Convergence is delighted to announce the first acts for its 2016 programme: Actress, of Montreal, Lamb, The Gaslamp Killer, !!! chk chk chk, Darkstar, Omar Souleyman, Clap! Clap!, Simbiosi, Larry Gus, KUTMAH, The Herbaliser’s Night of Future-Funk fea
Now in its third year, Convergence is an established series of events, celebrating musical pioneers, visual artists and technologists. Convergence has taken over some of London’s most iconic venues including, Barbican, Royal Festival Hall, St John-at-Hackney Church, Troxy and Village Underground. This year, Convergence adds two of London’s favourite locations to its programme of events - Roundhouse and KOKO.
In 2016, Convergence also takes its first step as a producer of bespoke concerts. Pieces of a Man: The Gil Scott-Heron Project is a celebration of the life and legacy of the legendary American soul and jazz poet, musician, and author. Under the musical direction of The Invisible's Dave Okumu, guest vocal artists including Jamie Woon, Kwabs, Loyle Carner, Gwilym Gold and many more, will recast Gil Scott-Heron's music in contemporary soul, funk and hip hop.
Produced in association with Roundhouse and XL Recordings, this event is the culmination of a day of talks, screenings and performances which will take place at the Roundhouse on Sunday 13 March. More information about the satellite events will be announced soon.
Quote from Glenn Max, Festival Director “While there is no single theme to this year’s array of installations, talks, and concerts, a recurring idea is the re-materialisation of culture beyond its digital vaporisation. Technology provides all of the instruments for innovation but -- for it to mean something to our human culture -- we need the disruptive ingenuity and emotional investment of artists.
Technology wants us to be clean, carefully quantised and perfectly composed, but it is when artists break the rules that we are compelled and delighted. We want our relationship with music and art to be messy, tangled and sprawling. Convergence is a many-headed beast led by heroic innovators, fiery personalities and evocative voices that are masters, rather than slaves, to the algorithm.”
With support from Arts Council England in 2015, Convergence hosted 30+ artists and 14 shows over ten days, across five venues. Festival highlights included Pantha Du Prince, Kiasmos, Andy Stott, Matthew Herbert, George Clinton, Gary Numan and Tricky.
2015 was also the official launch of Convergence Sessions, a three day programme of discussions, installations and workshops in partnership with Mixcloud, Barbican Guildhall’s Young Arts Academy and Ableton.
Convergence Sessions will return in 2016 and is pleased to work with its existing partners once more (Barbican Guildhall Young Art’s Academy, Three Beards and Mixcloud), in addition to new partners, Cyland, Goldsmiths and Makerversity. Convergence Sessions will create an immersive playground of ideas, comprising a dynamic programme of talks and experiential education workshops, showcasing innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship in arts and technology. More information to be announced soon.
Published on 02 December 2015 by Ben Robinson
