Ensemble Festival 2023 in partnership with The Royal Docks Cultural Team offers their most extensive programme to date, furthering the mission of Certain Blacks to bring performance ‘from the margins to the mainstream’. Certain Blacks Artistic Director Clive Lyttle says:
“I’m excited and delighted that a large-scale Certain Blacks programme is part of this years At The Docks – Royal Docks series of summer events. It’s a fantastic opportunity to present an extended programme and offer the public outstanding British and international performance including Bench Invasions from Belgium’s Compagnie Krak, The Frame from Catalan company Office Eléctrico 28 and include relevant themes of ecology, modern living and reconnection in these busy times. There’s something for everyone, we look forward to presenting Ensemble Festival 2023 this July”.
Ensemble Festival 2023 includes pop-up performances on Wednesday, 19 & Thursday 20 July as a taster for the weekend’s events: A two-day programme on Saturday, 22 and Sunday, 23 July, with Gorilla Circus’s Unity as a finale in the evening – A spectacular aerial performance merging immersive theatre, circus and storytelling.
For all links and information on the Ensemble Festival 23 please follow the link here..
Ensemble Festival 2022
Certain Blacks is an arts development organisation based in Newham East London. The company supports the work of diverse artists from many different cultural, socio economic and ethnic backgrounds, life experiences and life choices. Long term relationships with artists and arts organisations, venues, festivals, and promoters are core to the company’s mission. It operates across a range of art forms, including live art, music, theatre and digital to secure lasting investment in diverse work for touring and performance in the UK and beyond. Our aim is to bring diverse work “from the margins into the mainstream”
Certain Blacks- Ensemble Festival is presented on 23 July 2022 in Western Gateway Victoria Docks. This year’s festival is part of the Certain Blacks Heroes programme and will feature Timeless – Joli Vyann, Lives of Clay – Clay Connection, Daryl Beeton Productions and Mimbre- Look Mum no Hands, Tara Theatres – Final Farewell, Fatt Projects – Big Gay Disco Bike
and Collectif and Then – No Man’s Land.
23 July 2023 – 12-7pm
Look mum no hands
Big Gay Disco Bike
Lives of Clay
No Mans Land
Lives of Clay
Time Less
Big Gay Disco Bike Live Stream
Venue – Royal Victoria Docks, Western Gate Way, London, E16 1FA
Ensemble Festival 24 July 2021
On Saturday 24 July Ensemble Festival will present an explosive mix of art and performance bringing the very best of UK artists to heart of the Docklands. This is the second Ensemble Festival developed by producers Certain Blacks; an arts development organisation based locally in Custom House in the Royal Docks.
The first Ensemble took place in 2019 and was part of Join the Docks, this year’s event is free and presents newly commissioned projects in partnership with Without Walls, a consortium of UK festivals specializing in outdoor art and performance. Outdoor work has never been more important as the entire arts industry seeks to rebuild confidence in audiences longing to attend events. Certain Blacks are the latest partner to join the Without Walls network of festivals who are more committed than ever to bring fantastic outdoor arts to people in public space across the UK.
Ensemble forms part of Ship Building – a body of creative work being developed by Certain Blacks in response to the current UK societal climate and reflecting the heritage of the London docks. Ship Building takes its name from Elvis Costello’s anti-war song and responds to C19,
The Ensemble Festival is in partnership with Without Walls who champion and support diverse work and accessibility in the arts, with a wide range of shows from Black, Asian and ethnically diverse artists and D/deaf and Disabled artists.
Ensemble Festival 24 July 2021
Venue – Royal Victoria Docks, Western Gate Way, London, E16 1FA
Certain Blacks Present Braintown
- Live streamed from the Light Vessel 93 on Sunday 6 December at 15:30:pm.
- Braintown by Svalbard is commissioned by Certain Blacks and is part of Join the Docks autumn programme presented by the Royal Docks team.
Project Description
Over the first weekend of December performance company Svalbard will be collaborating with Deadbeat Films to create a stunning site-specific piece onboard the iconic Light Vessel 93, a former Trinity House lighthouse boat moored in Victoria Docks.
This brand-new performance for Join the Docks has been commissioned by Certain Blacks, producers behind last year’s Ensemble Festival. Svalbard will use their signature blend of live music, contemporary dance / circus, and cinematography to explore the human brain and the architecture of the lightship in this stunning new collaboration.
The event will be filmed and live streamed direct from the ship inviting the audience to jump onboard with the artists as they embody the hull, navigate the bridge and digitize performance below deck – bringing this intimate performance right into the heart of people’s homes – a welcome shining beacon in these turbulent times.
This is the second project developed by producers Certain Blacks as part of Join the Docks who are based locally in Custom House in the Royal Docks. The performance is part of Ship Building – a large body of creative work being developed by Certain Blacks in response to the current UK societal climate and reflecting the heritage of the London docks.
