Page 321 - Guildhall Coverage Book 2020-21

26 April 2021

DISRUPT: NEW VIRTUAL ARTS FESTIVALS

LAUNCHES IN JULY

The festival aims to reimagine the role of the arts in our society in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic

A new festival, DISRUPT, will be co-ordinated by Guildhall School of Music & Drama and the Barbican, in
partnership with Culture, Health & Wellbeing Alliance, Culture Mile, Lived Experience Network, Maya
Productions, and Slung Low.

It aims to explore the ways in which Covid-19 has intensified socioeconomic inequalities, deprivation, and
isolation, through a programme of discussions, panels and workshops across two days.
Audiences will be invited to listen and decide collectively how to respond to change, exploring how
communities, artists and organisations can collaborate more equally.

For full programme details click here.

Sean Gregory, director of innovation and engagement, Barbican & Guildhall School of Music & Drama
says: ‘Barbican, Guildhall School and the rest of the partners are really excited to be launching DISRUPT.
The arts are better placed than ever to shine a light on the growing inequalities experienced by society, but
are the creative and social imperatives of our cultural organisations fit for purpose in meeting these people
and community-based needs?

'With long-standing, established ‘ways of doing things’ increasingly being challenged over the past year, it
now feels the right time to convene a festival where we can all ‘listen and learn’ from each other. Above all,
we genuinely hope DISRUPT can have a positive impact on the processes and structures through which
organisations, artists and communities collaborate, thereby creating a more open, inclusive, and democratic
partnership ecology for the future.’

Tickets are available on a pay-what-you-can basis here.