Join us for our Autumn season of live events, with an eclectic mix of events and artistic partners, all ready to envision brighter possible futures.
For the first time ever, we are also presenting a series within a season with Rehearsing Utopia – micro-commissioned events where artists and creatives play out their visions of utopia.
We begin in September with Rehearsing Utopia: Once Upon A Rhyme, in which grown-ups and kids alike are all invited to help Sir Ashley J and co. complete an improvised story filled with laughter, dance, comedy and a live DJ all in 40 minutes of fun time. Spanning disciplines and blurring binaries of gender, catch some of the baddest non-binary and trans Bs sharing music, poetry and anecdotes at SHEER EN-BY. How To Build [The City] is an immersive game-show following the epic of Gilgamesh, where audiences are split into two teams going head-to-head in a series of drinking games, quizzes, interactive chases, scavenger hunts and much more. Mid-September sees us celebrate queer live music with Rehearsing Utopia: An All Night Music Queertopia. Fringe! Queer Film and Arts Festival also returns with a jam-packed week of provocative art happenings, radical health talks and vital LGBTIQA+ community events.
Moving into October, Nyumbani follows a group of unlikely individuals, made up of African and Caribbean activists, lawyers, nurses and those on the fringes of society, as they make their mark in Central London. All Purpose LDN are back – this time experienced and young activists will be invited onto the sofa for Rehearsing Utopia: The Living Room Talks Activism special. Alongside Somali Week Festival, we’ll have spoken word and theatre from Legacy 101 (Spirit of the Village). We’ll finish out the month with London Palestine Theatre Festival.
Into the final two months of the year, Art is Freedom will exhibit works by members of Headway East London, who have been developing their creative practice at Headway’s Submit to Love studio and day centre for survivors of brain injury in Haggerston. Rehearsing Utopia: The Enby Show brings together the finest non-binary talent the UK has to offer in an all-star variety night. They are joining the Rehearsing Utopia series to explore what a future gender utopia might look like through live cabaret and drag.
Continental Drifts are back with Going South: South Asian Underground Festival, celebrating the vast swathes of talent in London’s South Asian music scene. EFG London Jazz Festival is always a highlight for the close of the year, and for 2022 Arts Canteen presents singer-songwriter Nadine Khouri for a very special show. The Czech Centre London brings us Electronica Vision of Sound IIII and we’ll dive into Dream Rehab with edutainer Reuben Christian for an evening of dream building and (mainly hilarious) self-discovery.
In December, Rich Mix Resonates presents Daytimers Mehfil, for an evening platforming South Asian poetry and spoken word. We’ll have visual arts with Nannies and Fighters, and our final Rehearsing Utopia: Building Community Through Music with Don’t Sleep on Us considers a future where all events are intentionally curated community-focused experiences. This night seeks to learn from the power of music and people by listening to those who carefully curate event spaces.
From September to December, we want you to look forward to the future and inspire you to build.
Scroll down to explore this season’s highlight events / explore the full programme.
