traditional, Christmas wouldn’t be complete without the most famous of all oratorios, Handel’s Messiah, or a concert featuring Santa himself with festive classics and carols for all. As for families, they are invited to set their imagination free at a spectacular journey through the magic and mayhem of growing up. This is just a selection, read on for the full festive programme (in chronological order).
Design Den
Until 23 December, The Curve
Showcasing the very best of today’s design talent, the Design Den is a new pop-up shop offering an eclectic mix of innovative and stylish contemporary gift ideas for the festive season, including ceramics, furniture, jewellery, books and stationery. From affordable accessories and stocking fillers to exclusive show pieces, this is the ideal place for those seeking something special this Christmas. Presenting a range of high quality, signed and numbered limited edition prints by both established and emerging artists at a special in-store rate. Barbican Limited Editions by leading contemporary artists, architects and designers such as Damián Ortega, Ron Arad and Junya Ishigami are also on sale. Find out more about the Barbican’s Christmas retail offer here.
OMA Shop
Until 19 February 2012, Barbican Art Gallery Shop
Exclusively designed by OMA, one of the most influential architectural practices working today, a new range of products developed to complement major exhibition OMA/Progress is available for purchase in Barbican Art Gallery Shop. An extensive selection of OMA books encompassing Rem Koolhaas’ Delirious New York (1978) and rare, collectible editions as well as products chosen in collaboration with OMA, including Uniform Wares watches and Rhodia notebooks, accompanies the range. The shop also includes a range of postcards, prints, stationery and design gifts. To find out more about OMA/Progress in Barbican Art Gallery until 19 February 2012, view the press release here and more about the Barbican’s Christmas retail offer here.
Kate Rusby at Christmas
2 December, 7.30pm, Barbican Hall
Of all the stars in Folk Music’s wondrous firmament few shine as brightly as Yorkshire’s Kate Rusby. With soulful vocals, Kate is a remarkable interpretative singer steeped in her local traditions. In this concert she showcases the carols and songs learnt through childhood in her native South Yorkshire with new variations of familiar carols mostly unheard outside the area. This un-missable evening follows the release of Kate's second Christmas album White Mortals Sleep in November. Kate is currently touring with her band, complete with brass quintet. Promoted by Pure Records. Find out more by viewing the Autumn 2011 Contemporary Music Season press release here.
Copyright Christmas by Duckie
10 - 31 December, Barbican Theatre
After the sell-out run of Lullaby in the Pit this summer, Olivier award-winning theatre collective Duckie return to the Barbican to present the world premiere of Copyright Christmas (age guidance 11+), directed by Mark Whitelaw and designed by artist Robin Whitmore. Continuing their tradition of alternative Christmas shows for the Barbican, Duckie turn to conspicuous consumption and branded Britain in this interactive promenade performance. Audiences are invited to step into the Duckie superstore and meet saucy shopaholics, supermarket sweepers and sweatshop santas. For more information view the full press release here.
Duckie Christmas Market
10 – 30 December, Ground Floor Foyer
For three weeks during December in the foyers and walkways of the Barbican Centre, this pop-up indie gift market will showcase small scale craft makers, local artisan food-makers, DIY designers, underground artists, thrifty retro hawkers and community arts curios. The festive fare on offer ranges from cool kids’ costumes to inventive gingerbread makers and indie galleries who produce great home-wares. There will be sixty different stall holders each day transforming the Barbican into a bustling, alternative and affordable high street where urban gardeners trade alongside cake-makers and vintage collectors alongside high tech sellers, offering a complete alternative festive shopping experience. Produced by Duckie and the Barbican to complement the Duckie Christmas show, Copyright Christmas, in the Theatre. For more information view the full Duckie press release here. Find out more about the Barbican’s Christmas retail offer here.
Handel’s Messiah by the Academy of Ancient Music
14 December, 7pm, Barbican Hall
Continuing the Barbican’s season of English-language oratorios, the Academy of Ancient Music performs possibly the most famous of all oratorios, Handel’s Messiah. The Messiah has become a Christmas institution and in this period performance, the Academy of Ancient Music is joined by Sarah Fox, Anna Stephany, Andrew Kennedy and Stephan Loges, with Richard Egarr conducting. Find out more here.
Barbican LATES: Duckie club night
16 December, until 1am, Stalls Floor Foyer
Barbican LATES is a regular nightly fixture in the Centre’s calendar where visitors are invited to enjoy after dark live music, guest DJs and other late night events. Most events are free and themed around the Centre’s world class arts programme. For this edition of Barbican LATES, a Duckie (see Duckie’s Copyright Christmas above) club night is hosted by Amy Lamé, with rock’n’roll disc jockeys Readers Wifes, doorwhores The Cloths, the cast of Copyright Christmas and some special guest performers. This promises to be a knees-up, seasonal social and Chrimbo cabaret, with drinking, dancing, show business, shopping, mistletoe and mince pies. For more information view the full press release here.
Mojo by Theatre-Rites
16 – 31 December, Silk Street Theatre
For families this Christmas (age recommendation 5+) Mojo reunites Theatre-Rites Artistic Director Sue Buckmaster with choreographer Arthur Pita, winners of the 2008 TMA Achievement in Dance Award for Mischief. Co-produced by the Barbican and the Salzburg Festival, this world premiere is a riot of dance, puppetry and music, taking the audience on a spectacular journey through the magic and mayhem of growing up. Find out more in the full Theatre and Dance season press release here.
Raymond Gubbay Christmas Festival 2011
18 December 2011 – 2 January 2012, Barbican Hall
Highlights includes the festive Christmas Galore (18 December, 3pm) where BBC celebrity and Strictly Come Dancing star Chris Hollins presents a concert featuring dancers, special guests and Santa himself with festive classics and carols for all. West End star Lee Mead leads his band in a concert of favourite West End songs and seasonal hits (22 December, 7.30PM) and in The Joy of Christmas (23 December, 7.30PM), the spirit of Christmas is captured by The Bach Choir with festive music and traditional carols for all the family. After Christmas Day, the Festival continues with a varied selection of shows. More information about Raymond Gubbay events at the Barbican can be viewed here.
Barbican Gift Memberships
Orange Gift Membership (£45) offers: priority booking for key events and season, unlimited free entry to Barbican Art Gallery, 20% off all film, theatre & dance events and selected music events, 15% off in our restaurants, bars and shops and the monthly Barbican Guide delivered to your door. Access to our private Members’ bar is available with Red Gift Membership (£105). To buy gift membership call the Box office on 020 7638 8891and for full details of all benefits and membership types visit barbican.org.uk/membership
Notes to Editors
About the Barbican
The architecturally renowned Barbican Centre is one of the world's leading arts centres, founded and run by the City of London Corporation. It encompasses dance, film, music, theatre, visual arts and creative learning who work together in creating the model of tomorrow's international arts and learning centre. Committed to providing a world-class programme which inspires, challenges and amazes its audiences, the Barbican is also home to Resident Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra; Associate Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra; Associate Producer, Serious, and a range of Artistic Associates. For more information visit www.barbican.org.uk.
For further press information and images, please contact:
Sarah Hefni, 020 7382 2389, sarah.hefni@barbican.org.uk or Jessica Dare, 020 7382 7321, jessica.dare@barbican.org.uk
|  |
