David Lan, Rufus Norris & More Join Sohocreate's June 2015 Festival Line-Up

London's new festival celebrating the most creative square mile in the world - returns for its second year from 3-7 June, after the success of its inaugural festival in 2014.

Bringing together the world's leading creative people for a week of discussions, debates and live events, SohoCreate today (Thursday 19 February) announces a number of key events, featuring amongst others, film director Sir Alan Parker and cinematographer Michael Seresin, theatre directors David Lan and Rufus Norris, chefs Angela Hartnett and Thomasina Miers and singer-songwriter Tracey Thorn.

Taking place in a variety of different locations across Soho, including a purpose built festival pavilion in Soho Square, designed by architects Cousins & Cousins, SohoCreate will join creative people from across all genres of the arts - music, film, art, fashion, literature, food, architecture and gaming - to talk about what they do and why they do it.

With discussions and debates with the world's leading creative minds, Open Houses in Soho's award-winning creative companies, including Framestore and The Mill, and a whole programme dedicated to Young Creatives from ages 6+, SohoCreate explores the nature of creativity and the impact and importance of the creative process in the UK.

The festival was set up in 2014 by Tom Harvey, MBE with the sole purpose of championing creativity; creative people, the risks they take, the dreams they have and the journeys they embark on to pursue them. Having worked in the creative industries throughout his career, Tom wanted to celebrate the extraordinary creative output from Soho and share the wealth of knowledge it harbours. In fact, research suggests that the concentration, turnover and output of creative industry workers in the Soho Cluster makes it the most creativesquare mile in the world.

Tom Harvey, CEO and Founder of SohoCreate said,
"SohoCreate is a festival for everyone. We are all creative. The strength of our dreams, imagination and subconscious is a huge part of what makes ushuman; it's also what drives our creativity. It's our creativity that helps us make sense of the world around us and it's the small creative acts we participate in every day that keep us connected to other people and the world around us. SohoCreate is open to everyone - it's an inspiring gathering of the best creative talent, discussing their art, inspiration and journey. Creative people talking about what they do and why the do it."

Sir John Hegarty, Chairman of SohoCreate said,

"Soho is the world's most iconic area - famous all over the world. London is an incredible creative city, and Soho is its beating heart. Soho is the most creative square mile in the world. One in four jobs here is in the creativesector and the 46,000 creative workers turnover a collective £7.5billion every year. Soho is a vital part of the country's creative economy. We want everyone to join us in celebrating that in June."

The Creative Industries are one of the UK's most successful and growing sectors. Worth a reported £76.9bn to the UK economy in 2013, recent figures cite that the creative industry as awhole is growing 10 per cent year on year (three times the rate of the British economy) and has created employment at six times the rate of the British economy.

The full programme is still to be announced and the following events are available now at sohocreate.co.uk.

Wednesday 3 June, Soho Theatre at 3.30pm

Food, Ethics and Art

Skye Gyngnell, Angela Hartnett & Thomasina Miers

Three of our greatest female chefs discuss the complexity of balancing creativity, profitability and responsibility in the kitchen. How hard is it to maintain creativity in a modern commercial kitchen and how is it achieved? Three very differentchefs explore their journey and the extent they achieve the balance.

Wednesday 3 June, House of St Barnabas at 5.15pm

A Creative Education

Cornelia Parker, Ab Rogers and Ms Dynamite

How did some of our great artists learn to be creative? Fine artist Cornelia Parker, Designer Ab Rogers and musician Ms Dynamite all had very different formal educations. How did they learn to do what they do and from who? What can we learn from their journey about how we educate our kids today?

Thursday 4 June, SohoCreate Pavilion, 1.45pm

Creating Future Food

Paul A Young & Dr Morgaine Gaye

World renowned chocolatier Paul Young talks with food futurologist Dr Morgaine Gaye about the creative journey to find new sweets, foods and taste combinations. In a world where the laboratory is as crucial to culinary evolution of the kitchen what new worlds can we expect to be tasting next.

Thursday 4 June, Soho Theatre at 3.30pm

Story. Do You Tell It Like Me?

Polly Stenham, Mike Bithell and Amanda Levete

Four very different storytellers discuss their process, journey and inspiration.Playwright Polly Stenham, games creator Mike Bithell, and architect Amanda Levete look at how they research, plan and explore the narrative structures in their work and what kind of stories they all end up telling.

Thursday 4 June, Huguenot Church, 5.15pm

Fun

David Lan & Rufus Norris

Two of the country's theatre greats talk about the reason they set themselves on the complex journey of creating theatre. Both of them direct plays but theyalso run theatres. They have walked away from a quiet life to take on a whole landscape of challenges. But why?'

Thursday 4 June, Huguenot Church, 7pm

No Risk No Future

Conrad Shawcross, Russell Norman & Will Alsop

Three iconoclastic creatives explore the challenges and risks of coming up with the new and unexpected. Stirling prize winning architect Will Alsop, entrepreneur restaurateur Russell Norman and builder of machines, structures and stories, artist Conrad Shawcross, discuss together, their journey into the unknown.

Friday 5 June, Huguenot Church, 7pm

Creative Collaboration

Sir Alan Parker & Michael Seresin

From Bugsy Malone and Midnight Express to the award winning Angela's Ashes, two cinema greats, Michael Seresin and Sir Alan Parker discuss thirty years of collaboration at the pinnacle of the commercial film industry. How do they work together to create the extraordinary worlds and stories of some of our bestmovies.

Saturday 6 June, Soho Theatre at 3.30pm

Working Without Words?

Mark Baldwin, Dr Nicola Clayton & Gavin Higgins

Creativity operates from the emotions and the spirit rather than the calculating and concluding part of our brains. We seek out journeys rather than arrivals, and are more interested in moving an audience than lecturing them. When choreographer and Rambert Artistic Director Mark Baldwin, composer Gavin Higgins and psychologist Dr Nicola Clayton worked together they found a creative language that does not involve words at all.

Sunday 7 June, Soho Theatre at 3.30pm

Music & Emotion.

Tracey Thorn & Carol Morley

Prolific singer songwriter Tracey Thorn recently wrote and recorded the music for The Falling, the latest film from award winning writer/director Carol Morley. Here, the two artists discuss their collaboration and the journey of a soundtrackoriginally inspired by the images, which in turn comes, not only to enhance and create emotion within the film, but can also inspire the creative journey of the film through the post-production process.

Visit sohocreate.co.uk to book tickets and sign up for updates. Early Bird Passes available now at £75 including discounted access to five events during the festival, advance notification of events, Festival Membership to the Groucho Club and 25% off a top Soho restaurant.

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