PAST EVENTS
Festival of the Voice 2009
14th - 28th November
This was the third Festival promoted by Kingston Arts Council and showcased a wealth of rich and varied vocal talent locally as well as featuring a range of international artists and groups. Some of the more neglected venues in the Borough were highlighted, and around 80% of the performers were either living or working in the Borough.
In tune with the Festival’s key themes – Children and Young People, Composer Anniversaries and Local Talent – there were workshops and masterclasses for talented young singers, jazz and classical performances, musical theatre performances, and recitals. There was also choral music, and collaborations with the Kingston Early Music Festival, the Kingston Festival of the Performing Arts and the Rose Theatre.
As with 2007’s Festival, we commissioned three composers living or working in the RBK to write vocal works. They were commercial composer Paul Reeves, pianist and composer Roger Beeson and postgraduate students within the Live Arts Programme at Kingston University.
Download Festival of the Voice 2009 brochure
Arts Salons
Kingston Arts Council organises regular networking events for its members which also reach out to the wider local arts community. Arts Salons provide a great opportunity for arts practitioners to meet and share creative ideas with others working in all aspects of music, drama and the arts in Kingston.
The first Arts Salon took place at Dorich House in 2007, followed by another at Kingston’s Ram Jam Club in June 2008. This was jointly hosted by MeWe, the acclaimed local youth arts company, and Beyonder, one of the UK’s leading performance artists. Guest speaker was the Rose Theatre’s Artistic Director Stephen Unwin. The vibrant cornerHOUSE hosted the most recent Salon in June 2009, with a performance from the resident Junior Drama Company (pictured) and guest speaker Jon Constant.
Kingston Contemporary Open / Summer Arts Season 2007 and 2008
KAC continues to work in partnership with the Kingston Contemporary Open. Now in its sixth year, the KCO continues to go from strength to strength; securing considerable sponsorship and support this year from John Lewis, and discussions are underway about its future development. 2008’s KCO saw the launch of the first Summer Arts Season in Kingston. The work of FusionARTS artists was on show at the Baxter Gallery, Kingston Grammar School and New Talent featured the work of Kingston College's Fashion and Photography students at the Penny School Gallery. KAC continues to be highly involved in the planning and implementing of each year’s exhibition.
