Burmese Arts Festival this week(London, UK)!
Oct 12th, 2010
Hi everyone,
I hope this email finds you all very well.
I hope that those of you based in London will be coming along to the Burmese Arts Festival (www.burmeseartsfestival.com ) which starts this Thursday here at the Free Word Centre (directions attached). There are lots of exciting events to choose from (details below) so we hope to see you all at at least one of them!
To book your tickets, please go to http://www.intelligent-tickets.com/index.php?th=fc&pg=selectevent&start=1&sel=6 or call 0207 3242 570.
Also please do spread the word to friends, family, and colleagues that might be interested in attending (NB Burmese Arts Festival is on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Burmese-Arts-Festival/140129329335982)
Many thanks and all very best,
Julia Farrington
BURMESE ARTS FESTIVAL
14 – 17 October 2010
Free Word Centre
The Burmese Arts Festival is the first ever multi-art form festival presenting contemporary and traditional work by Burmese artists and artists inspired by Burma. By bringing this work to a UK audience, we hope to widen the understanding of Burma beyond politics, and to open up a new audience and networks for the participating artists.
The Festival will be held at London’s Free Word Centre, which will be transformed by site specific installations, created in Burma by leading contemporary artist Po Po and realised by London based artists. The festival will present a unique performance programme featuring visiting arts from Burma, details below, and an exhibition of paintings, short films, video work and installations by Burmese artists (see below). On Saturday and Sunday we will have our own Burmese Tea Shop and there will be Burmese food on sale throughout the Festival.
Thursday 14 October
6.30 – 9pm
Opening event
The first event of the Festival, which will be blessed by London based Burmese monks, will be introduced by well-known comedian Kulvinder Ghir (Goodness Gracious Me!).
It will feature contemporary and traditional performance by visiting musicians and performance artists Thxa Soe, Moe Naing, Kyauk Sein, Moe Satt and London based artists Htein Lin and Hnin Wutyi Thaung. There will be readings of newly translated poems by Kyi Zaw Aye, Khayanpya Htet Lu, Zeya Lin and Moe Wai, a short presentation on the work of Sandaya Thein Maung, and a traditional dance piece by Burmese Theatre Workshop.
Tickets £10 / £5 concessions
Friday 15 October
1 – 2pm
Writing Burma: A Panel Discussion
This panel discussion will bring together Burmese writers and Western writers that have been influenced by Burma to discuss writing in and on Burma. Panellists include Nu Nu Yi, author of ‘Smile as they Bow’, Wendy Law-Yone, author of ‘The Road to Wanting’, and British poet Ruth Padel. The event will be chaired by translator Vicky Bowman, former Ambassador to Burma.
Entry is free but as space is limited please reserve your place in advance.
Friday 15 October
6.30 -9pm
Film and Theatre
Lindsey Merrison, founder of the Yangon Film School, will present a series of short films including A Million Threads, Peace of Mind An Untitled Life, Charcoal Boy and Like Father, Like Son.
This will be followed by Burmese Theatre Workshop’s reworking of Richard Shannon’s ‘Lady of Burma’, taking it from a one-woman show to a full ensemble performance.
Tickets £10 / £5 concessions
Saturday 16 October
11-4pm
Workshops and Performance
On Saturday afternoon, our Festival artists will be holding workshops
for all ages:
- Painting with Htein Lin: 11am – 12.30pm
- Music and singing with Kyauk Sein and Moe Naing: 1.30pm – 3pm
- Storytelling – traditional Burmese tales: 3 – 4pm
Tickets £5 adults / £2.50 children
Saturday 16 October
6.30-9pm
Cabaret
There will be a special cabaret night, featuring a specially devised performance by the visiting musicians Thxa Soe, Burma’s leading hip- hop artist, Moe Naing and Kyauk Sein, and performances by Bawa Hman, a London based traditional dance troupe, and The Portraits – a UK band closely associated with Burma.
Tickets now only £10
Sunday 17 October
11-8pm
Open Space Conference: What can art do?
The final day of the festival offers a unique opportunity to get together with visiting artists from Burma to answer the universal question ‘What can art do?’ using open space technology, where the agenda is set by the people who come to the meeting. The conference will be followed by a performance from the fantastic Iuventus Quartet, and closed by a blessing from London based Burmese monks. Entry is free but as space is limited please reserve your place in advance.
Artists whose work will be on display include Po Po, Nyein Chan Su, Khin Maung Yin, Win Pe, Sun Myint, Chaw Ei Thein, The Maw Naing, Kyaw Thu, TiTo, Chan Nyein Kyaw, Tin Maung Oo, Pe Nyunt Wai, MPP Ye Myint, Tin Tin Sann, Khin Myint Myint, Aye Ko, Wah Nu, Hnin Wutyi Thaung, and Htein Lin.
How To Book
To book tickets for any of the above events please call 0207 3242 570
or book online here: http://www.freewordonline.com/events/. Cheques should be made payable to ‘Writers and Scholars Educational Trust’.
If you are unable to attend the Festival but would like to support us,
please visit
http://www.justgiving.com/Burmese-Arts-Festival
If you have any queries about the Festival, please contact burmeseartsfestival@gmail.com
We look forward to seeing you there!
Burmese Arts Festival
Free Word Centre
60 Farringdon Road
London
EC1R 3GA