Laura works with us to bring our contemporary music programme together. A creative, curator and producer who has worked across large scale music and digital installation tours globally as well  locally, she brings to our team a wealth of experience. We caught up with her to find out more about the Autumn music programme and special series of shows for Freshers Week and Brighton Digital Festival, as well her other key moments in the season.

Can you tell us what is planned for the Autumn, first as part of Brighton Digital Festival?

It’s a week of contrasting work by some pretty established, solid artists.  We kick off with new work from the sculptural inventor and composer Felix’s Machines.  He will be joined by Plaid and they are writing new material which will form part of the performance on the 19 September.  The following day is a double bill of sound and video collage artist People Like Us and experimental cellist Oliver Coates.  People Like Us is celebrating her 25th year and is going to present a collage piece of her favourite works.  Oliver to me is one of the most interesting UK musicians around presently which is reflected in his collaborators, Mica Levi and Radiohead to name but two.  The 21 September is the one and only Holly Herndon who holds the mantle of one of the leading ladies of electronic music presently.  Then, on the 22 is James Lavelle presenting an UNKLE Sounds AV set.  UNKLE release new material this September so you can expect to hear some of that incorporated in – this is the one you really get to dance at. Then, on the 23 is Ryoji Ikeda, with Supercodex. In the way that only Ryoji can, he takes raw data and mathematics and transforms it into an immersive live club show unlike any other.  

 What other gigs do you have up your sleeve for the Autumn season?

Hidden Orchestra (now a Brighton residing outfit) will be presenting their new album on Saturday 9 December, they are an astonishing outfit and it’s a Saturday night and also in the city of their label Tru Thoughts so it’s on a promise to be a great night out. A show not programmed by me but I am delighted to include in the programme this autumn and I would like to mention is The Horrors  who will be presenting material from their 5th album V.

Bringing Dakhabrakha to us on 30 November is a special one for you - what is it about that band?

I could talk for hours on this band.  I have no qualms in saying they are in the top the of all live bands I have seen.  There is nothing on the same page.  Super theatrical and refined and full of abandon with punk spirit and quirk.  They are Ukranian and perform in full traditional attire.  I have yet to come across anyone who has experienced them who does not metaphorically tip their hat in respect Every so often amongst friends and folk interested in new music, I reserve a little card that I use every so often, which is ‘OK this one, please just trust me and go see them’.  This is that card. Categorise wise if I am to attempt to describe what happens I would say if you can imagine a mix of Thom Yorke, Bjork, Ice Cube, Chicks on Speed, tribal village music with huge servings of theatrics and quirk and a touch of Ukranian cattle calling.

Image: Alexa Hoyer. 

Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts are pleased to announce a series of shows encompassing contemporary music, digital art and installation to begin the Autumn 2017 season. Contemporary classical, electronica, audio-visuals, DJ sets and more collide as part of our curated programme coinciding with Brighton Digital Festival.

A week of special events takes place from September 19 – 23 with five nights of performances from: Plaid and Felix Machines, People Like Us and Oliver Coates, Holly Herndon, James Lavelle (UNKLE) and Ryoji Ikeda. Early bird tickets are available to see all five shows for £50, subject to availability.  

Further programming will take place across October as part of Brighton Digital Festival at ACCA.

Brighton Digital Festival’s annual conference – The Messy Edge – arrives on 13 October. The conference will explore the frontiers of digital culture, challenge dominant perspectives and provide a space to think about how we run the risk, despite the opportunities that digital gives us, of building a future on the deeply flawed foundations of the present.

Meanwhile, KDE Dance presents Digital Tattoo, an innovative mixed-media choreographic programme exploring the consequences and patterns of our online actions on 10 October. A free film will be shown in the ACCA café-bar as part of this programme from October 2-10.

To round off the cluster of events, Wolfgang Voigt (GAS) plays on October 7. Voigt, born in 1961 in Cologne, Germany, is an artist, music producer, label owner and one of the co-founders of the Cologne-based electronica and techno label Kompakt.  His project GAS, an intoxicatingly sinister work of sound art based on highly condensed classical sound sources, thrills a global audience far beyond the traditional electronica and techno music scenes for over 20 years. ACCA are pleased to co-present this show with Dictionary Pudding. 

“Our programme for Brighton Digital Festival opens with a curated week of work by auteurs and digital innovators, whose practice spans installation, music and visuals.  It’s the perfect way to launch our Autumn season and cement our ongoing collaboration with Brighton Digital Festival.  Meanwhile, The Messy Edge, the new Brighton Digital Festival conference, brings researchers at University of Sussex together with artists and leading critical thinkers from across the world to explore the meaning of ‘the digital frontier.” Laura McDermott, Creative Director, Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts. 

Andrew Duff is the curator of the Brighton Modular Meet, which takes place on July 1&2 in our venue. There is a live concert on the Saturday evening whose line up includes: Robert A.A. Lowe, Russell Haswell, Pye Corner Audio and Makaton.

What is the Brighton Modular Meet?

The Brighton Modular Meet is one of the biggest annual gatherings of the UK Modular Synthesizer community. We’ve been running for 5 years now and the event brings together artists & musicians, enthusiasts & tinkerers, developers, manufacturers & shops. Its a great opportunity for everyone to meet, chat, show new ideas and experiments, or, as the scene continues to grow, for new people interested in these instruments to try things out and see what all the fuss is about.

When did you start it, what happens at it?

I started the event in 2012 at the suggestion of a friend who told me about the gear and pointed out that as I might have access to university space in vacation time, I might be able to organise a meet and find out more about it. I shared information about the event on a forum, told people where and when it would take place, and that there’d be tables and power, and then waited to see what would happen. About 30 people turned up throughout the day, some with their modular synthesizers in all shapes and sizes, others just to look and chat. The event has grown substantially since then.

More manufacturers attend now, which is great as they get the opportunity to demo things face-to-face. Musicians, some known, others undercover, also get to check stuff out. People travel from all over the UK and a few from Europe to the event. Last year we were invited to be part of the ICLI Live Interfaces conference and the meet moved in to the newly refurbished Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts. This gave us access to more spaces, so we could spread out and have focussed areas for Video Synthesis, a room for talks, demos and performances, a space for manufacturers, and the cafe-bar area open to the public to turn up and plug in. People bring their kids, it does get hectic and noisy, but its great fun.

Can anyone come along?

Anyone can come - if you are bringing equipment, obviously it needs to be a modular synth (and bring some headphones or speakers). If you are coming to look you’ll meet friendly and chatty people who will be more than happy to answer questions about what all this gear is and what it does.

What’s new for this year? 

New for this year are the addition of DIY workshops and a concert on the Saturday. We had a workshop a few years ago, so it was about time we tried it again. This year there’s workshops where participants can learn a little about electronics, software audio programming or video synthesis, then build an audio module or unit, a small video synth, or code an effects module. We are also having a concert in the auditorium, which should be amazing! I’m really excited to see all the performers, it’s a fantastic line up. 

Brighton based Victoria Melody, an award winning British performance artist, will be performing her latest show Ugly Chief at Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts on Tuesday 20 June 2017. 

The company are seeking brass musicians from the local community who would like to perform in the show’s grand finale alongside the performers on stage in a New Orleans jazz procession!  This presents a unique and exciting opportunity to showcase your talent and perform in a world class touring production starring ITV’s Mike Melody celebrity antique dealer from Dickinson’s Real Deal.

Using Victoria’s training as a funeral director and a huge amount of research Ugly Chief looks at the British Funeral Industry and how we deal with death in modern society. Ugly Chief is a comedy based on true events performed by a real-life father and daughter. It explores the taboos around death and its practicalities, and the fractious relationship with a parent whose opinions you don’t always agree with.

If your group is interested in taking part collectively or as individuals we warmly invite them to attend the workshop below to rehearse the music which will then be played in the show: 

6.00 – 7.00pm   Tues 20 June in the Workshop Studio, Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts, Brighton

A light buffet will be provide and participants will be fully briefed in order to take part in the finale of Ugly Chief at Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts.

The only criteria to take part is an ability to play a brass instrument and be over 18 years of age.  There will be 3 ability groups for the workshop: beginner/intermediate/advanced.  

Places are limited so please RSVP to janice.brittain@farnhammaltings.com for booking confirmation.  To show our appreciation of your time please use the promo code Brass£6 to receive a booking discount for your family and friends.

Verity Standen’s Refrain opens this weekend at Newhaven Fort and we are pleased to be able to share some insights from Verity about the history of the site and about the project, ahead of the premiere this evening.

To create the piece, Standen worked with English Heritage to create Refrain for sites in the UK where conscientious objectors were imprisoned or set to work.

Refrain, which is co-produced by Situations  and the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts involves a professional ensemble and local volunteer male singer performing a new work in the former military defence overlooking the sea.

The location for Sussex is a pertinent one. The ‘conchies’ who made a stand against the violence and bloodshed of war were put to work on road improvements between Seaford and Newhaven. Those who disobeyed orders were court-martialled at Newhaven Fort before deportation to France.

Verity Standen explains more about the project: “While I was keen to learn about the histories, I knew that I wanted the heart of the piece to remain in the here-and-now – made with, and performed by, local people,” she says.

“When adapting the music for Newhaven, for example, I heard the stories of the many COs who lived at the nearby Road Board Camp whilst repairing the road between Newhaven and Seaford.

“Newhaven became one of the major supply ports to the Western Front and many of the 900 COs here were sent to work at the docks, handling food supplies. Following a workers’ strike, they were ordered to handle munitions. Those who refused to comply were threatened with execution for mutiny, sent to a camp at Seaford and court martialled at Newhaven Fort.”

In creating Refrain, which has also been performed at Richmond Castle in Yorkshire and St Helen’s in Merseyside, Verity chose locations with natural acoustics so that the audience’s relationship to the sound can be live and direct rather than amplified.

“I hope that the music can function as a guide through the experience - gently leading people on an exploration of the site, and celebrating the voices of the local singers who are the core of the piece.

“Refrain is inspired by men who took a stance, but the piece itself doesn’t take a stance on the history. I have offered my music to our local performers to mould and make their own; now the final piece of the jigsaw is for them to offer it to audiences. I hope that together we have captured something of the emotional register of these complex histories, and I can’t wait to discover what contemporary audiences feel as they walk amongst the music through these charged environments.”

We are delighted to be co-producing one of Brighton Festival’s highlights this year, The Public Theater’s The Gabriels.

Richard Nelson’s new trilogy arrives on Saturday, May 20 and runs until Sunday May 27. You can see one play or join us for all three in one sitting over the weekend dates. 

Nelson’s The Apple Family Plays was the theatrical highlight of the 2015 Brighton Festival. Now the Tony Award-winning playwright and director follows up with The Gabriels, a landmark series that follows one extraordinary, imperfect American family in real time, tracking their lives throughout the turbulent election year of 2016. History, money, politics, art and culture are all on the table in this moving three play cycle about a family celebrating, remembering and waiting for the world to change. 

As well as these very special performances, we hope you will make a day of it with us for the weekend performances. A special ‘American style’ menu will be available, including Chilli, Mac ‘n’ Cheese and boxed salads. Festival Fizz and Sumptuous Sundowner cocktails, made with gin or vodka, will also be on offer, along with our usual delicious beers, wines, hot and soft drinks. 

For each of The Gabriels performances we also have 15 infrared hearing devices in-house.  These can be used by audience members with hearing aids or without.

We are planning on setting up an area inside the auditorium to offer the system to audience members. Please ask a member of the Front of House team for more information during your visit or email us in advance. 

We are less than 10 minutes from Brighton and Lewes by train. For information on parking and how to get here please visit here.

The Space digital reporter creative bursaries for REFRAIN, an immersive, site-specific performance in Newhaven Fort, East Sussex are now open.

Applications are now open for bursaries of £150 each to support two creative digital-savvy young people (16-24) to attend, respond and document REFRAIN performances from 9-11 June.    

We’re looking for two fast-paced reporters to digitally tell the story of the REFRAIN performances as they’re developing. The digital reporters will document the audience experience and participant experience for remote audiences to follow the story of REFRAIN.

Newhaven Fort will be transformed by an immersive choral experience, devised by composer Verity Standen and an ensemble of local male singers. This spring, during the centenary of the First World War, composer Verity Standen has created a new performance at three sites of historic significance in the stories of conscientious objection. The project is presented by Situations in collaboration Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts and will be ACCA’s first major off-site project.

To apply, please write a one-page cover letter detailing your suitability for the bursary and a short CV with relevant experience. Any examples of ideas are also welcomed. 

Please also include your full name, age and contact details (telephone and email address) in the email. If appropriate, include links to your social media handles (Twitter/Instagram/Vimeo/YouTube) or links to examples of work.

Deadline: 25 May 2017

Email -  communications@situations.org.uk to send your application or for more information. 

The digital reporters must have availability for the weekend of Friday 9 - Sunday 11 June to attend some of the REFRAIN performances at Newhaven Fort. They will be responsible for their travel to Newhaven Fort, East Sussex. 

We are pleased to partner with Brighton Festival as a co-producer on multiple events in the 2017 festival edition. Join us of a wide range of international dance, theatre, debate and poetry during the month of May 

The programme includes:

The Public Theater. The Gabriels: Election Year in the Life of One Family

(UK premiere).

Richard Nelson’s The Apple Family Plays was the theatrical highlight of the 2015 Brighton Festival.

Now the Tony Award-winning playwright and director follows up with The Gabriels, a landmark series that follows one extraordinary, imperfect American family in real time, tracking their lives throughout the turbulent election year of 2016. History, money, politics, art and culture are all on the table in this moving three play cycle about a family celebrating, remembering and waiting for the world to change. Each of the three plays can be enjoyed individually, and you can also watch all three in one glorious sitting over the weekends.

Joan Clevillé Dance: Plan B for Utopia

Plan B for Utopia is a playful dance theatre work by Dundee-based company Joan Clevillé Dance. Charismatic performers Solène Weinachter (Scottish Dance Theatre, Gecko) and John Kendall (balletLORENT) explore the notion of utopia and the role that imagination and creativity can play as a driving force for change in our personal and collective lives.

Democracy Debate: What Comes Next?

Following the Brexit vote and the election of Donald Trump, the rise of the right in Europe and the refugee crisis, Western societies are looking more polarised than ever. Is the system capable of tackling the real economic and environmental threats we face? And what comes next? Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee chairs a panel of top thinkers and politicians to debate the future of our political system including Caroline Lucas MP, Diane James, formerly UKIP leader elect and now independent MEP for the South East, the New Statesman columnist and author Laurie Penny, Vice Chancellor, University of Sussex Adam Tickell, and David Runciman, of the University of Cambridge.

Kat Francois: Raising Lazarus

Poetry slam champion Kat Francois is a regular performer on BBC Radio and London’s poetry scene. She brings her critically acclaimed one-woman play following sell out performances at The Roundhouse. Raising Lazarus tells the true story of Francois’ relative Private Lazarus Francois from Grenada, who joined the British West Indies Regiment in 1915 to fight for Britain in the First World War.  Charting this young soldier’s journey from the Caribbean first to the Sussex coast, then on to Egypt and East Africa, Francois shines a light on the thousands of West Indian soldiers who volunteered for King and Empire.

Probe: Now You See It

Antonia Grove, artistic director of Brighton-based dance theatre company Probe, presents her brand new solo: co-directed with Sue MacLaine, the piece is full of evocative imagery that features a searing central performance by Antonia herself. Now You See It portrays a woman contemplating her past and reconsidering her strategies for survival. A dialogue between wonder and reason, reality and imagination, small ideas and mammoth consequences, this powerful performance marries straight-talking dance with storytelling, anecdotes and a little bit of magic.

Creative Director Laura McDermott explained, “This programme of events reflects the diversity of our programme here at Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts.  We are particularly proud to host the UK premiere of Richard Nelson’s incredibly topical trilogy of plays about the US election, The Gabriels, and, with The Democracy Debate, to provide a space for reflection with brilliant critical thinker about the global political moment in which we find ourselves.”

Spend some time in our venue

Our café-bar will also be open during performance times during Brighton Festival. The bar serves a selection of local beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks. There is also a bespoke cocktail menu – a menu created exclusively for us by mixologist Robert Maynard, bar manager at The Ginger Pig in Hove.   The café bar also offers a selection of sandwiches and delicatessen board “sharing platters” (charcuterie, cheese board, seafood and vegetarian or vegan) with local produce sourced from ethical suppliers. For The Gabriels we will be serving America style food including Mac and Cheese and Chilli. Month-long Festival cocktail and fizz offers are also available. See our chalk-board for full details.