World Kiosk – Press Release

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For the first time, Variable Matter will be touring World Kiosk, an artwork about people’s experience of place, across the UK. From Norwich to Brighton to Derby to East London, by the end of the summer World Kiosk will have been seen in 7 places across the country. Opening as part of Norfolk and Norwich Festival’s Welcome Weekend (11 & 12 May), World Kiosk will then be seen in two very different locations at Brighton Festival (16 – 19 May), trialling how the work engages local communities. 

Before then, the work will be the outdoor highlight of Good Company and Derby Theatre’s acclaimed festival of contemporary performance and industry debate, Departure Lounge (11 & 12 July), before being seen in the heart of East London later in the year. Following the success of Variable Matter projects The Rising Sun and The People’s Kitchen, World Kiosk has already successfully previewed in Orchard Village and Collier Row in Havering. 

World Kiosk is an intimate digital sound and light installation. Audiences are invited to sip tea, engage in thought-provoking conversation, encouraging new connections. Led by award-winning artist David Shearing, a two-time recipient of the World Stage Design awards for Installation (2013 and 2017), this unique event is poised to animate local community sites, public squares, markets and parks this summer. 

Shearing remarks, ‘Inspiring and unconventional art has the ability to enliven our public spaces and foster togetherness. It invites us to reassess the purpose of our public places and provides a platform for people to voice their thoughts and be heard’. 

He adds: ‘World Kiosk’ is a snapshot of everyday life, it invites us to reconsider our relationship with place and poses important questions about where we live. My hope is that it will encourage people to reimagine what is possible in public space’. 

The soundscape enveloping the space is composed by renowned artist James Bulley (BBC Proms, Opera North, Barbican). Within this reflective environment, everyday life becomes a vital component of a larger composition, interwoven with the myriad voices of people. The musical arrangement features a solo marimba performance by Sam Wilson, principal percussionist of the London Contemporary Orchestra. Equipped with headphones, attendees are immersed in an evolving archive of stories collected by Variable Matter over nearly a decade, offering a profound insight into the lives of their neighbours. 

At the core of the project lies a commitment to community building, inviting members of the public to participate in meaningful dialogues with hosts regarding their sense of place and local environment. Conversations are guided by artist and lead host Danni Ebanks-Ingram (Fierce Festival, Civic Square, BFI), who brings expertise in cultivating inclusive spaces. 

Variable Matter is an artist collective founded by David Shearing which aims to bring about change: environmental, political and social by creating intimate, and at times spectacular, art and performance to engage audiences both physically and conceptually using video, sound and organic materials. They believe in the power of design to inspire new forms of connection and experience and to better promote social and environmental justice. David Shearing is Lecturer in Performance at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and is currently researching placemaking, design and performance. 

Norfolk and Norwich Festival 2024 (11-26 May)

Saturday 11 May, 1 – 6pm – Tombland
Sunday 12 May, 11am – 4pm, Tombland

Brighton Festival 2024 (4-26 May)

Thursday 16 May, 11am – 7pm – Moulsecoomb Place
Friday 17 May, 11am – 7pm – Moulsecoomb Place
Saturday 18 May, 10am – 6pm – The Level
Sunday 19 May, 10am-6pm – The Level

Departure Lounge 2024

Thursday 11 July, 4 – 9pm – Derby Theatre
Friday 12 July, 1 – 7pm – Derby Theatre

East London dates and location to be announced

Previously seen at Havering Changing

Friday 26 April – Sunday 28 April – Orchard Village Square
Friday 3 May – Sunday 5 May – Highfield Towers

Notes to editors 

SUPPORTED BY 

World Kiosk is supported by Without Walls and Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Commissioned by Brighton Festival and Havering Changing. 

PRAISE FOR PREVIOUS WORK 

‘This is performance art at the highest level… One cannot help but become overwhelmed by the originality and thoughtfulness of this production’ The New Current on ‘New Beginning’ 

‘Like a memorable house guest, both the success and legacy of this work will be the conversations that were had’ London Arts Roundup on ‘The Rising Sun’ 

‘A highly emotional and humbling experience’ Confidentials on ‘Christmas With Us’ 

‘The experience is extremely evocative, sublime and sensual’ Culture Vulture on ‘The Weather Machine’ 

CREATIVE TEAM 

Artist: David Shearing
Executive Producer: Mathew Russell
Composer: James Bulley
Production Manager: Mathew Tarbuck
Kiosk Design Consultant: Scott Law
Lead Host: Danni Ebanks-Ingram
Musician: Sam Wilson
Audio Engineer: Simon Hendy
Graphic Design: Joe Hales and Sam Eccles 

For all media enquiries please contact 

mathew@variablematter.com 

About David Shearing 

David Shearing is a multi award-winning artist who creates immersive multimedia environments and spaces. He is interested in how audiences engage both physically and conceptually with design and installation art. He explores audience engagement by creating intimate, and at times spectacular, art and performance installations using video, sound and organic materials. He won World Stage Design awards for Installation in 2013 and 2017. He is Lecturer in Performance at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. 

Recent work includes, Black Rock (2017), selected for the UK national exhibition of Performance Design (2019). The Weather Café (2016) a weather responsive café in the heart of the city of Leeds. In 2014 David was award a Sky Academy Arts Scholarship and produced The Weather Machine (2015) in partnership with West Yorkshire Playhouse and stage@leeds which was awarded Silver at the World Stage Design exhibition 2017. In 2013 and it all comes down to this… won the Gold award at World Stage Design for best Installation design. 

About Variable Matter 

Led by David Shearing, Variable Matter is an artist-led collective working across design, art, intervention and performance. Established in 2020 by David Shearing www.davidshearing.com, with the aim to bring about change: environmental, political and social, through high quality and rigorous artistic projects. 

About Without Walls 

Without Walls is a network of over 35 organisations presenting the best outdoor arts to people in towns and cities across England. Since its formation in 2007, Without Walls has developed and toured over 200 new shows both in the UK and internationally across 22 countries. Without Walls is supported by Arts Council England as a National Portfolio Organisation. Find out more at withoutwalls.uk.com 

About The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama 

The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama is a higher education conservatoire – a specialist college of the University of London which nurtures creative collaboration. Courses include acting, applied theatre, movement, musical theatre, drama & movement therapy, theatre & live performance, scenography, actor & teacher training, voice, technical arts & production, and writing for stage & broadcast media. With over 60 academic staff, together with visiting artists and lecturers, Central has the largest grouping of drama/theatre/performance specialists in the UK, an active research culture and is a hub of innovation and engagement for the theatre and performance industries. 

About Brighton Festival 

Established in 1967, Brighton Festival is the largest and most established annual curated multi-arts festival in England. Taking place over three weeks in May, the Festival is a celebration of music, theatre, dance, art, film, literature, debate, outdoor and community events in venues and locations across Brighton, Hove and East Sussex. Since 2009, Brighton Festival has attracted inspiring and internationally significant Guest Directors who bring cohesion to the artistic programme. 

The inaugural Guest Director was Anish Kapoor (2009) and has subsequently included prominent cultural figures such as Brian Eno (2010), Laurie Anderson (2016), Kae Tempest (2017), David Shrigley (2018), Rokia Traoré (2019), Lemn Sissay MBE (2020/21), Marwa Al-Sabouni and Tristan Sharps (2022), and Nabihah Iqbal (2023). 

About Havering Changing Havering Changing is an Arts Council England funded Creative People and Places Project which supports local people, living and working, in Harold Hill, Orchard Village, Rainham and Romford to choose, create and take part in their own programme of inspiring arts and culture.

Images: Hannah Davis