Announcing: Curzon Season FIVE

“I do believe that art is as important to the human psyche and physical body as air is, as oxygen, as water…Art is not a luxury. The artist is so necessary in our lives. The artist explains to us or at least asks the questions which must be asked. And when there’s a question asked, there’s an answer somewhere. I don’t believe a question can be asked which doesn’t have an answer somewhere in the universe. That’s what the artist is supposed to do, to liberate us from our ignorance.” – Maya Angelou in conversation with Bell Hooks.

“I have the privilege of having a platform, I have to use it to make the world gentler and kinder. I have two little girls, and I want to look them in the eye and say I fought tooth and nail with my camera and my voice to allow them to inherit a better world.” – Misan Harriman (who will be with us in-person on Oct 4^th)

Within these pages you’ll find listings for a huge variety of film and events. From Christmas favourites to opera and comedy, the diversity of our offering remains a constant but within that steady, constance; we see growth as humans and as an arts venue, as intrinsic to our journey. 

Society is never stagnant, we learn, we create, we make mistakes. So, what is the role of an artist or arts venue in an ever-changing landscape, where does responsibility lie? These questions form part of a thread that runs throughout this season. Riefenstahl, Misan Harriman, Powerstation, Finding Fela, Ackroyd & Harvey, The Salt of The Earth, YARA & DAVINA; all form part of a conversation – how can the arts help shape society, uplift the voiceless, build empathy and create change, and in the case of Riefenstahl, what do we feel about the arts being used for propaganda of the darkest kind once we look back through a historical lense.

In an age of being consumed by artificial intelligence, let’s delve in to artistic intelligence; an intelligence routed in the emotional, sharing stories and conversation that enable us to listen with open hearts routed in the human. I’m particularly looking forward to holding conversation together, examining how changemakers create the most beautiful waves in the arts that can ripple through society. As well as letting loose at our most immersive yet, The Cornetto Trilogy, because staying playful is important too. I hope you’ll join us.

Petra Mansour,
Head of Programme