Posts tagged “southbank”

One of my favourite things about being ‘in residence’ at Southbank is hanging around in the Riverside Room. It’s a hub of activity set up by Southbank for all the residents to work from.

There are a few of us resident artists now, so whenever I am in, there are others in too.

We’re right by the London Eye

and just above the skate park

This is my desk… note the recent addition of a piano! (loving that)

This is Lemn Sissay who is writer in residence. He has writing on the walls.

Creative Connections are also based here - they are a team of speed artists who create ‘visual minutes’ at meetings.

Also based here are Gauri Sharma Tripathi who is a stunning Kathak dancer, and Bellowhead, the folk collective. They weren’t in today but these lovely people above are the team from Cape Farewell. They take artists out to the Arctic to get them thinking about climate change. Got some exciting news about these guys coming soon!

One problem with the office being right by the river amongst all the Southbank art galleries, public concert halls and theatres, is that people often think we are some kind of public space. They come in asking for a table for two, or just wander in during a meeting to just ‘browse’.

I’ve hardly been in lately because of the festivals but I am really looking forward to when the next season of unconventional means kicks off so i can hide in here and drink peppermint tea.

Taken from AFTM Press release:

We are pleased to announce that Shlomo, the acclaimed British beatboxer, has been appointed as Artist in Residence at the Southbank Centre, Europe’s largest arts complex.

By the age of 23, Shlomo has already done much to change perceptions of the art of beatboxing - expanding the possibilities of the vocal discipline that grew out of the hip-hop scene. As well as recording music with Bjork for the Athens Olympics, and creating the UK’s first human beatbox choir, he curated the International Human Beatbox Convention, part of Southbank Centre’s annual Ether festival, in April 2007.

Shlomo was invited to become an Artist in Residence by Jude Kelly, Artistic Director at Southbank Centre, after she saw his live solo show which includes beatboxing through a loop sampler as well as beatboxing and drumming at the same time.

“I’m excited and honoured to be here” says Shlomo, “I see this Residency as an opportunity to challenge preconceptions of beatboxing, and boost its profile as a genuinely creative art-form.”

Shlomo’s residency at Southbank Centre is set to include a range of educational events, as well as a series of concerts entitled ‘Music Through Unconventional Means’. At each concert a different guest artist collaborates with Shlomo to create new and unusual ways of performing live. December 2nd sees Shlomo collaborating with folk stars Martha Wainwright and Teddy Thompson at the Queen Elizabeth Hall (see details below).

The nature of these collaborative concerts creates a unique atmosphere, as artists are forced to engage, improvise and perform away from their usual comfort zones. This creates a performance like no other - a special opportunity to see a side to artists that will not be seen anywhere else.

The series sees Shlomo set to collaborate with artists across the musical spectrum, many of whom you may not expect to see on stage with a human beatboxer. Other artists lined up for 2008 include Mercury-nominated drummer Seb Rochford, a special AV show with DJ Yoda, the return of Shlomo’s beatboxing choir The Vocal Orchestra featuring the Swingle Singers, and a whole host of world, jazz and folk music stars.

There are also plans to create the World’s Largest Beatboxing Choir for Southbank Centre’s Choral Festival in May, plus the return of the International Beatbox Convention as part of the Ether Festival in April 2008.