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The Barbican and Âme Creative Studio present the world premiere of Darkness Visible – a major new concert experience with violist Lawrence Power, who will be joined by a host of special guests. Blending live performance, film, projection and 360° sound design, led by director and video designer Jessie Rodger, Darkness Visible invites audiences to journey through the streets of London after dark, all from their seats in the Barbican Hall.

Inspired, in part, by John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost - written after the 17th century poet lost his sight - Darkness Visible draws on Milton’s vision of a world where darkness reveals new forms of perception. These possibilities will be brought to life at the Barbican (just a short distance from Milton’s resting place in the church of St Giles Cripplegate) through an immersive blend of performances from international soloists, contemporary artists and performers, and the 40-person Collegium Orchestra comprised of young exciting performers.

Violist Lawrence Power leads the journey, transporting himself from stage to screen as he moves through the Barbican’s public spaces and beyond into the city. Along the way, he meets and is met by a host of exceptional artists including Maddie Ashman, Vilde Frang, Simon Crawford-Phillips and Anna Madeley performing music from across the ages by Dowland, Mozart, Prokofiev and Cassandra Miller simultaneously on stage and on screen.

Throughout the evening, the production plays with light, sound and space, shifting the audience’s perspective and blurring the line between the live and the cinematic. The creative team of director and video designer Jessie Rodger, sound designer Brett Cox, and lighting design from the Barbican’s in-house team, draw on the architecture and atmosphere of the Barbican and the hidden places of the City of London to create a richly layered experience.

Darkness Visible continues Âme Creative Studio's innovative work at the intersection of film and live performance, following acclaimed projects including Fathom, 64 Variations, and Reflections (Southbank Centre, 2025). As one of today’s foremost performers, founder/director Lawrence Power is in demand all over the world – travelling and performing with the world’s greatest orchestras and musicians for the last twenty years.

Produced by the Barbican
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