Welcome back!

To the Gulbenkian Arts Centre. Year Three.

As many of you will already know, we relaunched ourselves as the Arts Centre two years ago with a bold new mix incorporating our concert hall, theatre and cinema and an Associate Artist initiative bringing a range of exceptional creative forces to work in our venues.

In spite of all the challenges we have had two remarkable years with hundreds of amazing performances, dozens of premieres and exclusives (two Nobel prize winners!) and countless unmissable experiences.

And now we bring you our third season: our boldest and most ambitious yet!

This year’s extraordinary slate of Associates incorporates a range of world-class artists working in theatre, dance and music who will bring a truly unique mix of new and original work to the programme.

Renowned UK theatre companies Improbable and 1927 are joined by our first international Associates, legendary Italian performance company Socìetas (formerly Socìetas Raffaello Sanzio) in a unique series of presentations over the coming seasons.

We are delighted to also welcome Matthew Herbert, internationally beloved musician and polymath with three separate projects illustrating his incredible range; and from the world of dance, choreographer superstar

Julia Cheng, most recently responsible for the lauded West End revival of Cabaret.

Returning to the season, the incomparable BAC Beatbox Academy return with our alternative Christmas show, The Pied Piper and our digital artists Aoi & Esteban continue their groundbreaking work on our Medway site.

Throughout the season you’ll also find the musical diversity we pride ourselves on here at The Gulb – from Jeremy Deller’s Acid Brass to Dr Feelgood, from Soft Machine to Nouvelle Vague – an epic season of musical legends.

Add to this a season of first-rate family performances, an A-list roster of comedy and a stunning line-up from our long-time partners Folk in The Barn –unquestionably a programme full of reasons to be cheerful!

We hope to see you here often.

Enjoy!

David Sefton

DavidSefton

Artistic Director, Gulbenkian Arts Centre Director, Culture & Creative Projects, iCCi