CERTAIN BLACKS
PRESENT
CIRCUS CIRCUS CIRCUS
Rich Mix and Hoxton Hall 7 – 22nd November, £10, £12, £15
Circus Circus Circus is a festival of live art, spoken word, jazz, opera and of course, circus this November. Produced by Certain Blacks who have presented festivals and events in London over the past five years, diverse performance and music is programmed as a creative voice, encompassing multiple genres and artists who genuinely have something unusual and often collaborative to offer.
Circus Circus Circus features live artist Brian Lobel, Jazz maestro Rowland Sutherland, Hip Hop theatre and voice artists Muti Musafiri and Marv Radio, theatre maker and artist Jamal Harewood, Upswing Aerial Circus and more. Artists developed the circus performance during a residency at 101 Creation Space situated at Greenham Common, the former USAF base now dedicated to arts development.
Performances take place at Rich Mix, home of previous Certain Blacks festivals and London’s historic Hoxton Hall.
“Circus Circus Circus features artists that make work outside of the realms of the norm. The circus is more than a form of performance, it’s a way of challenging what can be done. This festival includes hip hop artists performing circus, opera singers as never seen before and music which breaks boundaries to provide two weeks of events that you may not find under a big top”
Clive Lyttle, Artistic Director – Certain Blacks
The festival will also partner with Upswing Aerial Circus, the company formed by Victoria Amedume. Upswing presents a mixed bill finale of new work from Symoné, Joana Dias and Out Of Order amongst other artists.
Programme :
Thursday 7th November at Rich Mix, 7.30 Hip Hop Palace — True values of Hip Hop are all too often, hijacked by consumer culture, becoming synonymous with bling lifestyle and connotations detracting from core Hip Hop art forms. This multi-faceted performance night celebrates the empowerment of minorities, unity and collective fun with classic elements including dance, beatboxing & spoken word. Join dance artist Muti Musafiri and beatboxer, sound artist and theatre maker Marv Radio for this one-off night of Hip Hop innovation. Rich Mix, 35–47 Bethnal Green Rd, Shoreditch, London E1 6LA richmix.org.uk £10/12
Friday 8th November at Rich Mix, 8pm Brian Lobel — 24 Italian Arias – Live artist, theatre maker and writer Brian Lobel brings 24 Italian Songs and Arias to Circus Circus Circus looking at failure, loss and family — A recital, an opera, a gathering for (and by), those whose best isn’t always enough. Featuring soprano Gwyneth-Ann Rand (4.48 Psychosis: Royal Opera House, Aida: English National Opera) who failed to win at Cardiff Singer of the World, 24 Italian Arias also failed to win the Oxford Samuel Beckett Theatre Trust Award hence the exploration of this theme. The night celebrates world class opera performers and the power of the voice via live arias, so close, you could almost touch them. Rich Mix, 35–47 Bethnal Green Rd, Shoreditch, London E1 6LA richmix.org.uk £12/£15
Saturday 9th November at Rich Mix, 8.00pm — Rowland Sutherland and London Art Collective — DJ Marv Radio – Esteemed jazz flautist, musical arranger and composer Roland Sutherland presents the London Art Collective, his signature project focusing on spatial, galactic and spiritual jazz. Drawing influence from the influencers such as Sun Ra, McCoy Tyner, Alice Coltrane and Joe Henderson, this is a rare opportunity to enjoy Sutherland’s versatility and compositions in an intimate space. Players within London Art Collective include Rowland Sutherland, Orphy Robinson, Pat Thomas, Rachel Musson, Ansuman Biswas, Alec Dankworth and Mark Sanders amongst others. Rich Mix, 35–47 Bethnal Green Rd, Shoreditch, London E1 6LA richmix.org.uk £12/£15
Thursday 21st November at Rich Mix, 7.30 – Jamal Harewood - Word — Jamal Harewood is an artist who creates temporary communities through audience-led participatory events that focus on ideas of identity and race – Word explores our everyday use of language both conscious and unconscious. Having graduated from the University of Chichester with an MA in Performance (Theatre), Jamal is now an Associate Artist at Camden People’s Theatre. Rich Mix, 35–47 Bethnal Green Rd, Shoreditch, London E1 6LA richmix.org.uk £12/£15
Friday 22 November at Hoxton Hall, 7.30 — Circus Circus Circus — Artist showcase — The festival’s finale sees circus performance created with festival partner Victoria Amedume of Upswing Aerial Circus. This night of new work utilises Hoxton Hall’s atmospheric space and includes Out of Order, Symoné and Joana Dias and more to provide an evening of circus beyond the norm. Expect roller skates, Chinese pole work and feats via aerial silks woven into stories of birth, race, gender and the cabaret at the end of the world. Hoxton Hall, 130 Hoxton St, London N1 6SH www.hoxtonhall.co.uk £12/15

Rishma

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