Whilst Brexit hogs the headlines, London's Battersea Arts Centre directs our attention further afield.
For the spring season, the first under the artistic directorship of Tarek Iskander, local and international performers come together to deliver a wide-ranging programme of events and make connections between themselves and with us.
Iskander has said of the Going Global season, “while developing and curating the season, we had a simple idea that we kept coming back to: Connections Matter. Divisions in the UK are becoming so entrenched, it feels like the ideal time to reach out... across boundaries, across borders, across opinions and across ideologies.
"I’m immensely proud to have collaborated with Battersea Arts Centre’s committed team of producers and programmers to present Going Global—a season full of remarkable international performers making their London débuts, complemented by brilliant UK artists grappling with global themes.”
Offering theatre, dance, gigs, live music and improvisation performances, many of which are world, UK and London premières, the programme includes:
- The Spirit blends physical theatre with visual art and live music to look at the human spirit; the performance unfolds across three works which may be seen individually or together. From radical Belgian disabled artist Thibault Delferiere in collaboration with director Jack McNamara.
- Autoreverse is "a moving and uplifting audio-visual experience" from Florencia Cordeu and Omar Elerian about memory and finding a place to call home. World première.
- When It Breaks It Burns uses dance, live music and performance to tell the true story of the 2015 high school protests in Brazil in which the pupils occupied their schools. By coletivA ocupação. London première.
- Daughter, written and performed by Adam Lazarus, is "a darkly satirical, funny work that examines toxic masculinity with no holds barred." London première.
- Cock Cock..Who’s There? this Total Theatre Award-winning work by Samira Elagoz looks male–female relations from intimacy to brutality, femininity and power. London première.
In addition, BAC's Homegrown Festival is also Going Global with ten days of theatre, dance, gigs, parties and workshops from local young creatives and Impact Dance curates a weekend of Outrageous Behaviour featuring dance, workshops and an impro battle between dancers, musicians, actors and DJs.
Nearly every performance in the season will be relaxed. The venue has a designated 'chill-out space' and ear defenders for those who would like them.