 | September 2012 monthly round-up For immediate release: Tuesday 31 July 2012
The autumn 2012 season at the Barbican begins this September with a thought-provoking programme spanning the full spectrum of artforms. A history of photography is told through the photography of history in everything was moving: photography from the 60s and 70s; Juliette Binoche stars in Strindberg’s great naturalistic dramatic poem Mademoiselle Julie; the acclaimed Transcender festival returns to engage audiences in ecstatic, devotional and psychedelic music; the Academy of Ancient Music and Britten Sinfonia are welcomed as the new Associate Ensembles to join the Barbican’s existing family of orchestras; and a film made by pupils of Mulberry School for Girls in Tower Hamlets with award-winning BBC film maker Fiona Lloyd-Davies, Justice in Action, is screened for the first time. Much more is in store, read on for information about the entire programme.
View the September events guide here
Summer at the Barbican
The July/August guide is still to be found here. Last chance to see our hugely popular exhibitions - Bauhaus: Art as Life continues until12 August 2012, more information here, and Designing 007 - Fifty years of Bond Style continues until 5 September 2012, more information here. Rodgers & Hammerstein's musical Carousel comes to the Barbican in August 2012, for just 37 performances, prior to appearing at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris in 2013, find out more here.
ART
everything was moving: photography from the 60s and 70s
Barbican Art Gallery
13 Sept 2012 – 13 Jan 2013
Media View, 10am – 1pm, Wed 12 September
This major photography exhibition surveys the medium from an international perspective, and includes renowned photographers such as Bruce Davidson, William Eggleston, David Goldblatt, Boris Mikhailov, Raghubir Singh and Shomei Tomatsu, all working during two of the most memorable decades of the 20th Century everything was moving: photography from the 60s and 70s brings together over 400 works, some rarely seen, others recently discovered and many shown in the UK for the first time. Find out more here.
FILM
Justice in Action # +Screen Talk
26 September, 7pm
Barbican Cinema 1
The Barbican hosts the premiere screening of Justice in Action, a film made by pupils of Mulberry School for Girls in Tower Hamlets with BBC film maker Fiona Lloyd-Davies. The film follows six young women who journeyed to Bosnia, walking the paths where war and genocide took place, to find out what justice really means. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with the Justice in Action team and Ed Vulliamy, senior correspondent of the Guardian/Observer who reported extensively about the war in Bosnia. (UK 2012 Dir Fiona Lloyd Davies 40 min)
THEATRE
Mademoiselle Julie by August Strindberg
with Juliette Binoche, in a new French language production directed by Frédéric Fisbach
Barbican Theatre
20 – 29 September 2012
Press night: Thursday 20 September, 7pm
The Barbican Theatre welcomes Juliette Binoche in the Festival d’Avignon production of Mademoiselle Julie, directed by Frédéric Fisbach. Strindberg’s great naturalistic dramatic poem explores the timeless themes of love and desire set against the backdrop of class and social convention. A classic of late nineteenth-century writing, Mademoiselle Julie is a seminal text at the crossroads of modern theatre. Director Frédéric Fisbach re-imagines the play in a striking contemporary staging. This Miss Julie questions us on current relationships between men and women, relationships that are focused on desire and its consummation, and asks the question – can love offer the possibility of radical change? Find out more here.
MUSIC
Africa Express
2 – 8 September 2012
Middlesbrough, Glasgow, Cardiff, Bristol and London
Hailed as the most revolutionary force in popular music, Africa Express brings together African and Western musicians to inspire each other and explore musical frontiers. Founded seven years ago by Damon Albarn, there have since been a series of legendary shows including Glastonbury Festival, Place de l’Hotel de Ville in Paris, a Spanish beach and a nightclub in Lagos, Nigeria.
As part of the London 2012 Festival, Africa Express teams up with the Barbican for its most ambitious event to date. A train filled with dozens of emerging and world-famous artists will travel England, Scotland and Wales, playing unexpected gigs in unexpected places. New music will be created along the way – each day, each town, each show seeing something different and new. After visiting homes, schools, factories, shopping centres and stations, the adventure will culminate in a finale concert in London’s Granary Square – a collaborative epic that defies musical and geographical boundaries. Read more here.
Micachu’s Sonic Journey at the Barbican
Now available online until 31 October 2012 / sonicjourneys.co.uk, thespace.org
Drawing inspiration from the textures and shapes of the Barbican, both inside and out, Micachu’s Sonic Journey was commissioned by the Barbican in 2011 as a musical response to the architecture of the Centre. Now, as part of The Space, Micachu’s Sonic Journey is available again as a free download from www.sonicjourneys.co.uk and www.thespace.org until 31 October 2012. Two exclusive free tracks and instructions can be downloaded to smart phones or mp3 players to accompany walks through the cityscape that inspired the music.
Transcender festival
17–30 September
Barbican Hall and various other venues
Continuing the contemporary music season in September is the acclaimed Transcender festival, a series of concerts that explores transcendental, ecstatic, devotional and psychedelic music. Music designed to transport the listener into an altered state of consciousness has flourished for centuries – whether it comes from established religions or off-the-wall cosmologies, primal rockers or electronic adventurers. Now in its fourth year, Transcender celebrates the power and variety of these entrancing traditions.
Featuring Afro-Futurist jazz from the legendary Sun Ra Arkestra under the direction of Marshall Allen, an encounter between Persian and Armenian musical masters Hossein Alizadeh and Djivan Gasparyan, multimedia performances from Oneohtrix Point Never and artist Nate Boyce, the sounds of the Iraqi Diaspora with Farida Mohammad Ali & The Iraqi Maqam Ensemble, Yair Dalal, Ahmed Mukhtar, plus Australian cult trio The Necks and more. Read more about the series here.
For more information about contemporary music at the Barbican in autumn 2012, view the season press release here.
Two new Associate Ensembles join the Barbican’s existing family of orchestras
A major new feature of the Barbican’s 2012-13 Classical Music season is the two new Associate Ensembles that join the Barbican’s existing family of orchestras: the Academy of Ancient Music, renowned for its dedication to fresh, historically-informed performances of baroque and classical music; and Britten Sinfonia which has built its reputation on imaginative programming developed through strong artist relationships across the musical spectrum. These ensembles begin regular performances at the Barbican in the new season and thus join the London Symphony Orchestra, the Barbican’s Resident Orchestra since the Centre opened in 1982, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Barbican‘s Associate Orchestra.
Academy of Ancient Music / Handel’s Royal Music
26 September, 7.30pm
Barbican Hall
Launching its new relationship with the Barbican, the Academy of Ancient Music (AAM) performs Handel’s royal music, featuring some of the composer’s most jubilant and recognisable works, originally written for national and royal celebrations. Conducted by AAM Music Director Richard Egarr, the celebratory programme includes Handel’s Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks, as well as the Coronation Anthems and “Hallelujah” and “Amen” from Messiah, with the Choir of the AAM.
Britten Sinfonia 20th Birthday
Sat 27 October 7.30pm
Barbican Hall
Britten Sinfonia’s first concert as an Associate Ensemble is on its 20th birthday on 27 October: a gala concert that journeys through 400 years of music and features newly composed special birthday tributes from James MacMillan and Nico Muhly. Britten Sinfonia is joined by regular artistic collaborators including Alina Ibragimova, Mark Padmore, Joanna MacGregor, Pekka Kuusisto, and the orchestra’s two newest ensembles, Britten Sinfonia Voices and Britten Sinfonia Academy for young musicians. In typical Britten Sinfonia style, the programme moves from Purcell via Bach, Britten and Prokofiev to Moondog, and in the second half features guest artists from across musical worlds, including Andy Sheppard (saxophone), Seb Rochford (drums) and Kuljit Bhamra (tabla).
London Symphony Orchestra (LSO)
LSO’s 2012/13 London season opens at the Barbican on Saturday 22 September 2012 with performances of the first symphonies of Brahms and Szymanowski conducted by Principal Conductor Valery Gergiev, alongside Szymanowski’s Violin Concerto No 1 with soloist Janine Jansen. The concert is the first London concert in a series exploring Brahms and Szymanowski which dominates Gergiev’s season with the Orchestra at home and on tour, and marks the start of the Orchestra’s 30th season at the Barbican, its London home. The series continues the following evening Sunday 23 September with performances of Brahms and Szymanowski’s second symphonies, and Brahms’ Tragic Overture. From 10am – 5.30pm that day there is the opportunity to find out more about the life and music of Karol Szymanoski, at an LSO Discovery Day, with access to LSO rehearsals and chamber music sessions with LSO players.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Barbican newsroom
All Barbican Centre press releases, news announcements and the Media Relations team’s contact details are listed on our website at www.barbican.org.uk/news/home
About the Barbican
A world-class arts and learning organisation, the Barbican pushes the boundaries of all major art forms including dance, film, music, theatre and visual arts. Our creative learning programme further underpins everything we do. In 2012 we celebrate the Olympic year with many of our projects forming part of the Cultural Olympiad and London 2012 Festival – it is also our 30th Birthday year. Over 1.5 million people pass through our doors annually, hundreds of artists and performers are featured, and more than 300 staff work onsite. Our architecturally renowned centre opened in 1982 and comprises the Barbican Hall, the Barbican Theatre, the Pit, Cinema One (with Cinemas Two and Three opening in Beech Street in October 2012), Barbican Art Gallery, a second gallery The Curve, foyers and public spaces, a library, Lakeside Terrace, a glasshouse conservatory , conference facilities and three restaurants.
The Barbican is home to Resident Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra ; Associate Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra ; Associate Ensembles The Academy of Ancient Music and Britten Sinfonia , and Associate Producer Serious . Our Artistic Associates include Boy Blue Entertainment , Cheek by Jowl and Michael Clark Company . International Associates are Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam , New York Philharmonic , Los Angeles Philharmonic , Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig and Jazz at Lincoln Center .
Find us on Facebook | Twitter | Flickr | YouTube
|  |  |  |
| | Press Enquiries:
Lorna Gemmell
Head of Communications
+44 207 382 7147
Jess Dare
Communications Assistant
+44 207 382 7321 |
|
September events guide pdf