Barbican Centre

We’re excited to present our spring and summer season of classical music for 2025. 🎼 The season pivots around two key anniversaries – Pierre Boulez’s centenary, with celebrations and commemorations from our visiting artists, residents and associates, as well as performances marking fifty years since the death of Dmitri Shostakovich. The programme features a host of guest ensembles, including the Czech Philharmonic, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Australian Chamber Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Hespèrion XXI, Il Pomo d’Oro with Joyce DiDonato, and The English Concert joined by Louise Alder. Khatia Buniatishvili continues her Artist Spotlight residency, while the recital series includes Louis Lortie, Lang Lang, Seong Jin Cho and Evgeny Kissin. There will also be a focus on the untold stories of marginalised figures, as bass baritone Davóne Tines presents an intimate theatrical portrait of singer and campaigner Paul Robeson, Cassie Kinoshi explores the life and work of Caribbean artist Boscoe Holder, Nadine Benjamin performs Shirley J Thompson’s love letter to the resilient women of the Windrush generation and Elaine Mitchener and Dam Van Huynh present a new sonic dance exploration of Julius Eastman. Our new classical season offers fresh perspectives on two giants of 20th century music, while presenting a host of new projects that have never been seen before. We cannot wait to welcome you to our hall and share these powerful stories with you. For more information see here 👉 https://lnkd.in/e4dsxMNb

The Imaginary Institution of India: Art 1975-1998 is now open in our Art Gallery. 🎨 This landmark exhibition featuring the work of over 30 Indian artists, explores the response to India’s changing cultural political landscape between two transformational periods: Indira Gandhi’s declaration of a state of emergency in 1975 and the Pokhran nuclear tests in 1998. The show is organised in partnership with Kiran Nadar Museum of Art and is the first institutional exhibition to cover the turbulence and everyday life during these definitive years for India, where both events were marked by social upheaval, economic collapse and rapid urbanisation. In celebration of Diwali and Bandi Chor Divas, the exhibition will be free to attend on the weekend of Saturday 26 – Sunday 27 October 2024. Free tickets are available now and visitors are encouraged to book as there will be limited walk in availability. The weekend coincides with the Darbar Festival (24 – 27 October), a celebration of Indian classical music, now in its 19th year and our three-month cinema programme, Rewriting the Rules: Pioneering Indian Cinema after 1970, which will explore the work of filmmakers who rewrote the traditional rules of what constituted Indian cinema. The Imaginary Institution of India: Art 1975-1998 will run until Sunday 5 January 2025. For more information or to book tickets to these events see the links below. The Imaginary Institution of India: Art 1975-1998 👉 https://lnkd.in/ea5D66ci Darbar Festival 👉 https://lnkd.in/e4gjQXZc Rewriting the Rules: Pioneering Indian Cinema after 1970 👉 https://lnkd.in/eTKMue-7

We have published our latest annual report 2023/24. 📢 The report showcases many highlights from our inspiring and exciting artistic and educational programme, while also detailing our successes in achieving our organisational Purpose, Values and Shared Goals, which will continue to guide our transformation direction over the coming years. Last year, we worked with 1.3k artists and companies and ran over 4.2k events and screenings. We’re so very grateful to our principal funder the City of London Corporation, and all of our supporters for their generosity to the Barbican, as well as our incredible staff, Board Members and Trustees for their time and commitment which makes everything possible. You can read the full report here 👉 https://lnkd.in/e4FfsZfA

Some of the world’s leading architects, urban planners and developers visited the Centre this week, for the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) International Conference 2024. 🌇 The CTBUH is the world’s leading non-profit in the field of tall buildings, skyscrapers and sustainable urbans design and the future of cities. Their annual conference is recognised as the as the hub for discussions on architectural innovation and sustainable urban development. The theme of event was “New or Renew: Addressing the Density Dilemma,” which explored the environmental, economic and social impacts of new developments and retrofitting. The Barbican was chosen as one of the venues for this conference as of our Barbican Renewal Programme, which will sustainably improve our public spaces and transform our underused spaces for new creative use, all without adding a single square metre of extra building. Looking for a unique venue to host your next event? We have a range of spaces that can be hired for conferences, photo and film shoots, product launches, meetings, or receptions. Find out more here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eTZU_KxP 📸 - JT@aniseedphoto

Over the last week, Sir Antonio Pappano conducted his season opening concerts at the Barbican as the new Chief Conductor of our resident orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra. 🎻 🎹 🎺 🎼 In his inaugural concerts, Sir Antonio has presented grand symphonies, star soloists, and the world premiere of Sir James MacMillan's Concerto for Orchestra, showcasing the breadth of our brilliant Resident Orchestra whose performances have been lauded by both sold-out audiences and the press. Sir Antonio is no stranger to the LSO though, having conducted the orchestra on countless occasions since first collaborating with them in 1996 at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. We’re thrilled to have Sir Antonio and the LSO at the Barbican and hugely excited by what's yet to come. For our full classical music programme, including the LSO and our other Associate Orchestras, and to book tickets, see here 👉 https://lnkd.in/e8Q2kXEz 📸 - Mark Allan

Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum presents ‘It Will End in Tears,’ her first solo exhibition at a major UK institution which is in our Curve gallery. 🎨 Sunstrum fills the space with theatrical installations of life-size dioramas and paintings which follow a narrative sequence of a ‘femme fatale’ character living in an imagined colonial outpost. Each piece tells the story of what happens to our main character who refutes the rules dictated to her by society. The work echoes Sunstrum’s experience of living across Africa, Southeast Asia and North America and her reflections on a life lived between borders, alongside interpretations of home and wholeness. It Will End in Tears is free to attend and is open in The Curve from now until Sunday 5 January 2025. For more information see here 👉 https://lnkd.in/e_aKtNSK

Autumn mist descended on our Centre last week, marking the changing of the seasons. 🌫️ Our iconic grey concrete walls look as mystical as ever in the foggy atmosphere of this time of the year. Thank you to all of the photographers who have captured the murky mornings and evening sprays. ☁️ 📸 - @londonfromtherooftops 📸 - @aferglerphoto 📸 - @jimbo_aye 📸 - @mattu1 📸 - @mairispaceship 📸 - @cleatsandcode 📸 - @barbicaninsider

Today marks the return of our popular Outdoor Cinema programme, where warm summer evenings are filled with some of the best cinema titles in the spectacular setting of our Sculpture Court. 🎦 🌆 🍿 This year’s programme features Hollywood musicals, a Wes Anderson classic, filmed concerts from blur and Bjork, Studio Ghibli and much more. Culture Mile BID is our destination partner and Mastercard is our associate partner. Card holders will be eligible for some exclusive offers and discounts. To see the full Outdoor Cinema 2024 programme and to book tickets see here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eKvvb69n

With several animal inspired artworks by Banksy popping up around London (including one in the City of London), it is a good reminder that the elusive street artist once marked our own concrete walls.    The story goes that Banksy paid us a clandestine visit just before we opened our hugely popular Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibition in 2017, creating two pieces overnight in homage to the pioneering New York artist.    Both artworks can be found under Beech Street Tunnel opposite our Cinema 2 and 3. 🎨

Interested in leading a curated and distinctive cinema programme at an international arts centre in the heart of London? 🎦 We’re looking for a new Head of Cinema to play a leading role in defining and developing our exciting cinema strategy at the Barbican, while presenting a programme of new releases, curated seasons, talks with filmmakers and opportunities for new voices in cinema. The position is an essential part of our artistic and management teams and plays an important role in supporting the multiple art forms and collaborations at the Barbican. The ideal candidate will have an extensive knowledge of films and cinema history, with an understanding of the changing trends in the sector including methods of film consumption, audience experience and distribution models. You will be well networked in the cinema sector and have previous experience in curating film festivals, seasons and new release programming. The deadline for applications is 11:55pm on Sunday 8 September. For more information or to apply see here 👉 https://lnkd.in/e6fEuSEp