UTOPIA LIVE LATES
In just under seven weeks Bloomberg Summer at the Roundhouse will return with Utopia. The annual festival is dedicated to introducing new audiences to innovative culture with a weekly ‘pay what you like’ day to ensure that as many people as possible have the opportunity to enjoy it.
- BLOOMBERG SUMMER AT THE ROUNDHOUSE ANNOUNCES PROGRAMME OF LIVE LATES AROUND PENNY WOOLCOCK’S MAJOR NEW INSTALLATION ‘UTOPIA’
The Roundhouse has today announced that they will present a series of five evening events in the Main Space that will run alongside the installation. Each event will be based around a different provocation, intertwined with the themes from the installation. The nights will examine issues including gender, inequality, wealth, inheritance, international exchange, and art revolution. The programme ofperformance, cabaret, spoken word, dance, live music, hip hop and DJs sets will bring together acts across the cultural spectrum in new and exciting collaborations, some for the very first time ever.
- BASED AROUND A SERIES OF PROVOCATIONS, ‘UTOPIA LIVE LATES’ INCLUDE A BRAND NEW COMMISSION ON MONEY & INHERITANCE FROM ARLENE PHILLIPS FEATURING ZOONATION YOUTH COMPANY, ART REVOLUTION WITH CHARLOTTE CHURCH AND PENNY WOOLCOCK, UTOPIAN MANIFESTOS FROM OWEN JONES, LONDON’S BEST GRIME AND HIP HOP ARTISTS AND A SPECIAL EVENING WITH DAVID HOYLE AND BLOCK9 FAVOURITE DJ HONEY DIJON
The incredible, eclectic line-up includes: a very special performance from sensational anti-drag queenDavid Hoyle; the world premiere of a brand new commission from Arlene Phillips featuring ZooNation Youth Company, Tommy Franzen and Roundhouse Street Circus Collective; art revolution withPenny Woolcock and singer Charlotte Church; spectacular neo-burlesque from Fancy Chance; utopian propositions and ideas from journalist Owen Jones, Syriza London and poet Yomi GREEDS; poet and writer Anthony Anaxagorou with pianist Karim Kamar, the world premiere of a new circus piece directed by Paul Evans; Block9 favourite DJ Honey Dijon taking revellers into the night; performances from the best of London’s hip hop and grime talent, including Awate, modern musical luminaries Micachu, BAFTA and MOBO award-winning Akala; One Mile Away’s Zimbo in a unique collaboration with string musicians and spoken word from Roundhouse Poetry Slam champions Caleb Oluwfemi and Toby Champion.
The events celebrate and elaborate on Utopia, the major installation in the Main Space from August 4 – 23. Imagined by award-winning Director and Filmmaker Penny Woolcock, the vision has been realised by radical design duo Block9 (Stephen Gallagher and Gideon Berger). Named after Thomas More’s 16th century imagining of a self-contained world in which communities shared a common culture and way of life, Woolcock’s Utopia is based on a walk through the neighbourhood of the Roundhouse and the differing perspectives on reality offered. Utopia is peppered with narrative soundscapes that reverberate with stories that are personal, political and pertinent to the parallel lives being lived in the world’s biggest cities. The stories have all been collected by Woolcock in interviews with residents across the social spectrum – from drug dealers, gang members, former offenders and sex workers to the homeless, the elderly, housewives and university graduates.
- ‘UTOPIA’ – ENVISIONED BY PROLIFIC ARTIST, FILMMAKER AND DIRECTOR PENNY WOOLCOCK AND DESIGNED BY RADICAL SET DESIGN DUO BLOCK9, WILL ALLOW AUDIENCES TO TRAVEL THROUGH THE DIVERSE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF CITY LIFE IN AN IMMERSIVE SOUNDSCAPE ENVIRONMENT
Alongside the installation, the Roundhouse will become a daily destination where members of the public can enjoy the sunshine at North London’s very own ‘seaside’ resort, Camden Beach, presented by Stoli Vodka. On the terrace, Camden’s biggest outdoor space, there will be 150 tonnes of the finest sand, deckchairs, beach huts, ping-pong, live music, some of the best food pop-ups in the city and the chance to enjoy Stoli’s drink of the summer, the Stoli Lemonade.
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THURSDAY 6 AUGUST, 8PM
Tickets £15
Curated around the provocation of a genderless world this evening will be an almighty hedonistic celebration featuring circus and cabaret.
The sensational anti-drag queen David Hoyle will bring a very special performance that promises to bepolemic, provocative and highly funny, Circus Director Paul Evans will premiere a brand new circus ariel piece Don’t Mention The F Word plus performance artist Andie Macario takes to the stage. Fresh from headlining the Block9 field at Glastonbury this year, infamous international DJ Honey Dijon will take revellers into the night with her distinct Chicago sound with inflections of the deep New York underground mixing classic house and disco, techno and tech house.
WEDNESDAY 12 AUGUST, 8PM
Tickets £15
Money, inheritance and celebrity are put in the spotlight through dance, spoken word and live art.
Tommy Franzen, ZooNation Youth Company, Roundhouse Street Circus Collective and established ballroom dancers will perform a mash-up of ballroom and street dance in a brand new commission especially created and choreographed for Utopia by Arlene Phillips. The commission will bring together dancers of all generations. Arlene will also deliver her impassioned provocation, for a world without material inheritance. The evening also features new work by artist Alison Jackson created especially for Utopia and Roundhouse 2015 Poetry Slam winner and runner up Caleb Oluwfemi and Toby Champion.
THURSDAY 13 AUGUST, 8PM
Tickets £15
Celebrating the best of London’s hip hop and grime talent a host of artists take over the stage to examine inequality with exploding thoughts, critiques, and a fusion of music, poetry and speech.
Programmed by Kayne West and Jay Z endorsed rapper, songwriter and producer Awate, the line-up includes the up and coming young rapper and singer Amy True, BAFTA and MOBO award-winning hip hop artist, rapper and poet Akala who will share his deeply personal, unique and moving poetic response to Penny’s installation and DJ set from modern musical luminary Micachu.
WEDNESDAY 19 AUGUST, 8PM
Tickets £15
An evening of utopian propositions, ideas and performances programmed in partnership with think-tankCompass featuring an arousing line-up of artists and speakers.
Poets Michelle Madsen (founder of Hammer & Tongue) and Sam Berkson will host the evening that includes Nigerian performer and poet Yomi GREEDS (Generating Rhymes to Engage the Enlightened Soul), columnist and writer Owen Jones, writer and educator Anthony Anaxagorou performing withpianist Karim Kamar, members from Sisters Uncut and Syriza London plus more to be announced.
THURSDAY 20 AUGUST, 8PM
Tickets £15
A clash of art forms with Penny Woolcock in an evening of art revolution, celebrating the ideals and themes of Utopia.
Penny will be joined by singer, songwriter and anti-cuts campaigner Charlotte Church, spectacular neo-burlesque performer and clown Fancy Chance, performance poet Malik Sankara, One Mile Away’sZimbo who will be performing accompanied by classical string musicians.
Bloomberg’s long term partnership with the Roundhouse builds on a shared commitment to support artistic innovation, ground breaking technologies and access for new audiences to the arts. For the fourth year running, Bloomberg Summer will have a weekly ‘pay what you like’ event to ensure that as many people as possible have the opportunity to enjoy it, this will include targeted community groups and youth organisations and building on the relationships formed through Utopia with local people and artists.
#RHUtopia
MAIN INSTALLATION LISTINGS INFORMATION
Utopia: Tuesday 4 August – Sunday 23 August
Press Performance: 5 August 12-1pm and 6-7pm
Venue: Roundhouse, Chalk Farm Road, London, NW1 8EH
Box office: 0300 6789 222
Tickets: £10 (£5 GET IN for 16-25s)
Pay What you Like every Tuesday
Website: roundhouse.org.uk
Age guidance: The installation includes stories and themes of an adult nature and is recommended for ages 14+
MAIN INSTALLATION OPENING TIMES
Tuesday – Thursday Midday – 7pm
Friday Midday – 10pm
Saturday – Monday Midday – 9pm
Last entry 1 hour before closing time
BOOKING
Roundhouse Members priority booking opens Mon 22 Jun midday. Find out more about Roundhouse Memberships. Public booking opens Wed 24 Jun midday.