The Sadler’s Wells Global Gala virtual fundraising event on Saturday 5 December, supported by Italian fashion house Bottega Veneta and its creative director Daniel Lee, will feature performances, sketches and messages from Sadler's Wells artists and friends.
Artists appearing include Carlos Acosta, Nafisah Baba, William Forsythe, Sylvie Guillem, Akram Khan, Jason Kittelberger, Magical Bones, Lukas McFarlane, Natalia Osipova, Alesandra Seutin, Hofesh Shechter and James Whiteside alongside companies including Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, Russell Maliphant with National Youth Dance Company and Soweto Skeleton Movers.
The evening also features appearances and messages of support from Sadler's Wells ambassadors and friends including sculptor Antony Gormley, broadcaster Brenda Emmanus, actor Ophelia Lovibond, composer and saxophonist Soweto Kinch, actor and director Fiona Shaw and 17-time Grammy Award-winning artist Sting.
Performances include a specially commissioned performance of the duet Fields Of Gold from Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Kate Prince’s Message In A Bottle, which had to close its run at The Peacock theatre earlier this year due to the coronavirus lockdown, performed by two of the original company, Nafisah Baba and Lukas McFarlane, with a special introduction from Sting.
Once With, a short new work choreographed by Jason Kittelberger, will be danced by Kittelberger and Royal Ballet principal Natalia Osipova to Jean Sibelius’s 13 Pieces for Piano, Op.76: No.2 - Etude arranged for cello and classical guitar.
Alistair Spalding, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Sadler’s Wells said: "2020 has been a challenging year to say the least. In normal circumstances, Sadler's Wells welcomes over half a million people to our spaces each year, and our artists and audiences are what keep our world turning. For most of 2020, that hasn't been possible.
"Nonetheless, we remain committed to our mission and continue to strive to make and share dance that inspires us all in new and innovative ways. We wanted to find a moment to come together to celebrate the good things that have been able to happen this year, and the creativity that has been possible, while at the same time, generating support that will help Sadler's Wells fully reopen in 2021."