News

Are We Here? Festival Announced

• 26th Oct 2010

Throughout the month of November, Clocktower Arts will present 'Are We Here?', a festival that celebrates music, film, and theatre and how, as art forms, they relate to the places in which they were created. With specific reference to Croydon and the area's influence on the arts, both past and present – all set against the backdrop of the area's current urban regeneration – 'Are We Here?' explores how Croydon's national perception as a 'concrete jungle' has also been the catalyst and inspiration for some truly paradigm changing art.

From Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's associations with Croydon through Bridget Riley's Op-Art and Malcolm McLaren's formative years at art school, right up to the present day and the stream of talent produced by the BRIT school and Croydon's pivotal role as the epicentre of the Dubstep explosion, the area has consistently fuelled British culture. With a broad programme of events that range from mainstream appeal to underground chic 'Are We Here?' covers the gamut of creativity and highlights the wealth of talent connected to the area.

Kicking off on Wednesday November 3rd, and continuing throughout the duration of the festival, 'Are We Here?' is proud to present the first retrospective of author and TV auteur Jonathan Meades' influential body of documentaries at The Clocktower Arts Centre's David Lean Cinema. Described by critic AA Gill as “the civic David Attenborough”, Jonathan Meades' documentaries are widely regarded as some of the most thoughtful, intelligent and perfectly crafted pieces of factual television ever made. With a central theme of 'place' running throughout his work the retrospective will provide a fascinating overview of one of television's greatest talents. Jonathan himself will be at The Clocktower Arts Centre following the final screening on 20 November, for an interview and Q&A led by journalist Hermione Eyre.

The following evening Thursday November 4th influential Croydonites St Etienne, whose work spans music, literature and film, will present their brand new film 'This is Tomorrow' which tells the story of the first 50 years of the Royal Festival Hall, followed a week later on November 11th by the band's documentaries exploring the landscape of London 'Finisterre' and'What Have You Done Today Mervyn Day?' in two very special screenings at the David Lean cinema, November 11th will also see a special St Etienne after-party at the renowned Warehouse Theatre featuring sets from Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs.

Friday 5th November will see the Clocktower Arts Centre hosting a bloc-rockin' party in tribute to Malcolm McLaren – Sketching Lines on The Pavement. Hosted by Wall of Sound chief and Back to the Phuture head honcho, Mark Jones, the centre piece of the party will be a specially commissioned one-off AV show, performed by inimitable deck-wizard DJ Yoda. Celebrating the mammoth impact of cultural agitator and former Croydon art college student Malcolm McLaren, this unique event will see DJ Yoda creating a totally unmissable mash-up taking in McLaren's towering achievements and his enormous influence on pop culture that has spanned more than 30 years. DJ Yoda's set will be projected live and free onto Croydon city-centre buildings that Malcolm referred to as 'the Triffids'. The night will also feature a high-octane performance from Skip Hop who will be showcasing some Double Dutch manoeuvres, the street skipping craze that will forever be associated with one of Britain's greatest pop svengalis.

As the firmly established hotbed of the scene, 'Are We Here?' will be honouring all things Dubstep with three momentous Dubkulture nights at the illustrious Black Sheep Bar on November 3rd, 10th and 17th. The Black Sheep bar's central role in the development of one of the biggest and freshest worldwide musical movements in a over a decade has put Croydon on the musical map, nurturing the scene's crucial movers and shakers including Skream, Loefah, Benga, Artwork, Joker, Plastician, Hatcha and many more. The Dubkulture nights will be hosted by DJ Pistonsbeneath and will feature a series of very special guests including Tunnage and Tek One.

Other highlights throughout the month long festival include erstwhile Siouxsie & the Banshees bassist Steven Severin presenting the second instalment in his ongoing series Music for Silents at the David Lean Cinema performing a brand new score for Jean Cocteau's 1930 surrealist classic “Le Sang d'un Poete (Blood Of A Poet)”. Clocktower Arts' resident theatre company for young refugees and asylum seekers, Perpenata, will perform 'Cracked Love' a new work specially commissioned for 'Are we Here?' making use of the public spaces within The Clocktower complex, centred on the relationship between two young people from two very different worlds. There will also be The Seven Hills of Croydon a guided-tour around England's Alphaville via its “seven hills” – led by architect and passionate Croydonite Vincent Lacovara.

Bangers will celebrate South London's rich Hip Hop scene, expect to see live artwork, breakdancers, open mic battles, guest rappers and world class DJs. 'Fat Content' Clocktower Arts' artists in residence will present a brand new piece of promenade theatre 'Birth, Maintenance and Death' that starts in the court area of the Clocktower before moving out into the urban environment of Croydon, utilising unused spaces in the town centre.

The 'Big White Light' theatre company will enact their highly acclaimed production of 'Zebra'. Destined for Edinburgh Fringe 2011, 'Zebra' is an outrageously devised piece which uses mime, clowning and improvisation to wildly comic effect. Over two Saturdays, (November 13th & 20th) artist Richard DeDomenici will create Destroyden, working with teams of volunteers to build a model of Croydon, recreating the proto-city skyline that could potentially attract monsters from the deep. On the evening of Saturday 20th November in a performance from the artist involving some of those who contributed in the build, the miniature Croydon will be destroyed by a herd of rampaging Godzilla-like monsters.

On November 19th The Black Sheep Bar will be playing host to Bass! How Low Can You Go? a music Q&A chaired by acclaimed music journalist Joe Muggs who will be discussing Croydon's place in the pantheon of bass music with Mad Professor, Tony Thorpe (aka Moody Boyz) Artwork, DJ Chef, Goldielocks and Loefah. That same evening The Clocktower Arts Centre will see the aforementioned local boy made good Mad Professor dropping woofer-worrying sub action at Croydon Dub Club where you can expect to see some very special guests indeed. Finally on the 20th November Brit-Asian club scene kingpin Bobby Friction will be taking over Croydon's The Club for a night of serious bass pressure exploring how Dubstep, a style of music born on the streets of Croydon, has evolved into myriad sub-genres and forms, genuinely dominating the club scene around the world with some of the most exciting and vital music being made by producers of South Asian descent, featuring Engine EarZ Experiment and Nasha Experience.

FOR FURTHER PRESS INFO PLEASE CONTACT: BRUCE HAY on 0207 604 2944 / mail

LISTINGS INFORMATION:

Tinyurl.com/arewehere2010

Jonathan Meades – Retrospectives
Clocktower Arts Centre, David Lean Cinema, Katharine Street Croydon CR9 1ET
03 November Jerry Building + Heart Bypass / 8pm/£4.80 -£7.30
10 November 'Isle Of Rust + Magnetic North' 8pm/£4.80 -£7.30
18 November 'Joe Building + Surreal Film' 8pm/£4.80 -£7.30
20 November 'On The Brandwagon + Father To The Man' Sat 20 Nov 8pm £8-£10 (including Q&A with journalist Hermione Eyre)

St Etienne – This Is Tomorrow / Finisterre / What Have you Done Today Mervyn Day?
Clocktower Arts Centre, David Lean Cinema, Katharine Street Croydon CR9 1ET
04 November This Is Tomorrow – 8pm/£4.80 – £7.30 (with Q&A) – Clocktower Cinema
11 November – Finisterre and What Have You Done Today Mervyn Day? 7:30pm/ £4.80 – £7.30 (with Q&A)
11 November – after party featuring St Etienne Soundsystem 9pm £8 -£5 Warehouse Theatre Dingwall Road Croydon CR0 2NF

Sketching Lines On The Pavement – A Tribute To Malcolm McLaren
feat DJ Yoda (specially commissioned AV DJ show) also projected live for FREE onto buildings in Central Croydon.
BBC6 Music: Back To The Phuture – Mark Jones 80's NYC hip hop/electro set + Live Visuals + Skip Hop (Double Dutch Skipping Team) 8pm
5 November £14 Adv £12 Concession

Steven Severin presents his live score to “Le Sang d'un Poete”
Clocktower Arts Centre, David Lean Cinema, Katharine Street Croydon CR9 1ET
8 November 8pm £12.50 – £15

Perpanata – Cracked Love
Clocktower Arts Centre Katharine Street Croydon CR9 1ET
4 November: 7pm/FREE / 6 November 7pm/FREE

The Seven Hills of Croydon – Guided Walk
06 November 2pm / Free

Dubkulture
Black Sheep Bar – 68 High Street Croydon CR0 1NA 020 8680 2233
8pm till late
3/10/17 November
Free before 10pm £2 after

Bangers
Black Sheep Bar – 68 High Street Croydon CR0 1NA 020 8680 2233
14th November Free before 10pm £2 after

Fat Content present 'Birth, Maintenance and Death'
Promande performance – Clocktower Arts Centre Katharine Street Croydon CR9 1ET
17/18/19/20 Nov- 7pm/8pm/9pm/10pm (very limited tickets each performance) £12 /£10

Big White Light present Zebra
Clocktower Arts Centre Katharine Street Croydon CR9 1ET
18 November 8pm £5

Destroydon – Richard DeDomenici
Workshop session 1 – 13th November 12pm – 6pm
Workshop session 2 – 20th November 12pm – 6pm
(with introductory talk from the artist 12pm – 12:15pm)
FREE
Performance 20th November 7pm Free

Bass! How low can you go? Q&A
Black Sheep Bar 68 High Street Croydon CR0 1NA 020 8680 2233
19 November 6pm £2.50 on the door
****FREE entry to ticket holders to Croydon Dub Club *****

Croydon Dub Club with The Mad Professor and VERY special guests
Clocktower Arts Centre Katharine Street Croydon CR9 1ET
19th November 8pm £12 – £10 Concession
**** includes FREE entry to the previous event at Black Sheep Bar ****

Music: Bobby Friction presents South Asian Future Music
The Club, 179 London Road Croydon CR0 2RL
20th November 10pm £12 (adv)
Tickets are available in advance from The Clocktower Arts Centre Box Office and available on the night at The Club (subject to availability)