Moving Forward: Attenborough Arts Centre after 25
One year ago today we begun our 25th anniversary celebrations at Attenborough Arts Centre. Established by Richard Attenborough, a lifelong champion of arts and social justice who campaigned to make culture accessible to everyone, the centre was opened with Diana, Princess of Wales, on 27 May 1997 as an institution for breaking down barriers to the arts.
A quarter-of-a-century on we continue with our mission, recognising the many prevailing systemic inequalities which prevent access to culture for so many people as we strive to open opportunities to creativity for the most underrepresented people in society.
To celebrate the occasion, each month we had an event linked to the 25th over a range of programmes. Join us to recap what we did every month for the past year:
May
25th Anniversary Gathering
27 May 2022
A small get-together was hosted for our Attenborough community to thank them for all they have contributed to our centre over 25 years. We were joined by the University of Leicester President and Vice-Chancellor Nishan Canagarajah who gave an incredible speech alongside our Director Andrew Fletcher.
June
An Evening with Michael Attenborough CBE
Thursday 9 June 2022, 6pm – 9pm
We spent an evening with Michael Attenborough, who helped us mark our 25th anniversary with a special event highlighting Attenborough Arts Centre’s history and the Attenborough family’s long-standing connection with the University.
July
Family Rave Festival 2022
Sunday 31 July 2022, 10am – 5pm
The Family Rave Crew took over the entire centre for a day full family festival. Families came dressed in full colour, shiny sequins and their best festival outfits. There were two family rave sessions, live music, street style performance, drop in art and craft activities, forest school activities, dance and yoga workshops, face painting and eco glitter station.
August
Creative Tutors Month
All of August 2022
Our creative tutors have been an integral part to Attenborough Arts Centre even before we had a building to call our own. This August, we celebrated their contributions to not only the arts but our communities.
September
Gallery Lates: Pose
Friday 30 September 2022, 7pm – 11pm
Inspired by our exhibition ‘Black Garden Paintings’ by Bruce Mclean, the theme for this edition is ‘Pose‘, with live music, life drawing, dance, performances, film and more.
October
‘Anchorage’ and ‘Playing in Wonderland’ Exhibition Launch
Friday 28 October 2022, 5pm – 7pm
We were proud to be exhibiting Mohammad Barrangi’s ‘Playing in Wonderland’ and Letty McHugh’s ‘Anchorage’. All walks of people joined us for the launch, to experience the work for the first time.
November
Check-In Festival 2022
Friday 18 – Saturday 19 November 2022
In Good Company’s annual festival with Attenborough Arts Centre was back! The line-up included shows, workshops, networking events and a Scratch Night, which made it perfect for people who were new to performance or those who had been in the sector for years.
December
Fishhouse Theatre and Upstairs at the Western presents Roti Moon
Monday 19 – Thursday 22 December 2022
“Diya thinks her roti is yuck! She’d rather eat pizza! Her grandad, Dada, tells her that his mother’s, mother’s, mother flipped her roti too high and it landed in the sky. That the moon is a roti! She’s heard that story a million times.”
The show was interactive with lots of sounds and actions and before it began, the children were given an introduction to the theatre including a physical and vocal warm up.
January
Stories Of The Mind: An Exhibition by Next Gen. Creatives
20 January – 1 February 2023, Gallery 2
Attenborough Arts Centre’s Next Gen. Creatives., a group of young people ages 16-25 who help shape the venue’s programme, presented an exhibition in response to Mohammad Barrangi’s ‘Playing in Wonderland’ exhibition. Their exhibition used mythology as a tool to express complex feelings, ideas, opinions and memories. This exhibition also featured work from children and young people from the Inclusive Youth Arts Programme, Leicester College students and local primary school children.
February
Leicester Comedy Festival 2023
9 February – 26 February 2023
Leicester Comedy Festival was back for its 30th year. We were taking part by hosting 23 must-see performances, with all the basis covered from hilarious shows, family entertainment and important discussions of the comedy sector today.
Spark Festival 2023
13 February – 19 February 2023
We were thrilled to again be part of the fantastic Spark Festival as they celebrated their 20th year, bringing incredible shows for families of all ages.
March
Gallery Lates: Dream
3 March 2023, 8pm – 11pm
Inspired by our exhibition ‘Playing in Wonderland’ by Mohammad Barrangi, the theme for this edition was ‘Dream’ as we took audiences into a bright and colourful wonderland of endless possibilities.
April
Limbik Theatre presents All The Water In The World
22 – 23 April, 12pm – 8pm, One Show Every Hour
“Giselle is a little bit bored and a lot alone. So she records the sounds around her. They remind her of a place on the other side of the ocean. A place that evokes… Wait. She needs to tell someone about it, ideally a total stranger… Can she just call you? What could possibly go wrong right?”
All the Water in the World was a quirky, intimate, one-to-one performance on WhatsApp as part of our Summer Season 23. Using a combination of live calls, messaging, and 3D spatial audio, award-winning Limbik makes the everyday become extra-ordinary audiences listened and connected in a (perhaps) unusual way.
May
Gallery Lates: altered:late
12 May 2023, 8pm – 11pm
We were joined after hours for a free immersive live art experience, presenting the best in local music, dance, performance and visual art in our gallery and cafe. Inspired by ‘altered’ by Tony Heaton, this edition explored art and ideas and looked at the themes of equality through artwork. Events for the evening included: Life Drawing Sessions, Food Truck Delights, Music, Dance Performances. Spoken Word and Comedy Performances, and Poetry.
Moving forward into the next 25 years we will continue to build opportunities for all by curating a range of artistic experiences for our communities. From our exhibitions and performances by the UK’s top artists, to our creative courses and learning opportunities – as a public-facing cultural venue at the heart of the University of Leicester, we will strive to be true Citizens of Change. Explore all we have to offer on our What’s On.