An award introduced by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, The London Borough of Culture celebrates the city’s rich arts heritage, a quality of the capital revered globally. Often when naming arts organisations within London, it’s easy to think of the obvious iconic institutions synonymous with the city. What’s great about this initiative is that it highlights the capital’s nuances, drawing on various communities and how they shape their boroughs to curate activities and events unique to them. A total of 22 London Boroughs submitted applications in 2017 to be considered and in February 2018, it was announced that Waltham Forest had become the first recipients of the award. Creative Director of Waltham Forest London Borough of Culture Sam Hunt talks about the communities pivotal contribution to winning the bid, how artists can get involved and apply for funding and how the 2019 legacy will live on!

This is a perfect extraction;  after outsourcing a part of my mind into my book, I have now outsourced my body, too, and can let it do tours and all the unpleasant stuff.

Tonight writer Thomas Melle is holding a lecture on instability. However, the speaker is not Thomas Melle himself but a copy in the shape of a humanoid robot. Stefan Kaegi of Rimini Protokoll, an award-winning  company focusing on documentary theatre, explores the consequences of putting a humanoid robot on stage. What are the reactions of Thomas Melle himself and of the audience? Can this kind of performance still be described as “theatre”?

Courtesy of Gabriela Neeb.

Kinky Boots, currently on its UK & Ireland Tour tells the story of Charlie Price [Joel Harper–Jackson] and his determination to turn around his failing family shoe factory by tapping into a niche market; stiletto heeled boots for drag queens. Meanwhile Lola [Kayi Ushe] overcomes the prejudices of Charlie and his fellow co-workers, helping them to accept men in frocks. It all ends harmoniously in Milan, where the business gets a glamorous reboot.

Four years ago, the European migrant crisis dominated the headlines. Images of migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea in the hopes of escaping life threatening regimes and a poor quality of life in the hopes of starting anew were stark, shocking and eye opening. The media’s coverage of this period, at points unforgiving, demonised those seeking safety. The infamous Calais Jungle would also dominate headlines; the encampment at its peak, home to over 6,000 migrants seeking refuge. Director of Borderline Theatre Company Sophie NL Besse addresses the personal stories of refugees and asylum seekers in her latest show Welcome to the UK. Ahead of the show, Sophie talks about her time delivering workshops at the Calais Jungle, the multi-cultural ensemble consisting of refugees and performers and the show’s satirical aspect.

Within the past 2 decades, the gradual rise in Islamaphobia has been haunting to witness. Various misconceptions within the press further peddling a feeling of fear amongst nations. These untruths go on to shape voting outcomes and interactions within the wider community, fuelling a stereotype that doesn’t at all ring true. Nabilah Said’s timely show Inside Voices aims to add nuance to perceptions currently held. Placing lives of three Malay Muslim women at the fore, Nabilah and her theatre company Lazy Natives offer an insight into an aspect of Southeast Asian culture perhaps not focused on within the UK. Ahead of the show, Nabilah talks about making her professional debut at the Vault Festival, exploring topics of race and religion and featuring in Nick Hern Books’ Plays from Vault 4 Anthology.

The topic of fertility affects all, yet it’s a topic that we only now find ourselves starting to openly discuss. Everyone has their own personal stories and journeys, a multitude of experiences still yet to explore and learn from. Inspired to curate a festival addressing this often taboo subject, co-founders of Fertility Festival 2019 Jessica Hepburn and Gabby Vautier talk about this year’s emphasis on discussing the modern family, what audiences can expect from this year’s line up and how societal conversations have shifted towards raising awareness on the multi-faceted topic.

Showing at The Peacock Theatre from late January Tango Fire will once again witness internationally renowned dancer and choreographer Germán Cornejo showcase the history of the world famous Argentine Tango. Joined by celebrated dancer Gisela Galeassi, they will both showcase a new solo piece and other breathtaking sequences!

The rights of women and young girls will continue to be a talking point and an issue continually fought for until equality has truly been achieved. Roughly ’15 million girls are married every year before they reach 18 years old, 1 in 3 girls in the developing world are married by age 18 and 1 in 9 married by age 15′ (stats provided by charity Girls Not Brides). These stats are horrifying to be reading in 2019 but sadly, a disheartening reality globally.

Director Christopher Rüping had always felt detached from ancient Greek drama. The chorus, the language, and the role of fate created an artificial world that had nothing to do with our reality. When watching Greek drama, he found that he began to be engaged by the play only when it was almost over. When those dramas were written, they were presented at the Dionysia, a drama competition (Agon) that went on for five days. Dionysia were ecstatic festivals with free wine and free food, starting early in the morning and going on until late at night. Christopher Rüping knew he could not recreate the Dionysia but he decided to be bold and to present a tetralogy, composed of three dramas and one satyr play. Ten hours of theatre would allow his antique drama to unfold.

Courtesy of Julian Baumann.