Latest news with #BarbicanTheatre
Tatler Asia
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
The scent of memory: A conversation with Francis ‘Kurky' Kurkdjian of Maison Francis Kurkdjian
You have been a ballet dancer, an aspiring fashion designer and you have a history of creating artistic olfactory installations. What do you see as the relationship between perfume-making and other arts? Any form of art is a language, aimed at telling a story and create emotions, while expressing the artist's vision. Scent is the language I use to express mine, to tell my stories. However, I believe perfume in a bottle is not art, as it is not entirely the process of a free expression. Perfume is meant to be pleasant and please. It is supposed to evoke nice, beautiful emotions and convey seductiveness, pleasure, glamour and positive attitude. Art is not about that only. Art is about the whole spectrum of emotions, positive and negative. This difference is very important to me. Beauty in art can be conveyed through dark thoughts or even ugliness or misery; the opposite of what beauty (in commercial products) is about. This is why I believe olfactive installations can bring a total new field in the world of smell, real art and new emotions. It's a territory where I can freely explore feelings that I would not be able to express in the context of a commercial scent. I had the chance to have a family that got me into the world of arts at an early age, so I grew up curious about everything and developed a love of art, music, ballet and couture. My career as a classical ballet dancer was short-lived but I can assure you that ballet and perfume are more similar than you might think. A dancer must know how to master a stage with their movements, in the same way that a good perfume fills up the space with its trail. The mastery of the space, the concept of balance, the fluidity of movement which must be seamless… these elements are like the sequence of the ingredients in a formula, they have to be mastered to get the desired result. I have worked with my friend, art director Cyril Teste on scenting the Cocteau / Philip Glass Trilogy interpreted by pianists Katia and Marielle Labèque, with three accords diffused over the course of the concert. We conceived a beautiful show mixing music, light and fragrance for a poetic experience at the Paris Philharmonic and the Barbican Theatre, in London. Our artistic installation at West Bund Art & Design, a prestigious art fair in Shanghai, explored the cultural ties between France and China, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the diplomatic relationship between the two countries. We achieved that through scented rose petals, handmade at the Manufacture de Sèvres, the very best of French porcelain-making. You see, both the rose and the craft of porcelain come from China and became some of the finest symbols of French lifestyle around the world, showing how cultural influences and exchanges can beautifully influence our world.
BBC News
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Plymouth Pride saved after lack of support and funding
A community-led Pride event is set to take place in Plymouth after the official one was cancelled due to lack of Community Pride will be led by organisations and businesses including Queer Out Loud, the Barbican Theatre and Deart Promotions as well as volunteers and is set to take place on 12 July and there will be a map to direct people to the different events being hosted across the city. Hollis King, one of the organisers, said they thought the event was "so important" and said it showed "what we can do with community". 'Celebrate community' They added: "So many people in the city were disheartened our city wasn't having a pride. A lot of people didn't want to see that happen."I think it's important, especially now. "There's a lot in politics and the media at the moment, particularly with our transgender brothers and sisters. "I think that's why pride is so important, it's not necessarily an event it's a statement." One of the volunteers, graphic designer Ell McDonough, said said: "We need to celebrate the community and there's no better way to do that than having the community come together to host our own event."
Korea Herald
10-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Changgeuk ‘Lear' director Jung Young-doo nominated for Laurence Olivier Award
South Korean director Jung Young-doo has been nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award, Britain's highest honor in theater, for his direction of the changgeuk production "Lear." Jung was nominated in the outstanding achievement in opera category for his work on the National Changgeuk Company of Korea's adaptation of William Shakespeare's superlative "The Tragedy of King Lear" (1606). The adaptation was staged at London's Barbican Theatre from Oct. 3 to 6, 2024. Changgeuk is akin to a genre of Korean opera. It derives from pansori, a traditional narrative singing form involving a solo singer and a percussionist that is registered as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Having premiered in 2022, "Lear" remains faithful to the original play's exploration of desire, jealousy, betrayal, suffering and madness, while incorporating distinct musical and vocal elements rooted in Korean tradition and heritage. "Lear" involves some of Korea's leading creatives, performers and musicians. Jung, who has an extensive background in dance, theater and musicals, collaborated with playwright Pai Sam-shik and pansori composer Han Seung-seok. The production's music was composed by Jung Jae-il, best known as the music director of the Oscar-winning "Parasite" and Netflix's global hit "Squid Game." Established in 1976 by the Society of London Theatre, the Laurence Olivier Awards are considered the highest honor in British professional theater. Since the awards recognize productions staged in London, Korean performers/artists have rarely been eligible for nomination. Notably, Yi Tae-won was nominated in the best supporting performance in a musical category in 2001 for her role in "The King and I" at the London Palladium. The outstanding achievement in opera award honors exceptional contributions by an opera company, director, conductor or performer. This year, Jung is competing against Russian mezzo-soprano Aigul Akhmetshina for her performance in "Carmen" (Royal Opera House) and British tenor Allan Clayton for his role in "Festen" (Royal Opera House). The winners are to be announced April 6 at London's Royal Albert Hall.
