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New Year blues, short on time, strapped for cash? At the Barbican, it’s easy and affordable to experience what the programme has to offer. See highlights below for a selection of quick and low-cost events and activities to get audiences out of the house this winter.
 

THEATRE & DANCE

• MimeLondon: Hour-long mini spectacles of the weird and wonderful, featuring animation, puppetry and visual treats. Shows include:
  • Ambergris by Les Antliaclastes (23 – 27 Jan)
  • Antechamber by Stereoptik (30 Jan – 3 Feb)
  • Entrañas (Insides) by El Patio Teatro (6 – 10 Feb)
  • This & That by Steven Wendt, Phil Soltanoff, Compagnie 111 (13 – 17 Feb)
     

MUSIC

• London Symphony Orchestra Half Six Fix, Shostakovich 4 with Sir Simon Rattle (28 Feb, 6.30pm): Start the evening with a perfectly honed, hour-long concert performance from one of the greatest orchestras in the world.
   
• ECHO Rising Stars: Barbican showcases the hottest new talent on the Classical Music scene with hour-long concerts for just £12 in the magical setting of LSO St Luke’s. Shows include:
  • Sean Shibe (18 Jan, 1pm)
  • Sonoro Quartet (8 Feb, 6.30pm)
  • Mathis Stier (29 Mar, 6.30pm)
     

VISUAL ARTS
 

• Julianknxx: Chorus in Rememory of Flight (until 11 Feb): Free immersive video installation at Barbican’s Curve gallery by poet, artist and filmmaker Julianknxx.
   
• Barbican Conservatory x Ranjani Shettar: A free spectacular site-specific commission by Indian sculptor Ranjani Shettar. Cloud songs on the horizon features large-scale, suspended sculptures across the entirety of the Conservatory space. Open Friday evenings and Sundays all day.
   
• Re/Sisters: A Lens on Gender and Ecology, Pay What You Can Fridays (until 14 Jan): Entry to this major group exhibition of eco-feminist photography every Friday evening on a pay what you can afford basis.
   
• Unravel: The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art, Pay What You Can Thursdays (from 13 Feb— 26 May): A major group exhibition of 50 international, intergenerational artists using textiles to communicate vital ideas about power, resistance and survival. Entry starting from £5 on Thursday evenings.

CINEMA
 

• Cinema Magic Mondays: Every Monday, every seat for a cinema new release for just £6.
   
• Cinema Pay What You Can Fridays: Specially selected new films screened on a pay what you can afford basis every Friday in the Barbican Cinemas.
   
• Family Film Club, Every Sat, 11am: The best in new releases, international gems, archive classics and specially curated programmes for families every Saturday morning, with tickets starting at £2.50.
   
• Relaxed Screenings (£6): One Friday daytime and one Monday evening per month, Barbican Cinema welcomes cinema goers to an environment that is specially tailored for a neurodiverse audience, as well as those who find a more informal setting beneficial.
   
• Senior Community Screenings (£6) every other Monday, 11am: New releases curated for 60yo+ cinema goers with upcoming films including Justine Triet’s Cannes 2023 Palm D’Or winner Anatomy of a Fall and Bradley Cooper’s Maestro, a heartfelt cinematic biographical homage to American composer Leonard Bernstein. Full programme Jan-Mar:
  • Anatomy of a Fall (Mon 8 Jan)
  • Maestro (Mon 22 Jan)
  • On the Adamant (Mon 5 Feb)
  • Peeping Tom (Mon 19 Feb)
  • Mami Wata (Mon 4 Mar)
  • Girl (Mon 18 Mar)

AROUND THE CENTRE

• Architecture Tours: A fascinating and informative tour around the bold and brutal Barbican estate for £10 only in January and February.
   
• Young Barbican: 14-25yos can join the Young Barbican scheme for free and get access to discounted tickets for themselves and a guest, including all new release films and gallery exhibitions for £5 with no booking fees.

EATING & DRINKING

• Martini Bar: Happy hour from 5-6pm Mon-Sat offering two cocktails for £15.

• Kids Eat Free: Children under 10 can get a free kid’s meal from Barbican Kitchen’s kids’ menu with every adult meal over £10.
   
• Barbican Kitchen: My Neighbour Totoro-inspired Ramen and Bubble Tea for the duration of the run.

BARBICAN MEMBERSHIP – see more art, music, film and theatre for less in 2024

Barbican Memberships start from £59 and benefits include a year's worth of exhibitions, with unlimited entry, for less than the cost of 4 standard tickets. Plus, Members save 20% on tickets for themselves and a guest for many Barbican events and pay no booking fees. See barbican.org.uk/membership for full T&Cs.

BARBICAN SHOP – independent designs for culture lovers
From gifts, books and accessories to exclusive commissions from emerging designers and makers, discover the latest Barbican Shop ranges instore on Level G of the Centre and online.

To tie in with the smash hit family show My Neighbour Totoro running in the Barbican Theatre until March 2024, there will be accessories and a curated selection of books about Studio Ghibli, Manga & Japanese Folklore. Barbican Shop is also collaborating with the Japanese Gallery in Kensington to showcase genuine Studio Ghibli & Manga film posters and animation cells that will be on display and for sale instore.

Inspired by the exhibition RE/SISTERS: A Lens on Gender and Ecology, currently in the Barbican Art Gallery, there are hand crafted natural soaps by BrambleWood, homeware items made from recycled plastic waste by Mull Club, and a collection of exclusive art pieces handmade by the founding members of performance art group The Neo-Naturists, who are featured in the exhibition.