Barbican OpenFest welcomes everyone to explore the Barbican’s building and get a taste of everything it has to offer, from art installations to live music, architecture tours to pop-up theatre – all for free. Across the afternoon, the Barbican’s freestages offer a full programme of performances including dance, spoken word and music, whilst audiences of all ages can take part in creative workshops. Installations, screenings, tours and stalls throughout the Barbican’s spaces await visitors in a day bringing together international acts with the local artists of today and tomorrow.
Louise Jeffreys, Barbican Director or Arts, said
"We are thrilled to be presenting this spectacular day of free performances and opportunities to get creative. From dance workshops by Michael Clark Company and Boy Blue Entertainment to performances by UK Beatbox Champion Grace Savage, architecture tours, and more, we hope Barbican OpenFest inspires more people to discover and love the arts."
WORKSHOPS
Barbican Artistic Associates Michael Clark Company and Boy Blue Entertainment offer dance workshops on the Clubstage.
American dance crew The Era host a session on footwork, the highly frenetic dance from Chicago, ahead of their performance as part of Just Jam in the evening.
Barking-based arts organisation Studio 3 Arts host a series of dance workshops throughout the day for all ages and abilities.
Pop up Parks take over the Fountain Room, inviting children to create their own playground.
PERFORMANCES
Two times UK Beatbox Champion Grace Savage performs on the Clubstage ahead of Just Jam.
Social drumming group Drumworks give vibrant performances across the foyers, with drummers from The Warren Comprehensive School and Eastbury Community School in Barking & Dagenham performing original beats written by members of the project.
Aisling Fahey, Young Poet Laureate for London 2014 – 2015, performs poetry, as do Barbican Young Poets - up-and-coming spoken word artists from east London.
Pop up performances in unexpected places across the whole Centre.
FILM
Framed Film Club, the Barbican’s year-round programme of film and learning for young people, present a special free double edition. The morning starts with a hand-picked programme of Little Miss and Mr Men shorts for the youngest viewers, followed by the stunning award-winning animation Boy and the World for older children. Framed Film Club will also host creative arts and crafts workshops for children throughout the day.
Highlights of shorts by talented young filmmakers from Barking and Waltham Forest are screened in the afternoon.
INSTALLATIONS
Verity-Jane Keefe’s living archive of 12 Barking estates, The Mobile Museum, relocates to the Barbican for the day, visitors can also take Rubble Drawing Classes run by architect Eddie Blake.
Launching at OpenFest are let’s take a walk? by non zero one, an interactive audio experience devised with members of the public, and Rosalind Fowler’s NowhereSomewhere, a bicycle powered film installation inviting the public to ponder ecological themes. Rosalind Fowler will be giving talks about her work throughout the day.
Other installations include 44 by Omer Arbel, a light installation descending from the ceiling; Numina by Zarah Hussain, incorporating sculpture, projections and Islamic geometric forms; and Edgelands by Seth Scott with Hannah Bruce and Company, a self-guided audio journey exploring the history of the site.
Bedwyr Williams presents The Gulch in The Curve, a series of theatrical installations conceived to transport and disorient the viewer; and I hope this finds you well in the foyers, an audio artwork inviting people to listen in on secret conversations.
On the Lakeside, The Land Rays combine bread-making with story-telling, inviting visitors to mix dough whilst exchanging tales about family and homelands.
TOURS AND TRAILS
Regular tours of the Barbican Centre are on offer, enabling visitors to discover the venues and spaces that make up the Centre and learn about everything happening during OpenFest.
Families can set off on The Big Barbican Adventure, a do-it-yourself adventure trail that unlocks the secrets of the Barbican through cryptic clue solving, drawing and games.
STALLS
E17 Designers’ bring a selection of high quality, handpicked and handmade items, such as art prints and illustrations, soy candles, fashion, ceramics, accessories and more, from a group of talented makers all based in and around Walthamstow.
EVENING EVENTS
At the end of the day, visitors can book tickets for one of the evening shows from Michael Clark Company, east London’s Just Jam or immersive circus performance The Machine – with discounted tickets available to young people aged 14-25 through the Young Barbican scheme.
