Lancaster Arts Unveils Thrilling Season: Live Performances and Exhibitions Await Audiences
Lancaster Arts has announced its spring season of live performances, concerts, exhibitions and events, launching a new theme for 2024, Flight.
There is an open invitation to the season launch event on Thursday, February 8, in the Peter Scott Gallery at Lancaster University to enjoy the opening of the spectacular installation, ‘Forough’ from Turkish artist Sena Başöz from 5.30pm.
This will be followed by a contemporary circus performance from Gandini Juggling, who bring their latest show ‘The Games We Play’ to the Nuffield Theatre.
Later in the season the theatre will welcome Andy Smith and Lynsey O’Sullivan: A Citizens’ Assembly, a show in which the audience become the performers, debating the climate emergency, on Wednesday, February 21. Dance artist and choreographer Susan Kempster brings her latest show Common Ground and Action Hero close the season in the theatre with The Talent on Thursday, May 2, a show that asks what the legacy of the human voice might be in a non-human future.
There will be five concerts over the next four months, beginning with Leeds International Piano Competition winner 2021, Alim Beisembayev, on Thursday, March 14, followed by Manchester Camerata with mezzo-soprano, Karen Cargill in the Great Hall on Thursday, April 4. Legendary baritone Roderick Williams will perform in Lancaster Priory on Thursday, April 18, accompanied by Roger Vignoles on piano. American violinist Ariana Kim will close the season in the same venue, accompanied by renowned classical guitarist and conductor, Lancaster Arts’ own concert programmer, Michael Poll.
In amongst all of this, Propellor return to the Nuffield Theatre, featuring three of the country’s most innovative contemporary musicians, with Flight Patterns on Tuesday, April 30. The performance weaves varying genres into a soundscape, featuring food and conversation.
Internationally acclaimed cellist and composer Maja Bugge comes to the Peter Scott Gallery with a solo performance interacting with the Forough exhibition on Friday, March 15 and the gallery will welcome a second exhibition from April 24 when José García Oliva returns to Lancaster Arts with Out of Hours, featuring work created in collaboration with the cleaners, porters and security staff of Lancaster University.
Away from the university campus, audiences can enjoy River Tours: The Lune, a partnership project with Sewing Café Lancaster that will bring a unique and multi-disciplinary theatrical performance to communities along the River Lune from 13-21 April.
Speaking ahead of the season launch, Lancaster Arts Director, Jocelyn Cunningham said: “We are so looking forward to introducing everyone to our season on Flight, as we explore this theme through different perspectives from the literal, as in the flights of birds (or people), human migration, and flights of the imagination. Once again, we are on and off campus with plenty of ticket offers as well as free events and we can’t wait to welcome audiences old and new.”
There is no need to wait until February for the fun to begin though, as singers of all abilities and ages are encouraged to take part in The River Runs, celebrating the musical heritage of the Mill Race area in Lancaster, as part of a three-year project, in partnership with Lancaster City Council and funded by Historic England. Workshops and rehearsals begin on January 27. For further information visit the Lancaster Arts website or email [email protected].
There will also be an exciting array of artworks and workshops taking place across Lancaster and Morecambe over the coming months, with new and intriguing projects popping up all of the time, so keep up to date via the Lancaster Arts website and social media channels.