‘Art? Or Politics? The Seed Room…’ is a monthly event that stirs all genres of music poetry and discourse together in an evening for the heart and mind! The aim is to bring artists and thinkers together and create a community for change. This month’s event focuses on travellers, outsiders and refugees.
Outsiders have always been agents of change, the bringers of new and different ideas. Do we offer them hospitality and shelter? Or do we treat them as a threat?
Hosted by author, playwright, poet and songwriter John Farndon, this free-wheeling event will feature live streams from the Octagon poets in Strasbourg, Margo Perin and her young poets from California, piano virtuoso and activist Warren Wills from Australia. There will also be contributions from inspirational speakers, and those with powerful tales to tell, and music and poetry from such brilliant artists as:
Muhlis Gedik with Serkan Çakmak
Multi-talented musician, composer and producer Muhlis Gedik hails from Koln in Germany where he has just created the Sound Shaper Record label. His music is steeped in the traditions of his Turkish and Kurdish background, with his mastery of the darbuka and the bağlama. But he blends it with contemporary sounds to create a unique and dynamic sound.
Muhlis Gedik ft. Hasan Özdemir – Hiçbir Türlü Bulamadım Ben Beni (Official Video)
Flora Curzon
Is a core member of string group Project Instrumental and regularly works with Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Ex Catheadra, English String Orchestra, Music For Awhile, Armonico Consort and The Twisted Twenty but also collaborates with folk musicians such as Sam Lee, Talvin Singh, Jocelyn Pook, Tcha Limberger, eclectic Eastern European band She’koyekh, Bengali/London fusion band Khiyo, stunning pop band Hejira, and many more.
Transylvania Donia by Flora
Warren Wills
Is a virtuoso pianist and MD who has worked with many of the world’s best cabaret, opera, jazz and classical artists, authored 8 operas, 23 musicals, 8 albums, 5 major orchestral works and music direction credits on more than 50 productions. Warren has composed for the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), and was awarded the prestigious Best Musical, Carling London Award, and nominated for Critics Circle Award, Olivier Award for Best Entertainment, finalist for the Vivian Ellis Awards, Evening Standard and Theatre Management Association (TMA) Award for Best Composer, best musical.
Daria Kulesh
Is one of the rising stars of the folk scene, playing with such bands as Kara and Company of Players. She comes from Russia, but her roots are in Ingusheta, and the tragedy of that country and its people are the theme of her recent award winning album ‘Long Lost Home’, described by the Times as ‘haunting and enigmatic’ while one of the songs tracks The Moon and the Pilot, about her grandparents, was praised by Mike Harding as ‘one of the most beautiful songs I’ve heard in years.’
Daria Kulesh – The Moon and the Pilot (official music video)
Tom McCarthy
Grew up on the Travellers’ site under the Westway, but comes from Birr in County Offaly in Ireland where his family settled generations ago. He is an Irish Traveller, and carries the flame of a long line of old traditional singers and musicians who kept the tradition of singing strong. He is one of the last authentic Irish storytellers, and has been widely acclaimed for his masterful singing technique and his wonderful way of spinning a story. “Thomas is quite simply a national treasure, a last bastion of the oral tradition and keeper of some of the finest songs.” Sam Lee, the Nest Collective. He works extensively in schools, teaching the art of storytelling.
Lola Perrin
Lola Perrin is an internationally renowned composer for piano for jazz and minimalist music and composer in residence at Markson Pianos. She has performed at major venues aroundt he world, and collaborates with writers, scientists, composers and artists such as Hanif Kureishi and Adam Maloof. Two major current works – Climate Keys and Significantus – focus on raising awareness of the dangers of climate change
Margo Perrin
Celebrated California poet Margo Perin is a nominee for the Pushcart Prize, she has been featured in national and international media, including Heyday/PEN’s Fightin’ Words, The San Francisco Chronicle Sunday Magazine, O, The Oprah Magazine, Mexico’s El Petit Journal, Holland’s Psycologie, and on TV and radio. The co-founder of Whoa Nelly Press (www.whoanellypress.com) whose mission is to publish unheard, marginalized voices, Margo is also an editor and writing coach in California and Mexico
Michelle Ibarra
Michelle Ibarra is an arts high school student in San Francisco. She was the 2017 guest spoken word artist at the Alliance for Girls Women’s Conference, a 2017 semifinalist in the Youth Speaks Poetry Slam Competition and the 2017 runner up in the SF Poetry Out Loud Competition.
Gayane Ishkhanyan
Since a child, Gayane has dreamt of leading an artist’s life, giving herself the name ‘JaneArm’ which means Jane of Armenia. Gayane has been writing poems in Armenian from the age of eleven, and in French for one year now. She is currently putting together her first collection of poems entitled ‘My first ten steps’.
Irakli Tourmanauli
Irakli is from Georgia, and currently studying history of art in Strasburg. He loves to write and to sing, finding this allows him to confront and make peace with his inner fears and pain.
Igor Outkine
Russian accordionist and singer Igor Outkine toured with top folk groups in Russia before joining in London with violinist Sarah Harrison to perform gypsy and Russian songs as Mazaika. Igor sings ‘Dark Eyes’ in the film ‘Eastern Promises’ and appeared with Marc Almond (Shepherd’s Bush Empire) and Antonio Forcione (Edinburgh festival).
Igor Outkine – Dark Eyes, from Eastern Promises (2007)
Anthony Cable
Singer Anthony Cable has performed both in major opera houses in France with Montserrat Caballe, Jose Carreras and others, and in the West End in everything from ‘Phantom’ to ‘The Sound of Music‘. His one man show about Jacques Brel received great acclaim. He is a prize winning story writer and poet. He is currently appearing in The Woman in White in the West End
CRIME OF THE HEART by JOHN FARNDON performed at THE CAULDRON
For further details, visit the Art or Politics website.
Art or Politics YouTube
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Doors 5.30 pm. Tickets £5
Start 6.00 pm. Finish 8.30 pm
email: info@mapmusic.net
Or call for tickets– 0207 916 0545