News and Events
The �75,000 arts festival experiment
17th Feb 2011
From Monday until March 4, 8,000 Londoners will be able to take part in a series of free shows from the surreal to the sublime - think wrestling, a silent opera, a folk-hip-hop collaboration and a theatrical cooking banquet - in Debut, a venue under the arches of London Bridge. Six creative producers - Londoners aged under 30 shortlisted from a selection of 200 - have been given the opportunity to divide up the cash and put their ideas into play.
This is the Coming Up festival, funded by 58-year-old philanthropist de Haan with an initial �75,000 grant.
There is method in this madness, as de Haan (he and brother Roger were estimated to be worth about �800 million last year) explains in the Ideas Tap offices. "I'd been running a charity for years but we were struggling with arts and what to do with it. At the same time my own kids [he has seven aged 16 to 35] were leaving school and finding it very difficult to get into that. So we decided to see if we could provide opportunities, and it's a bit of a social experiment."
Each creative producer was given �6,000, with the remainder spent on organising the festival. With that amount of cash, you'd expect any typical twentysomething to head straight to the pub. De Haan grins: "That's been the running joke, but the idea is that they have special talent, are experienced in their field and looking for new things. Not regurgitating old things. And there are very few strings attached. But of course it is a big risk - we've got trustees funnelling money through these funds."
The event has gone over
budget by �36,000 due to unforeseen circumstances such as venue changes,
but Old Vic New Voices stepped in to help.
So anything could happen
in these two weeks, yet de Haan is unperturbed by pressure. "Some would
call me a control freak but this is a fun project and, so far, none of
our past grant winners have done things they weren't meant to �" he
trails off. At this point the PR interjects, adding: "But of course
sometimes they get given advice and completely ignore it �"
"Well exactly. But we have a business plan and we're professional. And it's good that they make mistakes as they will have been given the chance to experiment," de Haan concludes. Here are the six people he is letting loose on London's nightlife. You have been warned.
Daisy Evans, 22
Lives: Kennington.
Day job: Assistant to staff directors at the Royal Opera House. Was founding director of King's Opera and the Waistcoat opera company.
What: A silent opera. Listen to Purcell's Dido and Aeneas through headphones while following the performers around.
Why
we should be excited: Opera by silent headphones is totally different.
I'm fascinated by the psychology of music - it's very different when
people listen to it on their iPod as opposed to playing it out loud. People block themselves off and don't get sidetracked.
Feeling
the pressure? A fair amount. I'm relying on the dress rehearsal and
technology working on the night. But it's allowed me to take the risk
and if it doesn't work then it's only two performances and the audience
hasn't paid.
I'm feeling confident.
See it: March 1 (7.30 and 9.30pm), March 3 (9.30pm).
Jamie Lewis Hadley, 24
Lives: Shoreditch.
Day job: Usher for the Unicorn Theatre. Doing a masters in theatre performance at Plymouth. Former professional wrestler.
What: Brit-Wres
Fest. A wrestling spectacular involving spandex-clad sports
entertainers in one ring with projections, lighting, sound and
pyrotechnics. After-show event with Arthur Cauty, director of wrestling
documentary Hard Knocks.
Why we should be excited: I'm the wild card
of the group. My intention is to celebrate British wrestling by getting
new audiences and to make it accessible. It's very much a fringe sport
so we want to change that. People normally see fake punches and spandex
but it's so much more. It's beautiful, it's a dance, it's not scripted.
Feeling
the pressure? Yes. It is scary as I haven't been in charge of a budget
that big before. It's a Zone 1 event in a prime location so there's a
lot more at stake.
See it: February 21 and 22 (7pm).
Preethi Mavahalli, 26
Lives: Shoreditch.
Day job: Works for Film4 and is a freelance script editor. Worked on Ben Drew aka Plan B's directorial debut Ill Manors.
What: Underground Cinema. A showcase of films, with a Courvoisier punch bar.
Why
we should be excited: This will be different. I want everyone to see
this. There is a lot out there for people who know a lot about film but I
wanted this to be really eclectic with a good audience experience.
Feeling
the pressure? I'm Ok because I shot my film and was manic a few weeks
ago. So I'll be able to hang out on the night. I really can't wait for
this to start.
See it: February 22, 23, 24, 28 (7.30pm), February 26, 27 (2pm), March 4 (9.30pm).
Spike Laurie, 24
Lives: Wimbledon.
Day job: Actor and producer. Graduated from Drama Centre in July.
What:
Civil Unrest. A mel�e of food, film and photography alongside Ben
Ellis's new play Unrestless, about three siblings living today. Inspired
by Ian Tomlinson's death and the riots at Millbank.
Why
we should be excited: It's real and it's exciting and the food will be
sensational. When people come in, there will be cops kettling them. They
have to be ready. Plus it takes place in a pop-up restaurant - like a
dystopian prison canteen. Theatre's role is to question what's happened
in society.
Feeling the pressure? Yes. I'm managing 30 people, a
�6,000 budget, there are deadlines to meet and I've been thrown in at
the deep end. But it will be a fantastic show. It's very hard to know
who to take a punt on these days so to be given that opportunity is
fantastic.
See it: March 2, 3 (7.15pm), March 4 (1pm and 7.15pm).
Cherry Franklin, 27
Lives: Peckham.
Day job: The current project. Afterwards she is recording folk music in Nepal. She has taught singing in Kathmandu, performed at Tate Modern and Shunt Vaults, and leads a vocal quartet, the Barefoot Howlers.
What:
Old Roots New Routes. Hip-hop artist Dizraeli, spoken word performer
Polarbear and MC Jam Baxter will perform alongside folk musicians Lisa
Knapp and Sam Carter, with film screenings and live graffiti.
Why
should we be excited? Such incredible artists collaborating and all for
free. I'd like to broaden people's ideas of what these genres mean.
I
think I'm here because of the nature of people that sign up to Ideas
Tap - a lot tend to be theatre-based but I was doing something with
music which is a bit different. This is original.
Feeling the
pressure? Yes, there is still lots to do. I just want a really good mix
of people. I'd like a hip-hop audience and a folk audience as well.
See it: February 25 (6pm).
Nina Smith, 27
Lives: Clerkenwell.
Day job: Bar work and teaching.
Co-founder of Kindle Theatre, an all-female company based in Birmingham.
What: Eat Your Heart Out presented
by Kindle Theatre. A theatrical
three-course
banquet (no vegetarian option) set to a baroque-inspired music score
where the audience will be invited to "literally eat the story".
Why
we should be excited: Because it's an experience. We're giving theatre
but in a different form. I'd been interested in using a meal as a show,
started researching offal and went from there. Most things today have a
very set script but I think it's really important that young adults look
at theatre as a form of entertainment and that it's as good as going to
anything else.
Feeling the pressure? A bit. If you make a shortfall
you take responsibility for it. And because it's live we don't know what
the show will be. But it's amazing to have this support.
See it: February 26, 27 (8pm).
Source: Evening Standard
