Brighton's Attenborough Centre unveils line-up

The Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts (ACCA), the Brighton-based arts centre at the University of Sussex, is promising an eclectic spring 2023 season of “carefully-curated contemporary music, theatre, dance, talks and collaborations with international artists and partnerships with national and local producers.”

A programme of Brighton Festival events, hosted at ACCA throughout May, will also be announced on February 23.

Creative director Laura McDermott said: “Presented as part of South East Dance’s undisciplined festival, showcasing dance that pushes the boundaries of the artform, Starving Dingoes (March 9) is a rite, a piece for five dancers portraying the urgency to live, furiously and passionately. Created in a collaboration between choreographer Léa Tirabasso and cancer specialists Simone Niclou and Alex Gentry-Maharaj, this dance performance explores the phenomenon of apoptosis, in which individual human or animal cells are programmed to die off for the benefit of the whole organism.

“Classically-trained US-based experimental composer, sound sculptor and video artist William Basinski makes a rare appearance in Brighton on March 10 as part of his world tour. His haunting and melancholy soundscapes explore the temporal nature of life and resonate with the reverberations of memory and the mystery of time. His epic The Disintegration Loops received international critical acclaim, and his installations and films, made in collaboration with artist-filmmaker James Elaine, have been presented in festivals and museums worldwide. He is supported by Brighton-based Australian vocalist, musician and ethereal soundscaper Penelope Trappes.

“On March 14, Action Hero and Deborah Pearson present The Talent, a new show about the legacy of the human voice in a non-human future. It was inspired by Pearson’s experiences of working as a voice-over artist during the pandemic. Performer Gemma Paintin packs 27 voices into this one-hour show that asks: where does the voice live and can it take on a life of its own?

“Canadian-American saxophonist Colin Stetson brings his formidable solo performance to Brighton on Saturday, April 29. Stetson has worked with the likes of Tom Waits, Arcade Fire, Bon Iver, TV On The Radio, Feist, Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed, The Chemical Brothers, Animal Collective, LCD Soundsystem, The National, David Gilmore and many more.

“ACCA also continues to host public programmes presented in collaboration with academic researchers at the University of Sussex. As part of Climate Justice Week at the University of Sussex (February 27-March 3), ACCA will host a Pitch for the Planet competition on February 28. This is a Dragons’ Den style event where University of Sussex students have the opportunity to pitch for their sustainable innovation ideas for a share of £30,000 investment funding and a place on the Sussex Accelerator scheme.

"Later in the season, the Music for Girls Conference (June 19–20) will bring together music researchers and fans to reconsider popular music knowledge and gender. Popular music experiences of women and girls reveal an expertise that goes beyond stereotypes of male critics and collectors. Professors Angela McRobbie and Kyra Gaunt, whose work on music and girls continue to influence the field, will provide the keynotes, and a special musical guest will perform. The conference is curated by Mimi Haddon (University of Sussex) and Bethany Klein (University of Leeds).”