A renowned string quartet whose performances have been described as ‘full of poetry, joy and sorrow’ will be continuing their residency at Oxford University thanks to renewed support from the Cosman Keller Art & Music Trust.
The Castalian String Quartet became the Faculty of Music’s inaugural Hans Keller String Quartet in Residence in 2021. The appointment has seen them deliver an annual concert series, undertake a range of diverse creative projects and feed into education and outreach initiatives aimed at inspiring the next generation of performers and composers. A new gift from the trust will now enable their residency to continue until 2027.
John Fulljames, Director of the University’s Cultural Programme, said: ‘We’re delighted that support from the Cosman Keller Art & Music Trust is enabling the Castalians’ Oxford residency to continue. Our partnership with the Castalians enriches the chamber music programme at Oxford, supporting research, teaching and student experience and enables audiences from across the city to enjoy the Castalians’ world-class performances.’
Deepening engagement with string quartet music in Oxford
Since forming in 2011 the Castalian String Quartet has emerged as one of the most exciting and in-demand quartets on the world stage. They were named Young Artist of the Year by the Royal Philharmonic Society in 2019 and released their first studio recording, Between Two Worlds, to five-star reviews in 2022. Several prominent composers have written works specifically for the Castalians which have then been performed in Oxford, including Mark-Anthony Turnage’s Awake and Charlotte Bray’s Ungrievable Lives.
Audiences will have the chance to hear the quartet perform live in Oxford as part of their extended residency. The concerts, which will form part of the Cultural Programme, will initially take place in venues around the city before moving to the Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities in 2026. The new centre will feature several state-of-the-art performance spaces, including a 500-seat concert hall. Targeted activities and events will also enable new audiences from beyond the traditional concert setting to participate and hear the quartet perform.
As well as playing publicly, the quartet will continue to offer coaching and composition workshops for Oxford students and other young performers in the local area. They will also support academic research taking place within the Faculty of Music, including through pre-concert talks and seminars that cover topics relating to the work of the faculty’s academics.
Advancing art and music education
The Hans Keller String Quartet Residency was established in memory of the musician, writer and broadcaster Hans Keller (1919-1985), for whom the string quartet was the most purely musical form of composition. Keller made a significant contribution to the development of string quartet music in the second half of the twentieth century, having coached many of the leading British ensembles of the time, inspired composers to write in this form, and broadened and educated the audience for chamber music through his work at the BBC.
His wife, the artist Milein Cosman (1921-2017), established the Cosman Keller Art & Music Trust in 2006. Her aim was to advance art and music education, support musicians and artists, and preserve and promote her own work and that of her husband.
Hans Keller playing viola in string quartet. Drawing by Milein Cosman © The Cosman Keller Art & Music Trust
Current chair of the trust Alison Garnham said: ‘The Castalian String Quartet has exactly the kind of deeply individual, intimate and improvisatory quality to their playing that Keller most admired, and we are delighted to be helping bring their revelatory artistry to more young musicians.’
The Castalian String Quartet’s first concert of the 2024/25 season will take place on Saturday 19 October as part of the Oxford International Song Festival, with further events scheduled for 26 November, 30 January 2025 and 9 May 2025.
Featuring over 20 public events throughout October and November, Adventures in Consciousness is an inspiring season that explores consciousness and what it means to be human. Produced and curated by The Cultural Programme in partnership with Medical Humanities academics across the University of Oxford, events occur at various locations throughout Oxford from October 10 to December 1, 2024.
At the heart of the season is a series of five symposium days, each exploring one of five themes: Sleep, Perception, Health, Flourishing, and the Planet. Including talks, panel conversations, workshops, and creative activities, the free events will bring together University of Oxford academics, world-leading specialists and artists to explore concepts including planetary consciousness, human flourishing, the link between creativity and health, what happens when we sleep, and how we all perceive the world differently.
The season opens with Ruby Wax, who brings her one-woman show I’m Not as Well as I Thought I Was to Oxford Playhouse on Thursday, October 10. After a complete sell-out first run in 2023, this is Ruby Wax’s rawest, darkest, funniest, and most compelling stage show yet.
Following sell-out runs in New York, Sydney and Cannes, Oxford will host the UK premiere of Evolver, an immersive VR experience created by the award-winning Marshmallow Laser Feast, from Friday, October 25, to Thursday, November 14. Evolver’s unique journey unfolds with narration from Cate Blanchett alongside opening music from musician and producer Jon Hopkins. The score also features music by Oxford’s Jonny Greenwood.
A 90-minute cinematic presentation of Max Richter’s Sleep, which has become a modern musical phenomenon, will be followed by an exclusive conversation with Max. Audiences are invited to ‘come as you are’—whether in pyjamas or their favourite comfy clothes.
World renowned British photographer Tim Flach presents the compelling exhibition More Than Human, featuring a series of striking animal portraits exploring the profound link between animal and human consciousness.
To close the season on Friday, November 29, one of the nation’s favourite poets, Lemn Sissay OBE, will perform excerpts from his Sunday Times bestselling memoir My Name is Why which documents his experiences of growing up in the care system. This moving, frank, and timely performance meditates on a life spent asking questions and the redemptive power of creativity.
Other highlights include:
- A 21st Century Tea Dance. Hosted by the Olivier Award-winning Kit Green, renowned for their work in comedy and theatre and exploring themes of ageing and care, this event promises lively interactions and delightful social moments with tea, dancing and cake.
- After six sold-out shows worldwide and numerous festival appearances, the Museum of Consciousness returns to its home at Oxford University. Local and international artists and performers will combine to alter states of consciousness through the power of sound alone.
- Appearing alongside the dinosaurs and beautiful setting of Oxford’s Museum of Natural History, award winning spoken word collective Hot Poets will perform their show Poetry, Science and Saving the World. Their poetry, partnerships and storytelling power have supported diplomatic sign-off for a major re-greening project in Egypt, helped fund a new forest in Kenya and co-funded a UK regenerative farming project.
- Sagacity: Periodic Table of Emotions, Part of Oxfords’ Light Festival, invites audiences to interact with a colourful installation to measure the city’s mood.
Professor Erica Charters, Academic Lead, Medical Humanities Network, University of Oxford, says:
‘The Medical Humanities Research Hub at the University of Oxford are delighted to partner with the Cultural Programme on the Adventures in Consciousness Season, which draws on medical humanities to showcase an exhilarating range of events on the theme of consciousness, capturing the intellectual diversity required to tackle this topic, cutting across the sciences, technology, the humanities, and the creative arts.’
Josie Bamford, Executive Producer of the Cultural Programme, comments:
We’re so excited to present the Adventures in Consciousness season – a programme of incredible artists and creatives coming together with world leading thinkers to explore Consciousness through a range of lenses including sleep, health, flourishing, perception and the planet. The broad programme offers something for everyone from the World’s best immersive installations, to exhibitions, walks, talks, meditation and live performance. Come and join us and reflect on what it means to be part of a Conscious Planet.’
To find out more about the Adventures in Consciousness season and to purchase tickets for events, please visit: www.oxfordculturalprogramme.org.uk
Exhibition dates: 25 October – 14 November 2024
Press view: Thursday 24 October
The highly anticipated UK premiere of EVOLVER: An Immersive Journey Of Life And Breath, has been announced in collaboration with the Cultural Programme at Oxford University.
Following its world premiere at the 2022 Tribeca Festival and fresh from its French Premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, London-based experiential artist collective Marshmallow Laser Feast brings EVOLVER, their extraordinary, collaborative virtual reality experience, to Oxford from Friday, 25th October to Thursday, 14th November.
A pop-up unit on Little Clarendon Street will be transformed into an immersive gallery space, with hourly slots available to experience EVOLVER from 12 noon to 8pm daily.
EVOLVER is an immersive journey through the breathing body, narrated by Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett. Commencing with a 10-minute binaural audio meditation to allow audiences to decompress whilst viewing large-scale projections, this site-specific presentation of EVOLVER invites twelve participants at a time to explore structures hidden far beneath the skin through an all-encompassing virtual reality trip around the human form. This deep dive takes viewers through a sequence of breathing, visualising the essence of life as air travels from the mouth into the lungs, whirling like a tornado, before circulating around the complex rivers and tributaries of our cardiovascular system and back into the natural world.
EVOLVER is part of the Adventures in Consciousness Season, a series of events led by the Cultural Programme at Oxford University that draws on medical humanities to showcase an exhilarating range of events on the theme of consciousness. This season captures the intellectual diversity required to tackle this topic, cutting across the sciences, technology, the humanities, and the creative arts. The full programme takes place from 10 October until 1 December and will be announced by the end of September.
Artist and director, Ersin Han Ersin of Marshmallow Laser Feast says: ‘In this and other works we have created, we are seeking to highlight our connection with the wider systems of nature through the experience of art. The oxygen trees exhale flows into our tree-like lungs, flowing from our heart centre outward through fractal branching arteries to feed every cell in our body. Placing the audience in the centre of these nested ecosystems, we aim to bring them closer to an understanding of our interconnectedness.’
Josie Bamford, Executive Producer at the Cultural Programme, says: ‘Following rave reviews from the Cannes Film Festival to exhibitions across Australia, South Korea and New York, Oxford audiences can now participate in this fascinating experience. As the headline event in our new ‘Adventures in Consciousness Season’, I am sure this will be an opportunity for everyone to learn more about themselves and the world around them. This is a key ambition for the Cultural Programme, and I cannot wait to experience it for myself!’
EVOLVER is created by the internationally renowned experiential artist collective, Marshmallow Laser Feast and co-executive produced by the late Edward. R. Pressman and Sam Pressman of Pressman Film, Terrence Malick, Dirty Films‘ Coco Francini, Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton, the famous French studio Atlas V and Orange.
The opening music is from musician and producer Jon Hopkins. The score also features music by Jonny Greenwood, Meredith Monk, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Yair Elazar Glotman, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe and Howard Skempton.
Ticket details:
Monday – Thursday: £15 per person
Friday – Sunday: £20 per person
Students, U25s and U18s: £10 per person
Age guidance: 11+, Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult
Tickets are available to book via: oxfordculturalprogramme.org.uk
Around 5000 people joined in the fun at Blackbird Leys Park on a gorgeously hot summer day in July this year. The annual Leys Festival was back and bigger than ever with lots of activities for people to join in with and an array of fabulous local talent performing on stage.
This family event, created and planned by over 60 passionate residents and community organisers from Blackbird Leys and Greater Leys, isn’t just any festival – it’s one of Oxford’s most beloved free community events. Celebrating the incredible bonds and positive relationships fostered within Blackbird Leys and Greater Leys, this year’s theme, ‘Building Bridges,’ highlighted the unity and energy invested in connecting different generations and cultures within this vibrant community.
From mural painting to face painting, from tug of war games to football coaching, a fun time was had by all, and thanks should go to all the volunteers who helped to make the festival a success.
This was the first time the Leys Festival was supported by the University of Oxford, collaborating with the community to create and run their own festival and the intention is for this to be a productive and positive partnership.
Unlimited is partnering with 12 UK organisations, including the Cultural Programme, to offer 17 awards to disabled artists. These awards will provide a total of £628,000 to commission artists nationally and internationally. The Cultural Programme will match funds against £20,000 from the scheme, making a total of £40,000 available to commission work.
Unlimited’s mission is to commission extraordinary work from disabled artists until the whole of the cultural sector does. This work will change and challenge the world. As the world’s largest commissioner of disabled artists, they have been dedicated to this work since 2013.
This year, they are focusing on artworks that engage communities in meaningful ways, challenge audience perceptions, and enhance visibility for disabled artists. They are looking for projects that are designed to be seen, offering dynamic and interactive experiences to broad audiences.
Working in partnership with organisations across the cultural sector is key to their long-term mission of not existing. Together they aim to support disabled artists in creating new work that captivates, inspires, and fosters deeper understanding and appreciation.
In partnership with British Council, they are offering five International Awards of up to £50,000 for artists to form collaborations across the world.
Partners based in England are Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture and Bradford Metropolitan District Council, Liverpool Biennial, Norfolk and Norwich Festival, Oxford University Cultural Programme, Sadler’s Wells, Southbank Centre, and Wellcome Collection. In Scotland: Imaginate and Summerhall Arts. In Wales: Span Arts and Tŷ Pawb.
Made possible with the support of Arts Council England, Arts Council of Wales, and Creative Scotland, Unlimited UK will offer 12 UK awards ranging from £15,000 to £60,000. These awards will support the creation of extraordinary new work in combined arts, dance, live performance, outdoor arts, socially engaged work, visual arts and more.
Isabella Tulloch Gallego, Programme Manager Commission at Unlimited:
“We’re incredibly excited to award £628,000 in this round of commissions. By working in partnership with a range of organisations this year, we can offer even wider support to disabled artists through our shared investment. This year’s awards reflect not only a national but also an international commitment to challenging and changing the world. We eagerly anticipate the incredible work this investment will inspire.”
Nikki Locke, Senior Relationship Manager, Culture Responds to Global Challenges at British Council:
“We’re delighted to support the Unlimited Partner Awards, which builds connections between disabled artists across the globe. Our long-standing partnership with Unlimited is an essential part of the British Council’s commitment to support the international disability arts sector. Previous collaborations have been ambitious, high quality and disabled-led – elevating unique and thought-provoking perspectives and challenging societal attitudes towards disability. The global arts sector needs to shift to create greater access and inclusion for disabled people. We believe that finding new ways of connecting with and understanding each other through the arts can be a catalyst for change.”
Josie Bamford, Executive Producer of Oxford University Cultural Programme:
“Oxford University Cultural Programme is an ambitious programme that is building towards the opening of the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, at which point it will be based within the suite of cultural spaces that will exist within the centre. We are delighted to be collaborating with Unlimited on this brilliant award and we are so excited that the outcome of this will be one of the earliest pieces of work to be performed in the new Schwarzman Centre, marking and celebrating from the very beginning, our commitment to disabled artists and disabled led companies.”
Previous commissions have varied widely in both artform and scale, reflecting the company’s commitment to Unlimited possibilities and radical creativity. In the UK, they have awarded projects such as a bold theatre production exploring disabled LGBTQ+ experience in the Scottish Highlands, and a powerful one-woman dance show inspired by Black hair culture. Internationally, Unlimited awards have championed equity and representation, supporting a groundbreaking collaboration between disabled women in Scotland and Mexico to rework archival footage, and an impactful light and projection experience featuring music, poetry, dance, and sign language in England and China.
The application portal is now open and will accept submissions until Monday 30 September.
Find out more about how to apply
The Leys Festival, celebrated over the years as an important free event provided by and for the local community, returns this year at Blackbird Leys Park on Sunday 28 July from 12pm-7pm.
Created and planned by over 60 residents and community organisers from The Leys (Blackbird Leys and Greater Leys) alongside a small team from Oxford University’s Cultural Programme, this year’s festival will feature a range of fun activities including a football coaching session for children from members of the newly promoted Oxford United FC coaching staff.
Embracing the theme of ‘One People One Place’, the event will include a Music and Dance stage featuring local talent, a special ‘Speakers Corner’ inviting people to speak or share a poem, and a ‘Memory Garden’ to share stories about people who have made a positive contribution to the Leys.
There will also be a selection of food stalls serving delicious meals throughout the day, cooked by residents showcasing the diverse cultures and heritage of the Leys. There will also be an opportunity to hear the stories behind the recipes and find out how these dishes are made. All dishes will be available for £5 and under.
There will be an opportunity to ‘build bridges’, by joining a team to create decorative structures from recycled materials or simply to add your own personal artistic touch.
Traditional games will also feature, including a tug-of-war, an inclusive rounders tournament, face-painting, roller-skating classes, and craft activities. Organisers have made sure to cater to everyone, with a bouncy castle and soft play area for smaller children and a quieter garden area close to the Bowls Club serving refreshments along with an opportunity for people to learn how to bowl.
Finally, an innovative new painted mural will come to life throughout the day, designed and painted by MES Crew, a collective of local artists and designers, inspired by ideas and suggestions from across the Leys. There is still time for community members to get involved as the festival organisers are also calling out for any donations of scrap fabric to create community bunting and scrap wood, pallets, ladders, bicycle wheels, and wooden chairs for the bridges. Anyone interested in helping or donating, or getting involved as a volunteer on the day, is encouraged to send an email to leyscommunityevent@gmail.com.
The Leys Festival celebrates the ways that residents and local organisations in Blackbird Leys and Greater Leys look after each other and the wider community. The theme of ‘One People, One Place’ is being used to reflect the flourishing of positive relationships between different generations, and between people of diverse cultures and heritage. This is the first time the event is being supported by the University of Oxford, to collaborate with the community to create and run their own festival and the intention is for this to be a productive and positive partnership.
Millie Khisa, Resident and one of the Producers says:
‘It has been wonderful to see so many people from the Leys and beyond come together week after week all excited about this celebration event.’
Ewa Gluza, one of the organisers for this year’s event, says:
‘I have the honour of working at “Gown” – Hertford College, but I live in “Town” (Blackbird Leys). Over the many years since I started living in Blackbird Leys, I have always tried to build bridges between ‘Town and Gown’ through numerous projects. This year’s Leys Festival is a significant step forward in promoting new collaboration between the Leys area community and the University of Oxford. I’m excited about the opportunity to help make a lasting positive impact in our district.
Erica Whyman, Creative Lead for this year’s event, says:
‘It has been a privilege to work with so many brilliant residents of the Leys, who have opened my eyes to the rich cultural history and the amazing creative energy of this place. It has been inspiring to see how energetic and dedicated so many people are to serving their community and I hope this Festival is a chance to celebrate that. The University is an important part of making this happen and this event is a great statement of intent.”
Natty Mark, one of the organisers and performers, says:
‘Beginning a new chapter in the Leys Community and Oxford University interaction, we invite one and all to the Leys Festival on July 28th.’
Stuart Parsons from Oxford Blackbirds FC says:
‘This is going to be great for the community. Hoping for this to be the start of something great for all of the families on the estate and continues for years to come!’
Prof. Alexander Betts, the Local and Global Engagement Officer at the University of Oxford, said:
“We have really enjoyed working with local residents to support the Leys Festival which reflects our commitment to supporting local people in and around Oxford as well as celebrating the variety of cultural influences within this diverse community. Over the past year, the University has been trying to strengthen our relationships with communities across the Leys, including by partnering with local schools and community organisations. We’re really keen to ensure that this Festival is just the start of a much deeper long-term collaboration.”
For further details, please visit:
https://oxfordculturalprogramme.org.uk/event/the-leys-festival/
Ends
The challenges faced by refugees and asylum seekers based in Oxfordshire were brought to the fore by a new exhibition timed to coincide with National Refugee Week which took place from 17-23 June.
Windows: An Exhibition showcased individual stories and experiences of people whose voices are often unheard. The artists included families, young unaccompanied asylum seekers and adults from Oxford, Witney and Banbury.
The group created diverse, moving and exciting pieces that highlighted different experiences across a range of artforms including photography, collage, clay modelling, mural art and theatre.
Asylum Welcome, a registered charity based in Oxford and The Cultural Programme, part of the Humanities Division at the University of Oxford, worked with refugees and asylum seekers to co-create the exhibition which took place at Oxford Town Hall from 10-28 June 2024.
The exhibition also coincided with the Sanctuary Fair, a free, all-day drop-in event connecting refugees, students, and the local community. This year’s Sanctuary Fair was organised by Asylum Welcome in partnership with both Oxford universities and the City and County Councils and took place at Oxford Town Hall on Thursday 13 June.
Marking the launch of Oxford Refugee Week, the aim is to raise awareness of the importance of sanctuary and showcase what is happening locally to connect refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants with students, members of the local community, and service providers. The Sanctuary Fair will feature a panel discussion, interactive workshops, exhibitions, live music, and a range of community organisation stalls. It promises to be an informative and engaging event that celebrates the diversity of the city
- HEADLONG TO CREATE A BASE IN OXFORD WHICH WILL SEE THE COMPANY PRESENT NEW WORK IN THE CITY EACH YEAR
- HEADLONG TO FORGE NEW CREATIVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE OXFORD PLAYHOUSE AND THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD’S STEPHEN A. SCHWARZMAN CENTRE FOR THE HUMANITIES
Over the past five decades Headlong has been instrumental in shaping the UK’s theatrical landscape, with productions such as Enron, Best of Enemies, People Places and Things, untitled f*ck m*ss s**gon play, 1984 and Jitney. Today the company has announced a new national model that will see them deepen their relationships with partners, artists and audiences throughout England as they continue to create the highest quality mainstage drama for the nation in their 50th year.
Connecting to their roots in Oxford where the company first began as the Oxford Stage Company in 1974, Headlong will create a new base in the city in late 2024, as part of the Arts Council’s National Portfolio transfer programme. Continuing their mission to create exhilarating theatre firmly rooted in the immediate questions of our time, the company will evolve and shape a new future in the city with two three-year strategic partnerships.
Headlong’s new partnership with Oxford Playhouse – one of the country’s leading regional theatres – will provide the company with a ‘home ground’. A space to test new audience development practices, annually present main stage touring work and deliver, for the first time, practical on-stage workshops for Headlong Origins programme which looks to develop early career theatre directors from across the UK. This closer working relationship with the Playhouse will begin with A Raisin in the Sun this autumn, which will visit Oxford (2-5 October) and builds on the legacy of presenting critically acclaimed work such as People, Places and Things and 1984 at the venue.
Headlong will continue to develop their Future Making strand of work, with Oxford University’s Stephen A.Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, a state-of-the-art academic research, exhibition and performance space which looks to demonstrate the essential role of the humanities in helping confront and answer fundamental questions of the 21st century. Through this new partnership, Headlong will provide a space for artists and collaborators to think and innovate as they continue to explore the intersection between drama, cutting edge research and technological advancements, and reimagine what the future of touring theatre might look like.
Professor Sos Eltis, Fellow and Tutor in English at Brasenose College, Oxford comments:
‘This is wonderful news. Headlong has produced some of the most exciting new theatre in recent years, and to have them resident in Oxford and collaborating with the University and Oxford Playhouse opens up new possibilities for exchanging expertise, enriching our scholarship and understanding of theatre practice, and working together to produce innovative new performances. Here’s to shared learning, exploration and great conversations! ‘
Lisa Maguire, Executive Director of Headlong says: “This is truly an exciting moment in the ever evolving and future facing mission of Headlong. Our new base in Oxford presents us with the opportunity to partner with our old friends at the Oxford Playhouse to present work whilst also collaborating with the Cultural Programme at the new home for the humanities at Oxford University to innovate and experiment ”
“We hope to develop our audiences in the city so that performances in Oxford feel like playing in front of a home crowd ahead of touring across the nation, and beyond.”
As a national touring company, Headlong distributes powerful, world-class drama across the UK; from Plymouth to Nottingham and London to Liverpool. The company will continue to deepen its relationships with venues, artists and audiences throughout the country with two new Associate Partnerships with Octagon Theatre Bolton in the Northwest and Leeds Playhouse in Yorkshire. Building on existing creative relationships with both organisations (most recently on A View from the Bridge and Henry V) the new Associate Partnerships will provide a solid, collaborative foundation from which to create new productions, grow audiences and progress best practice around disabled audience access and environmental sustainability.
In its anniversary year, Headlong will commission five new plays. Writers will range from well known names to early career artists all with something to ask thrillingly of the world today. They will include new works from multi-award winner Roy Williams (Death of England), Liverpool based Playwright Chloe Moss (Corrina, Corrina) and Aj Yi (A Playlist for the Revolution) who will develop a new piece based on The Ballad of Mulan, co-commissioned by New Earth. They join artists Johnny Flynn & Robert MacFarlane, James Graham, Sami Ibrahim, Charlie Josephine, Eve Leigh, Cordelia Lynn, Morgan Lloyd Malcom, Winsome Pinnock, Rhashan Stone, Joel Tan and Amanda Wilkin who are currently under commission with the company. To support these new anniversary commissions Headlong has today launched their 50th anniversary fundraising campaign, which will aim to raise £50,000 as the organisation continues to search for the new, thrilling, relevant stories that will become the classics of tomorrow. More information on the campaign can be found at headlong.co.uk/donate.
Holly Race Roughan, Artistic Director of Headlong added:
“This moment sees Headlong continuing its mission to tour high quality main stage drama nationally. I’m excited to be forging such strong national partnerships in our 50th year, which will put us in the best possible position to create and distribute innovative thrilling theatre throughout the country for the next fifty. These are exactly the ambitious, imaginative and community alert allies to step into the future with.
“For Headlong, there was no other way to mark our 50th year than by investing in new work. Five new plays will be commissioned from early-career artists and well-known names as we seek to create tomorrow’s classics.”
“Championing living writers to tell the stories of our time has never been more urgent but the funding landscape has been decimated. Our 50th fundraising campaign ensures our commissions are future-proofed so we can confidently champion the best new plays without worrying about the budget”
Headlong creates and distributes bold, world-class drama firmly rooted in the immediate questions of our time to audiences throughout the UK. To begin the 2024 season, Headlong in a co-production with Chichester Festival Theatre presented The House Party by writer Laura Lomas produced in association with Frantic Assembly and directed by Holly Race Roughan. Their production of People, Places and Things in collaboration with the National Theatre is currently playing a smash-hit season in London’s West End. A fresh new staging of A Raisin in the Sun by director Tinuke Craig will play in nationwide venues from 13 September 2024 in a Headlong, Leeds Playhouse, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and Nottingham Playhouse production, also visiting Oxford Playhouse. Artistic Director Holly Race Roughan will direct the Royal Shakespeare Company’s world premiere of acclaimed playwright David Edgar’s major new political play The New Real produced in association with Headlong at the RSC’s The Other Place playing in October and November 2024. Next year Headlong will reunite with Shakespeare’s Globe following their critically acclaimed touring production of Henry V, directed by Holly Race Roughan.
Kate McGrath, Artistic Director and Co-CEO of independent producing company FUEL has joined the Cultural Programme as a Visiting Fellow.
This news coincides with the start of a programme to celebrate 20 years of FUEL; a celebration of everything that has been achieved as well as a statement of intent for the future, including new work from Khalid Abdalla, Toby Olié and Melanie Wilson.
Producing new work, as well as supporting the development of work and artists’ careers has always been at the heart of what FUEL does and this programme fulfils those aims with multiple new projects as well as ambitious and ground-breaking work designed to provide real and significant support to artists as they create new work and develop their skills.
The past is celebrated too, with a brand new podcast from Kate in which she takes a look back over 20 years of producing and examines how things have changed. Through interviews with a range of collaborators she is able to present a unique and important perspective on the development of the sector of two decades.
Alongside the podcast, FUEL has announced that Queen Mary University London is acquiring its 20 year archive with help from major grants from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the National Archives. This remarkable and invaluable set of resources will be available to the public for the first time.
Kate McGrath said: “To my surprise and delight, it’s Fuel’s 20th birthday. You would expect that over 20 years doing this, that the process would be getting easier, with more positive results, more respect and a more resource. But, whilst I am thankful every day for the many blessings in my professional life, and mindful of how much harder it is for so many others, especially those who continue to be marginalised by structural inequalities, many days at work are incomparably harder now than they were 20 years ago. The impact of the cost of living crisis and cuts in social welfare on our audiences, participants, artists and colleagues; the legacy of the pandemic on our resources, human and financial; the imbalance between rising costs and standstill or reduced funding; politically-motivated culture wars and financially-motivated social media algorithms leading to implicit and explicit censorship of freedom of expression: all of these challenges directly affect our work every day.
And yet there is hope – and there are moments of joy and humanity. We are lucky to be alive. And at Fuel, we’re producers so we make things happen. This year, we’re celebrating our birthday with a season of work by exceptional artists who possess a combination of insight into the world, and the ability through whatever their chosen form to share that insight with audiences in a way that creates wonder, empathy and the potential for change in how we think and feel about each other and the world we live in. Khalid Abdalla’s debut play is as beautiful and profound as you would expect from an artist and activist of his integrity and ability. Toby Olie and Ross Collins are creating a delightful puppetry performance about a Bear and Mouse resolving their differences. Melanie Wilson invites us to reimagine our relationship with animals amidst the ecological emergency in a sound experience which will linger with you. And this is just the beginning. We hope you’ll join our celebrations throughout this very special year.”
Following their award-winning production of Metamorphosis (London, New York, Sky TV), director-choreographer Arthur Pita reunited with dance virtuoso Edward Watson and composer-musician extraordinaire Frank Moon, this time welcoming the renowned rebel chanteuse Meow Meow.
Produced by the Cultural Programme in association with The Royal Ballet and the Oxford Kafka Research Centre, A Hunger Artist delved into Kafka’s final and seminal work seamlessly intertwining dance, song, and intrigue into an enthralling, immersive spectacle.
Confined within a locked, straw-lined cage, Watson immersed himself in the role of the ‘Hunger Artist,’. From appearing as a sideshow fairground attraction to displaying his own inner torture through dance, he was ably assisted by the bewitching Meow Meow who took command of the stage as the audacious ‘Impresario,’. Part publicist, part muse, part sexual obsession and finally part nurse, Meow directed the audience attention towards Watson’s impressive physical presence and haunting appearance whilst generating a bewitching energy of show and tell.
Meanwhile, Frank Moon’s eclectic score surrounded the audience, pulling them deeper into the experience with every breath.
These visionary artists injected new life into Kafka’s haunting and obscure narrative, exploring sacrifice, obsession, and the relentless pursuit of artistry.
Those who were lucky enough to grab a ticket to last week’s wonderful performance by Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective were in for a real Kafkaesque treat.
The concert formed part of a programme of University-wide events and activities celebrating the literary works and enduring global legacy of Franz Kafka and marks the centenary anniversary of the author’s untimely death. Prior to the performance, Professor Carolin Duttlinger, Co-Director of the Oxford Kafka Research Centre, gave a talk about Kafka’s deeply ambivalent relationship with music, which is expressed in both his personal and his literary writings. She traced his fascination with cabaret to his later engagement with Mahler.
The revised programme featured Beethoven’s String Quintet in C Major, Op 29, as Francesca Chiejina (soprano) was unable to perform due to ill health. This was a welcome addition to start the evening as it is Beethoven’s only full-scale, original composition in the string quintet genre, which was performed brilliantly and with much gusto by the musicians which featured Elena Urioste and Savitiri Grier on violin, Juan-Miguel Hernandez and Edgar Francis on viola and Laura van der Heijden on the cello.
The richly expressive programme explored themes of metamorphosis and transformation through two of the most thrilling chamber works in the repertoire: Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht is an impassioned depiction of a couple whose lives are transfigured as they walk through the night, while Richard Strauss’s Metamorphosen (in its string septet version) is a heart-rending reaction against the destruction of European culture and heritage in the Second World War.
While most of the programme consisted of relatively youthful works, Richard Strauss wrote Metamorphosen in his 80’s, during the final months of the Second World War. Haunted by the destruction of irreplaceable buildings and art in the war, Strauss saw Metamorphosen as an elegy for all that he cherished in German culture. The performers thoroughly embraced the sombre overtones and emotional gravity of the piece and were joined by Tony Rymer on cello and Philip Nelson on double bass, which resulted in a rousing response from the audience.
Following the interval, Arnold Schoenberg’s iconic Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night) opened darkly and mournfully, taking the audience on a wildly veering journey as its musical motifs of a man and woman walking when she confesses she is bearing a child ‘and not by you’ then ends in hope and transcendence. A truly thrilling finale to an impassioned and exhilarating performance from the Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective.
Don’t miss Kaleidoscope’s next performance as part of the Oxford International Song Festival in October 2024.
Come and Join Us!
There will be a one-day Community Event in Blackbird Leys Park on 28 July 2024
This is an opportunity for everyone to come together, have fun and share our hopes for the Leys community.
Members of the Leys community and Oxford University have been exploring together ways to provide creative opportunities that respond to the needs and interests of the Leys community. We have been working together since March 2024, to build long term collaborations, and we’re excited to bring even more community members in.
We are looking for people from the Leys to be involved in planning the event and to take part on the day in the following areas:
- Music – we want to hear from local musicians, bands, and anyone who might be able to run a music workshop
- Food – we want to make sure the food on offer represents all of the communities and traditions in The Leys – we may be able to support you if this is your first time making food for a festival.
- Spoken word – we are looking for experienced artists but also first-time writers/poets/performers. If you have any ideas please get in touch
- Murals – we are looking for graffiti artists, mural and street artists
- Building bridges – we are looking for people or groups who could help build temporary decorative bridges along the stream in Blackbird Leys Park
- Remembering/celebrating people who have made a difference in the Leys – to build on the memory garden in the park we are looking for visual artists to help make memory trees, and groups or individuals who could help us gather and tell stories of the history of the Leys
- Football – we want to organise a mini, friendly tournament, so we want to hear from local football coaches and organisers
- Dance – we’d love to hear from local dance groups – all kinds of dance welcome.
- Anything else – do get in touch if you’ve a creative idea we haven’t mentioned here!
If you are interested please email members of the Leys community at leyscommunityevent@gmail.com with your name, contact details and just tell us what you would like to do. You can also fill out the form here.
If you would like to be involved in the planning group, it meets fortnightly at Activate Learning, City of Oxford College, Cuddesdon Way, Oxford, OX4 6HN from 6-8pm.
The next meetings are on 30 May, 13 June, 27 June, 11 July and 25 July and food will be provided. Please let us know if you would like to join via email so that we know numbers for food and any allergies. If you can’t come to the meetings, email and we will contact you so that you can still be involved.