Guest Blog: Tamsin Ace On The Southbank Centre's (B)OLD Festival

In a world so keen to discover young artists in a bid to find 'the next big thing', Southbank Centre's new festival (B)old is ready to place artists who are 65 or older centre stage. But a festival celebrating age and creativity - why now?

With an ever-growing older population in the UK, and retirement coming much later, the Southbank Centre - supported by The Baring Foundation - believes now is the perfect time to shine a light on the work of older artists, to celebrate age as a powerful force in creativity, and, importantly, to explore and challenge cultural perceptions of growing older.

(B)old has been an extraordinary festival to produce, and over the past year the team at Southbank Centre have been busy pulling together a programme that champions work from new and established artists aged 65+.

The festival features artists from across all art forms, from a heady mix of choreographers including Richard Alston, to poets Tony Harrison and Linton Kwesi Johnson, musicians such as Alfred Brendel and visual artists - all with something unique to say about their creativity over their careers, and in later life.

Drag Queen Lavinia Co-op reminisces about her life and a changing Soho; BAFTA Award-winning actress Cheryl Campbell and director Nancy Meckler join forces in a new moving monologue by Juliet Ace; and Liverpool-based dancer and Artistic Director of Chaturangan Bisakha Sarker will present a workshop and performance.

We're thrilled to be staging a full-day International Symposium, with artists, speakers and performances from Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Finland, Holland and the UK leading the discussion on how the arts can have a positive impact on older lives.

I'm particularly excited about a new dance work during the Symposium in Southbank Centre's Clore Ballroom: (G)rave, a large participation performance choreographed by Mark Baldwin in his first work after standing down as Artistic Director of Ballet Rambert.

Of course, we couldn't ignore Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Royal Wedding - and if you can't beat them, join them! We'll be celebrating with a free, day-long, royal wedding-themed bonanza of dance, music, song and royal fun hosted by Dance Hall Queen Ida Barr.

The day is co-curated by members of Entelechy's Elders Theatre Company, arts club Meet Me at the Albany, and artists in the care homes programme Walking through Walls.

It will be a tea dance to remember - plus of course there's live coverage of the wedding direct from Windsor on the big screen, along with lashings of tea and cake.

All that was missing was a Dame! And so we're delighted that Dame Cleo Laine kicks the (B)old weekend off on the Friday evening with a great night in the Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall hosted by her daughter Jacqui Dankworth. The evening will be full of song, chat and insight into a musical mother-daughter relationship.

We believe now is the time to celebrate these artists, who are still practising, relevant and forward-thinking. (B)old is not just a festival for older people; it's a festival for anyone interested in great art, who wants to learn and be inspired by the some of the best artists and thinkers in their field.

With a host of free events and activities, as well as an array of engaging workshops, talks and debates, we hope to bring the idea of 'age' into discussion.

Find more information and book tickets for (B)old, which runs 14-20 May

(B)old is supported by The Baring Foundation

Photo credits: Sven Arnstein, Speaking Volumes, Roswitha Chesher

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