Proving that this pocket of London isn’t only about swish restaurants and galleries, Kensington and Chelsea Festival is back for a second year from now until August 31. And the programme is bursting with theatre, circus, opera, dance, music, outdoor arts, family shows, participatory activities, talks, walks and public art pieces. The aim? To reimagine the borough’s lesser-known locations by showcasing the finest emerging and established artists. Plus, more than half of it is free or ‘pay what you want’. Which is always a bonus, isn’t it?
Make the most of the summer with the festival’s programme of outdoor arts. Whether you fancy exploring pop-up public art around the borough, taking part in an interactive outdoor play (such as ‘Flood’ which highlights British coastal communities) or watching in awe as circus performers showcase their talents, there’s plenty to explore. You’ve also got events like Carnival and contemporary dance collectives helping to hype you up.
Yeah, it’s August. So it’s good to have a range of options just in case the great British weather isn’t playing ball. Expect to find musical theatre spectacles from the likes of ‘HMS Pinafore’, dazzling displays of Korean dance at ‘Tiger is Coming’ and four days of vibrant calypso, steelpan and Caribbean jazz from the music of Notting Hill Carnival. These of course come bolstered with original Fringe-style productions, spanning readings and performances of Ukrainian plays to an interactive performance looking at the personal and political legacy of Margaret Thatcher.
There’s a whole load of talks, workshops and walks to take part in throughout the festival. So you can really feel like you're a part of the action. Previous events have included painting and drawing with sound, as well as upcycling fashion and artist house walking tours. Coming up, there’s ‘Luke Jerram Gaia Indoors at All Saints' Church Notting Hill’, which is a free installation that allows you to see the planet floating above you in three dimensions. There's also ‘Plants Have Secrets’ at Chelsea Physic Garden, where young people can make their own stop-motion short films.
Ever been to the opera? If not, ‘Margot la Rouge / Le Villi’ is a brilliant introduction to it. Filled with broken promises, broken hearts, lowlife and life beyond death, it’s a very moody show. What about improvisational dance? Well, there’s ‘How to Build a Universe and How to End It’, a moving free outdoor show made up of two parts, created by choreographer Jamaal Burkmar. There’s also the daredevil display from ‘Timeless’ combining dance and circus acts, alongside the rather peculiar ‘Spurting Man’, which is a no-spoken word performance with a lot of water being thrown around.
Yeah! Most of the events on offer are available for free. In fact, over half of them are. Many experiences are also ‘pay what you want. Furthermore, concession tickets will be available for all shows presented in theatres and established venues. So really, anyone can come along.
