World in a Garden: Maiuko

Olcay Bayir – Dream for Anatolia

A captivating show that takes the audience on a journey into the heart of Anatolia.

Using traditional and original songs from her highly-regarded album Rüya (Dream),  Olcay (pronounced Oldjai) explores the music and cultures of a region that often remains a mystery, even mysterious, but has always been a melting pot of cultures and has always been musical.

Singing in Turkish and Kurdish, both rhythmical and deeply touching, Olcay takes us from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, meeting wandering ashik poet-bards and reaching the areas adjoining war-torn Syria once heavily populated by Armenians, to revisit her own Kurdish and Alevi roots, inviting us through the music to explore our own roots and changing identities.

The concert take place the three days before Newroz, the Spring Equinox festival celebrated by Kurds and other communities across Central Asia and which provides a focus for community identity and New Year hopes.

Diversity Arts Network – March 2020

Calling all local creatives, performers, producers, artists, designers, writers, arts organisations, diverse community groups, museums and libraries.

The Diversity Arts Network is seeking to develop 3-4 new projects and commissions using local artists, arts organisations and venues in partnership with DAN consortium members.

DAN has been awarded funds from the Arts Council to develop its membership consortium in the South East. As part of this we will be undertaking a mapping of all local organisations and artists including arts and community organisations, museums, libraries and any other relevant networks. We will be gathering information on projects that members have been involved in that link to the diverse sector and the challenges that they have faced.

• DAN will share learning from this research, and explore opportunities for partnerships and collaborations with NPOs and non NPOs locally, nationally or both.
• Conclusions from the research will form the basis of a future local strategy that will result in more consistent and dynamic programming, partnerships and collaborations of diverse artists and arts/cultural organisations.
• Overall the data will provide the Network with a valuable resource and recognised position in the locality as a body taking a central role in contributing to the Creative Case.
• This data collected will include information on venues, performances spaces and promotors/bookers across the region with potential to work with, support and programme artists from culturally diverse backgrounds.
• The mapping will be used to more accurately access the art-form types and ranges of experience of diverse artists and arts/cultural organisations in the region.

Diversity Arts Network – April 2020

Calling all local creatives, performers, producers, artists, designers, writers, arts organisations, diverse community groups, museums and libraries.

The Diversity Arts Network is seeking to develop 3-4 new projects and commissions using local artists, arts organisations and venues in partnership with DAN consortium members.

DAN has been awarded funds from the Arts Council to develop its membership consortium in the South East. As part of this we will be undertaking a mapping of all local organisations and artists including arts and community organisations, museums, libraries and any other relevant networks. We will be gathering information on projects that members have been involved in that link to the diverse sector and the challenges that they have faced.

• DAN will share learning from this research, and explore opportunities for partnerships and collaborations with NPOs and non NPOs locally, nationally or both.
• Conclusions from the research will form the basis of a future local strategy that will result in more consistent and dynamic programming, partnerships and collaborations of diverse artists and arts/cultural organisations.
• Overall the data will provide the Network with a valuable resource and recognised position in the locality as a body taking a central role in contributing to the Creative Case.
• This data collected will include information on venues, performances spaces and promotors/bookers across the region with potential to work with, support and programme artists from culturally diverse backgrounds.
• The mapping will be used to more accurately access the art-form types and ranges of experience of diverse artists and arts/cultural organisations in the region.

Diversity Arts Network Meeting – February 2020

Calling all local creatives, performers, producers, artists, designers, writers, arts organisations, diverse community groups, museums and libraries.

The Diversity Arts Network is seeking to develop 3-4 new projects and commissions using local artists, arts organisations and venues in partnership with DAN consortium members.

The Diversity Arts Network has been awarded funds from the Arts Council to develop the DAN membership consortium in the South East. As part of this we will be undertaking a mapping of all local organisations and artists including arts and community organisations, museums, libraries and any other relevant networks. We will be gathering information on projects that members have been involved in that link to the diverse sector and the challenges that they have faced.

DAN will share learning from this research, and explore opportunities for partnerships and collaborations with NPOs and non NPOs locally, nationally or both. Conclusions from the research will form the basis of a future local strategy that will result in more consistent and dynamic programming, partnerships and collaborations of diverse artists and arts/cultural organisations.

Overall the data will provide the Network with a valuable resource and recognised position in the locality as a body taking a central role in contributing to the Creative Case.

This data collected will include information on venues, performances spaces and promotors/bookers across the region with potential to work with, support and programme artists from culturally diverse backgrounds. The mapping will be used to more accurately access the art-form types and ranges of experience of diverse artists and arts/cultural organisations in the region.

If you are interested in being part of DAN and developing new partnerships, projects and commissions with local artists and organisations we would be interested in hearing from you. There will be opportunities for all attendees to talk about their projects and to network.

A light lunch will be provided from 1.30pm. We would like to thank The Woodville and Mandy Hare for their support in co-hosting this with us.

Diversity Arts Network meeting – January 2020

Diversity Arts Network October 2019

DAN members are invited to a meeting to discuss the development of a consortium to help with new projects, commissions, touring, training and additional funding to support joint partnerships as part of the consortium.

Shiva Nova presents Romany Diamonds

Three generations of one traditional Gypsy Roma family playing acoustic magic with fire and soul; amazing audiences with back-to-front violin playing and soul-searching ballads followed by musical Gypsy mayhem.

The prodigious combination of virtuoso violin and Reinhardt-esque guitar backed by violin, guitar, accordion, double bass, cymbalon and great vocals combine to make the heart thump, the feet tap, the hands clap and invites you into the secret world of joyous Gypsy melodies that haunt and delight your mind!

The World in a Tent Roma exhibition will be in the foyer all day hosting workshops in Roma music from 4pm-5pm and dance from 5pm-6pm for everyone to join in!

Shiva Nova presents Romany exhibition

Ahead of their performance at 7.30pm, there will be a free Roma exhibition will be in the foyer.

• Roma music workshop: 4pm – 5pm
  • Romani music is mainly vocal, osten songs with sad themes set over fast melodies.  It’s often accompanied by clapping, stamping, clicking and other sounds.
• Dance workshop: 5pm – 6pm
  • Roma dance is famous for its graceful and joyful movements, always performed with energy, passion and freedom. The dance steps reflect Indian dance.  Flamenco and belly dancing are both influenced by Roma dance.
• Romany diamonds show: 7.30pm – click her for more information

Women of the World: Maya Youssef and Craig Ogden Strings Attached

After her sold-out Kings Place concert in 2018, Women of the World bring the award-winning Syrian qanun composer Maya Youssef and virtuoso guitarist Craig Ogden together in a concert exploring links with European, middle-eastern and south Asian music on plucked strings.

‘Strings Attached’ will feature a mix of solo and collaborative pieces as well as work by cross-cultural composer Priti Paintal.