Laugh, Sing, Dance & Be Inspired at Exeter Phoenix This Autumn
Published August 14, 2017
With more than 100 ticketed events, courses and cinema screenings this season, Exeter Phoenix’s September to December schedule is bursting with captivating ideas, beautiful arts and vibrant music.
The city’s most innovative, intriguing and inspired festivals are coming to Exeter Phoenix this autumn. At the Translation Festival, on 28 September, visitors will experience a range of thought provoking interactive events celebrating the uniqueness and diversity of languages and cultures. A full programme of art exhibitions, talks, cinema and poetry, curated by the University of Exeter, it is certain to captivate and engage. From 6 October, Exeter Phoenix will be at the heart of the three day Lost Weekend Festival. Showcasing the best in digital creativity, art, ideas and cutting edge music, the citywide festival will champion Exeter as a home to world-leading scientists and technologists. Exeter Phoenix will host three consecutive evenings of emerging alternative/electronic bands as well as new tech conferences and playable art sessions. From 13 October, the internationally renowned multi-disciplinary WOW: Women of the World Festival brings arts, film, music and conversation to connect and engage with the process of progress for women locally and around the globe. And on 30 November, the Two Shorts Nights shines a light on the very best in short film and homegrown filmmaking talent. The annual event features must-see shorts from across the globe, emerging local talent and special events with leading industry professionals throughout the weekend.
With the success of the annual Laugh Out Loud festival, Exeter Phoenix has become THE home of comedy in the city and this season will continue that trend. Live at the Apollo favourite, Danny Bhoy, leads the way with his critically acclaimed, unique brand of observational story telling on 13 September. Matt Richardson visits on 8 Oct with a charismatic charm that The Guardian described as ‘brash, slick and full of mildly laddish but self depreciating stories, all delivered with an irresistible twinkle’. And witty panel show darling, Phil Wang, performs on 22 Oct.
With more than fifty live music events scheduled for this season, covering everything from funk, folk, pop and blues to afrobeat and electronic opera, the music line up is full of new talent and living legends. September begins with a burst of guitar based pop from Top 40 artist Lucy Spraggan. Host of BBC 6 Music’s Funk and Soul Show, Craig Charles returns to get audiences grooving on 6 October with his legendary DJ night. One-of-a-kind dance music, festival fueled, circus inspired ensemble Slamboree brings arrives on 20 October for a night to be remembered. While award winning LAU, described by the Guardian as ‘The UK’s best live band’, will hit the stage with tracks from their critically acclaimed contemporary folk album on 29 Nov.
Fans of theatre and dance can expect passionate story telling, international music and touch of the surreal. Award winning Hagit Yakira Dance will present a double bill of modern dance on Thursday 19 October and London company, The Cholmondeleys remount their music hall inspired dance gem, Ladies & Gentlemen, on 23 October. Internationally acclaimed puppeteer Stephen Mottram’s brings his curious creations to Exeter Phoenix with The Parachute on 8 October. And the children’s theatre offerings include the latest original works from Devon based companies Theatre Alibi, with Apple John from 18 Nov, and the Quirk Theatre Christmas show, Lucy & the Lost Ones on from 6 December.
Phoenix Gallery will showcase some of the visual arts most exciting talent from the UK and beyond at the annual Exeter Contemporary Open from 14 September to 4 November. Reflecting current themes and trends, a shortlist of eleven artists will be featured at this flagship event. Punk photography phenomena, Visible Girls: Revisited, lands in Phoenix Gallery from 17 November to 21 December. The project reconnects with the present day realities of women originally featured as teenage punks, mods, rockabillies and rastas in the 1980s photographic collection ‘Visible Girls’. Part of a national tour, Anita Corbin’s extraordinary portraits raise questions of social, cultural and political change, as reflected through two parts of a woman’s life.
In Exeter Phoenix’s own solar powered cinema, Studio 74, will be screening special events and much anticipated independent and international film. With a regular weekly line up of cinematic delights, standout features include a reboot of Japanese cult classic, Shin Godzilla (from 2 September), Goodbye Christopher Robin (from 20 Oct) and a 30th anniversary screening of Hellraiser on Halloween. The Studio 74 cinema will be a central venue for special screenings during The Lost Weekend, Women of the World, Translation and Two Short Nights festivals. And it’s accessible screenings, with options for caption subtitles or audio descriptions, make it one of the most inclusive venues in the city.
Ever full of surprises, Exeter Phoenix’s September to December events programme is filled to bursting. For full details of events, films courses and theatre visit the Exeter Phoenix website.