Dr David Shearing and Variable Matter's World Kiosk Tours the UK
Throughout May, June and July, Dr David Shearing and Variable Matter will tour their new work World Kiosk across the United Kingdom. Sharing the piece for the first time, World Kiosk is an artwork about people’s experience of place. From Norwich to Brighton to Derby to East London, by the end of the summer World Kiosk will have been seen in 7 places across the country.
Opening as part of Norfolk and Norwich Festival’s Welcome Weekend (11 & 12 May), World Kiosk will then be seen in two very different locations at Brighton Festival (16 - 19 May), trialling how the work engages local communities. It will then be the outdoor highlight of Good Company and Derby Theatre’s acclaimed festival of contemporary performance and industry debate, Departure Lounge (11 & 12 July), before being seen in the heart of East London later in the year.
Following the success of Variable Matter projects The Rising Sun and The People’s Kitchen, World Kiosk has already successfully previewed in Orchard Village and Collier Row in Havering.
Commissioned by Brighton Festival and Havering Changing, World Kiosk is supported by Without Walls and Central and is an intimate digital sound and light installation. Audiences are invited to sip tea, engage in thought-provoking conversation, encouraging new connections. Led by award-winning artist David Shearing, a two-time recipient of the World Stage Design awards for Installation (2013 and 2017), this unique event is poised to animate local community sites, public squares, markets and parks this summer.
David Shearing is Lecturer in Performance at Central and is currently researching placemaking, design and performance. Speaking of World Kiosk, Dr Shearing said:
“Inspiring and unconventional art has the ability to enliven our public spaces and foster togetherness. It invites us to reassess the purpose of our public places and provides a platform for people to voice their thoughts and be heard. World Kiosk is a snapshot of everyday life. It invites us to reconsider our relationship with place and poses important questions about where we live. My hope is that it will encourage people to reimagine what is possible in public space.”
The soundscape enveloping the space is composed by renowned artist James Bulley (BBC Proms, Opera North, Barbican). Within this reflective environment, everyday life becomes a vital component of a larger composition, interwoven with the myriad voices of people. The musical arrangement features a solo marimba performance by Sam Wilson, principal percussionist of the London Contemporary Orchestra. Equipped with headphones, attendees are immersed in an evolving archive of stories collected by Variable Matter over nearly a decade, offering a profound insight into the lives of their neighbours.
At the core of the project lies a commitment to community building, inviting members of the public to participate in meaningful dialogues with hosts regarding their sense of place and local environment. Conversations are guided by artist and lead host Danni Ebanks-Ingram (Fierce Festival, Civic Square, BFI), who brings expertise in cultivating inclusive spaces.
Variable Matter is an artist collective founded by David Shearing which aims to bring about change: environmental, political and social by creating intimate, and at times spectacular, art and performance to engage audiences both physically and conceptually using video, sound and organic materials. They believe in the power of design to inspire new forms of connection and experience and to better promote social and environmental justice.
Find out more at Variable Matter’s website.
World Kiosk - Event Listings
Norfolk and Norwich Festival 2024 (11-26 May)
Saturday 11 May, 1 - 6pm - Tombland
Sunday 12 May, 11am - 4pm, Tombland
Brighton Festival 2024 (4-26 May)
Thursday 16 May, 11am - 7pm – Moulsecoomb Place
Friday 17 May, 11am - 7pm - Moulsecoomb Place
Saturday 18 May, 10am - 6pm - The Level
Sunday 19 May, 10am-6pm - The Level
Departure Lounge 2024
Thursday 11 July, 4 - 9pm - Derby Theatre Car Park
Friday 12 July, 1 - 7pm - Derby Theatre Car Park
East London dates and location to be announced
Previously seen at Havering Changing
Friday 26 April - Sunday 28 April - Orchard Village Square
Friday 3 May - Sunday 5 May - Highfield Towers
CREATIVE TEAM
Artist: David Shearing Executive Producer: Mathew Russell Composer: James Bulley Production Manager: Mathew Tarbuck
Kiosk Design Consultant: Scott Law Lead Host: Danni Ebanks-Ingram Musician: Sam Wilson
Audio Engineer: Simon Hendy
Graphic Design: Joe Hales and Sam Eccles