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Courtesy of Tom Morley.

Founded a decade ago in 2012 to platform the work of marginalised artists, performance venue Ugly Duck, located in Bermondsey – South East London, has been at the forefront of working with performance artists who are not afraid of exploring lesser talked about themes. Their @Disturbance Festival, now in its 4th year specifically created to showcase LGBTQ+ artists and stories. Set to show a multi-sensory, immersive work referencing the mythological creature the Bittern bird as part of Ugly Duck’s 10th year anniversary on the 10th,11th and 12th of November, performance artist Gisou Golshani tells us more about how they’ve approached creating the piece, what they’ve learned along the creative process and what the audience can expect!

Hi Gisou, you’ll be taking part in Ugly Duck’s @Disturbance Festival from 10th to 12th November. How are you feeling ahead of the event?

This is my first residency and I’ve really enjoyed taking the time to explore my ideas and engage in in-depth conversations with other queer creatives and professionals. Really excited to bring this project to life!

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One of the world’s most famous mountain ranges, the Himalayas – which homes the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest, is one of our greatest wonders. A natural structure that inspires awe, it’s clear to see why this makes an intriguing backdrop for a motion picture, writer and director Suman Sen presenting The Silent Echo, a story about four children who play on a burnt-out mini-bus on land that only indigenous locals can cross, with what occurs next changing their lives. Having recently won ‘Best Short Film’ at the Raindance Film Festival and now eligible to be considered for a 2023 Academy Award, Suman tells us more about this thoughtful watch.

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Established 10 years ago, Voila! Europe was created as a means of showcasing the works of independent European artists – starting life as a festival hosting shows featuring the French and English languages, before broadening the criteria to include all European languages. Set to stage its 10th year edition from 3rd to 13th November at The Cockpit Theatre, the festival’s director Amy Clare Tasker tells us more about what to expect and the festival’s significance post the EU referendum.

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The 2022 UK Theatre Awards winners were revealed on Sunday 23rd October in a lunchtime ceremony at London’s Guildhall. The Awards returned following a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

The Awards were hosted by star of the stage Courtney Bowman (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Six, Legally Blonde), and presenters included Dame Arlene Phillips, Isabella Pappas, Joel Harper-Jackson and Rakie Ayola.

The UK Theatre Awards are the only nationwide awards to honour and celebrate outstanding achievements in theatre throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland by UK Theatre members.

The biggest winner of the day was Leeds Playhouse, who won three awards including UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre,  Best Design for Laura Hopkins & Simon Wainwright for Dracula: The Untold Story and Best Performance in a Musical for Divina de Campo for Hedwig and the Angry Inch, a Leeds Playhouse and HOME co-production.

Best Director was won by Elin Schofield, Robert Hastie and Anthony Lau for Rock/Paper/Scissors. In this theatrical first, the cast performed in the Crucible, Lyceum and Studio simultaneously at Sheffield Theatres.

The Best Musical Production award was given to the Curve Theatre Leicester’s Billy Elliot the Musical. Based on Stephen Daldry‘s acclaimed 2000 film, with music by Elton John and book and lyrics by Lee Hall. The musical features incredible songs such as Solidarity, The Letter, He Could Be a Star and the show-stopping Electricity.

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Launched in 2019, the London Borough of Culture was established to celebrate the rich artistic landscape of England’s capital city. Often presented with stereotypical depictions of the city, the initiative dismantles preconceived ideas and acknowledges the multi-cultural communities that make London. Previous LBOC being – Waltham Forest (2019), Brent (2020) and currently Lewisham (2022), with Croydon having been announced as the next one in 2023.

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A pivotal time for shaping our societies for the better moving forward, the power of the voices of all sections of society has been a crucial part of ensuring old ways of living are challenged, dismantled and rebuilt for the better. Theatre a fantastic way of putting resonant ideas across, to inform, entertain and ultimately bring sections of society together. Asking the question ‘How do we come together to make decisions that are in the best interests of a civic society?’, Back to Back Theatre present The Shadow Whose Prey the Hunter Becomes  – a public meeting chaired by disabled artists placing their lived experiences to the fore.

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Consumed by the need to protect and serve, US Marine Richard McKinney served in both Iraq and Afghanistan – a lack of mental health support upon his return to US soil, the political hostile environment of the early ‘00s, especially post 9/11, a dangerous concoction of hate and confusion that would result in McKinney’s attempted act of extremism at a Muncie, Indiana located Islamic Centre. This however, fortunately failing due to the overwhelming kindness shown by the Islamic Centre, this welcoming aspect something that stopped the possible fatal event from taking place and changing the course of history for the better – McKinney himself converting to Islam.

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The Yard Theatre have launched Nightlife Residents—a residency programme for three DJs, producers, collectives, producers, artists or performers to run three nights at The Yard, with creative freedom and no hire fees.

They’re looking for DJs, producers, collectives, producers, artists or performers who have an idea for a night, or an existing event series, and want to grow with no financial stress and a home to do it in.

They want their Yard Residents to see nightlife spaces as a vital part of London’s culture scene, who want to foster new ideas and look at new ways of bringing people together on the dancefloor. Yard Residents who see the potential and possibilities in clubs, that no other cultural space could offer. They’re also especially interested in residents who want to fuse nightlife and performance.

Yard Residents will receive the following:

• Three nights at The Yard, free of charge
• In-kind support from our Music & Events team
• Support from The Yard’s Marketing team
• A discounted membership to The Yard’s partner, The Halley, for a year
• Support from The Yard’s wider team

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A popular filmic and televisual genre that has seen many defining works of art cut out a unique niche for themselves, the crime genre is one that has gripped theimagination for its unashamed delve into the darker facets of humanity. The British crime drama scene one that with it has its own distinct style and presence. Adding to a rich body of artistry, videographer Kiosa Sukami presents short film A Letter to Black Men, an examination of gang related crime and its portrayal within the mainstream. Nominated for Best UK Short at this year’s Raindance Film Festival, and making it eligible to be put forward for a possible BAFTA award, Kiosa is well on the way to an exciting chapter of his filmic journey. Currently playing the film circuit, Kiosa tells us more about shattering stereotypes and how the film came to be!

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