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The Journey begins with GermiNation...
Kinetika is currently exploring partnerships with producers, festivals, arts organisations, schools and communities to join us in this umbrella project, inspired by Derek Walcott's quote 'The only nation I have now is my imagination', that explores cities of the future with young people. Over five years a story will be created, one that builds each year. It will be a collective vision for the future with imagination as its foundation - and the next generation as its creators. In 2008 we will begin with 'GermiNation' where the seeds are sown. This is the beginning of a journey.
Currently Kinetika has confirmed regional partners with Creative Partnerships London West and Northcott Theatre in Exeter; and is in discussion with potential partners in Coventry, East London, Ipswich, Nottingham and Stockton. The project is in early stages of development and these are some of the pilot projects:
In mid-November, Ali Pretty will be holding a two week residency at the Central School of Speech & Drama in London to explore and develop the ideas for Imagination Our Nation. This will be an exciting exploratory time for the students, and through creative brainstorming, costume design & dance workshops and using different media, a finale presentation will be created with future ideas for the project.
Through Creative Partnerships London West, Kinetika is working with Fulham Primary School to celebrate the diverse and fascinating wealth of cultures that the school community represents. Using their imagination to explore themes of germination, belonging, family and journeys, students and teachers will conceive the concepts which Kinetika will use to run carnival skills workshops, leading to a fantastic celebration event!
In Northcott Theatre, Exeter, Kinetika are involving 5 primary schools, 2 secondary schools, a youth theatre company and a community theatre company. Kinetika will create a 400-person strong GermiNation carnival, coinciding with the Respect Festival in July 2008.
One of the London collaborations will showcase early work this Friday. Choreographer Jeanefer Jean-Charles and Ali Pretty have been developing GermiNation with a group of dancers from East London Dance and this exploratory piece will be performed in Kinetika's signature ImagiNation Our Nation costumes. Expect high-energy explosive performances from some of London's finest!
Dance+, 8pm, Friday 16 November 2007 @ Stratford Circus, Theatre Square, London E15
Tickets: £12 / £8
http://www.eastlondondance.org/
photo credit: Carolyn Ebanks
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Kinetika Bloco Showcase at the
London Jazz Festival this weekend!
The Kinetika Bloco's 100 young performers take you by storm with their exuberant mix: massed ranks of brass and percussion, extrovert dancers and extraordinary costumes inspired by Carnival - all combined in a roof-raising extravaganza that unpacks carnival suitcase and finds a truly dynamic, diverse British Carnival sound.
The Kinetika Bloco at the London Jazz Festival in association with BBC Radio 3
2pm - 5pm (one hour performances at 2.30pm and 4.00pm) Saturday 17 November 2007 - free!
Southbank Centre's Ball Room in the Royal Festival Hall
Support the Kinetika Bloco!
We are currently in a position to offer a fantastic opportunity to fund the Kinetika Bloco, to ensure that it has a future and continues to develop. We are looking for potential sponsors and funders to attend London Jazz Festival showcase and pledge their support. It's a great chance to be involved with a truly spectacular and original grassroots organisation that has a proven long-term engagement programme with young people, parents and communities.
We value everyone who helps us facilitate our goal of an evolving, creative and inspiring Bloco. We are currently kindly supported by the Big Lottery Fund, Lambeth Council and Youth Music Mentors (funding expires March 2008). Previously, the Bloco has been generously helped by Arts Council England, Southwark Council and the GLA; plus Tower Hamlets Council and the South Bank who let us use their rehearsal and performance space free of charge.
For more information on the Bloco please contact: tamzyn@kinetika.co.uk / 020 7092 9944
photo credit: Carolyn Ebanks
Other upcoming Bloco performances:
ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival)
Part of "Arrivals" - a celebration of the arrival of Eurostar to St Pancras
7pm, Friday 23rd & Saturday 24th November - free!
Battlebridge Road, NW1
Join the parade with live carnival beats and a train of lanterns, let it take you on a journey past iconic landmarks of the Kings Cross Railway Lands. The spectacular performance features the Kinetika Bloco, Bassline Circus, Les Studios de Cirque de Marseille, London Breakbeat Orchestra, 8 video screens, 3 cranes and a wheel of death!
Market Mambo - a winter carnival celebrating the heart of Brixton's Afro Caribbean culture
1pm - 4pm, Saturday 1st December 2007 - free!
Brixton Market, Electric Avenue, Lambeth, London, SW9 8JX
Now in its second year and growing, the fantastic Kinetika Bloco will lead the colourful and loud procession on a tour around the area, including along Electric Avenue - the street name made famous by reggae star Eddie Grant when he sang, "I'm gonna rock down to Electric Avenue".
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Kinetika's
skilled artists restructure the
elephant
in ENO's Aida
photo credit: Adrian Osorio
Kinetika was invited
by the English National Opera to help save their giant
elephant puppet.
Two of our structural design artists, Edwina
Rigby and Iola Weir, took on the task of re-shaping
and designing the ears, trunk and head for the elephant.
The spiked sceptre flanking the elephant was
also reburbished.
With limited time, Iola and Edwina worked day
and night producing prototypes, attending rehearsals
and production meetings with Zandra Rhodes and the
ENO Props Dept. Kinetika completed the bold and colourful
elephant in record time, which can be seen in many
national papers this week stealing the show at the
London Coliseum!
http://www.eno.org/aida/aida.html
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Midnight Robbers:
The Artists of London's Notting Hill Carnival
Ali Pretty, the Artistic Director of Kinetika, was one of four artists featured in a first-of-its-kind exhibition on London's South Bank. Ali hosted a "Meet the Artist" evening as part of the show, where she talked about her commitment to carnival design and her pioneering work telling the story of the evolving travels of carnival around the world.
Johanah Sheikh, Program Development Coordinator with Beeraahaar Sweet Combination, said of the evening: "The presentation focussed on the cultural expression of a dynamic and unique style of street theatre. Ali brings together many talents and has given to Carnival with humbleness and professionalism. Beeraahaar's youth thoroughly enjoyed this presentation and learnt many things from it."
Congratulations to Ruth Tompsett, Lesley Ferris and Lindsay Jowitt for curating and organising such a fantastic exhibition that revealed the power and artistry of Europe's largest street performance - Notting Hill Carnival. The Midnight Robbers exhibition will next be seen in Ohio, USA.
http://theatre.osu.edu/carnival/index.html
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*Book* Kinetika's The Tiger & The Emperor
with Walk the Plank
The Tiger & The Emperor features a magnificent mechanical tiger, colourful carnival dancers, and fabulous firework effects. The tale is inspired by a traditional Bengali folktale - the greedy emperor is demanding his taxes, and the people must pay! An original soundtrack with spoken narrative, and magical special effects animate the tale of the Emperor, and the Wise Man who persuades him to change his ways with a little help from the Tiger.
photo credit: Ali Pretty
The performance can be enhanced with local input - schools workshops, onsite public participation, choreographed dancers and flag bearers, community performers, and live music.
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OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE PART
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If you are an artist and would like to volunteer to take part in one of our projects, or find out about 'making of mas' training opportunities, please email us at info@kinetika.co.uk
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Every year the 2 week long summer school is held on the South Bank, from which we recruit for our year-round Kinetika Bloco gigs and events. If you are aged 14+ you can participate in the open access, subsidised workshops. There are opportunities for all - costume making, dancing, drumming, woodwind and brass playing. If you would like to be on the mailing list, please email info@kinetika.co.uk
WAYS TO SUPPORT US
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We are a not-for-profit company and are enabled to do what we do through funding bodies and support of generous organisations. If you would like to speak to Kinetika about possible funding opportunities, sponsorship or donations, please email Kinetika
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London Jazz Festival & Upcoming Bloco gigs
ENO's Aida
Midnight Robbers Review
Opportunities to take part
Ways to Support Kinetika |
Contact Kinetika for details about hiring costumes or puppets, booking the Bloco, design commissions or general queries:
info@kinetika.co.uk | |
