Photograph: Roger Bamber
Welcome to The Basement!
Located in the heart of Brighton, The Basement is the region’s leading purveyor of innovative and experimental performance. Presenting a programme of leading national and international artists alongside the Brighton’s most exciting experimental performers, The Basement is a vibrant hub for all things subversive and idiosyncratic.
The Basement supports a thriving community of Supported and Associated Artists who develop and present new work in the venue. With a range of unusual performance spaces we offer unique performance possibilities for artists and audiences. There is also a sympathetically priced bar making the venue a great place to spend the whole evening.
We also provide a range of services and facilities to hire at very competitive rates.
Our artistic policy
The Basement presents and supports the production of new, experimental performance. Drawing on live art, experimental theatre, dance, new cabaret, music and interdisciplinary practice, the programme presents work that is challenging, risk-taking, engaging, powerful, socially connected and witty. The programme exploits the wide range of possible performance formats provided by the venue’s unusual and flexible spaces. The Basement provides a context for work that falls outside traditional genres and an environment in which artists and audiences can take risks together.
The Basement presents a broad view of contemporary experimental performance. It creates a context in which early career artists are seen alongside established artists, and performances developed in the city are seen alongside international work. In this way, visiting performance is always presented in a context that is engaged and relevant and emergent artists present work in a context that is aspirational with connections beyond the immediate region.
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News
OUT NOW: SPRING 2010 PROGRAMME
THE BASEMENT FEB JUNE 2010
SUPPER CLUB 2010 CALL OUT
Calling all live artists, creators of innovative or eccentric performance and experimental musicians!
Supper Club is a night of performance curated by The Basement’s own supported artists. The previous 9 events have present work by over 150 artists from across the UK and beyond. We are seeking a range of work including bite-sized 10-30 minute performances, durational work, video pieces, interventions, one-on-ones, and short sound / musical sets.
Supper Club is a fantastic opportunity to share your work with a large and enthusiastic audience as well as other artists and promoters invited from across the South East. This is not a scratch night but a chance to show smallish scale, low tech, engaging work. Each event presents the work of 10 – 15 artists. We can offer participating artists travel and accommodation and we’ll feed you on the night.
Why not get a few of you in a van and split the cost? Why not build it into your Arts Council application? Why not tryout that nice little idea that never had a suitable context? Why not send us a proposal: Please send one page of A4 outlining your proposal, technical requirements, brief biog, images and if possible video documentation to: supperclub@thebasement.uk.com
or post to Supper Club, The Basement, 24 Kensington Street, Brighton, BN1 4AJ
Clearly mark all material with full contact details.
Forth-coming Supper Club Dates:
Sat 6th March Deadline Fri 19th February
Sat 3rd April Deadline Mon 15th March
Sat 5th June Deadline Mon 17th May
For further details call 01273 699733 or see www.thebasement.uk.com
Coming soon...
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LOVE LETTERS
Date: Sun 14th February
Doors: 4.30pm & 7.30pm
Tickets: £8 (£6 concession)
Let's raise our glasses to long lost loves and current lovers, to mums, to dads and to absent friends. Uninvited Guests stage an event that is somewhere between a wedding reception, a wake and a radio dedication show. We speak of our own and other's loves - deep, passionate, ambivalent and unrequited - and dedicate songs to them.
If you want to join us on this happy occasion, send a song dedication to someone you love to marketing@thebasement.uk.com Tell us what they mean to you and why you've chosen this piece of music.
Your letters of love may become part of the show, romantic gestures or signs of friendship, shared publicly between us. Be our witnesses and we'll be yours.
A BAC Scratch and an Arnolfini We Live Here commission. Also commissioned by Leeds Met Studio Theatre. Uninvited Guests are Arnolfini Associate Artists. |
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ARE YOU SITTING COMFORTABLY?
LOVE!
Date: Wed 17th February
Door: 7.30pm
Tickets: £6 (£4 concessions)
Love is in the air, is all around, is a drug… so join us for evening of original storytelling in the White Rabbit's candlelit warren. Part fifties tearoom, part deranged children's party, we will woo you with irresistible new stories straight from the heart, featuring local writers, embracing this month’s theme: LOVE. We invite you to enjoy FREE cakes, sweets, treats, and to enter our Valentine’s poem competition to win a White Rabbit Love Kit just in time for the big day. Grab a "Teapot Cocktail" from the bar, and help us to give Love a bad name… follow the bunny... down, down, down
“To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.”
Oscar Wilde |
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SCRATCH!
Date: Thurs 25th February
Doors: 7.30pm
Tickets: FREE!
Continuing our support of early career artists and the promotion of new work, The Basement is pleased to present Scratch! This is an opportunity for early career artists to present works in progress and for audiences to contribute their thoughts and critical insight to the creation process. Each Scratch! event will present 3 – 4 short excerpts from brand new performances followed by a post show discussion with the artists. We are keen to hear from artists, performers and theatre-makers who are in the process of making new work.
If you are interested in presenting works-in-progress at Scratch! please send a summary of the work you wish to show, details of previous performances, a CV, and a DVD or links to online media of the work you wish to show or other previous works to Greg Mickelborough: greg@thebasement.uk.com |
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Autumn 2009 Programme
Our Spring programme will be available from Febuary 2010
Book Now! Call 01273 699733
There are lots of ways to stay in touch with The Basement.To receive regular programme up-dates you can e-mail us at:info@thebasement.uk.com to be put on our Friends Mailout list or follow us on Facebook.
The Basement is supported by Brighton and Hove City Council, Arts Council of England South East, SEEDA,
Foyle Foundation and Awards for all
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