Nicholas Daley Will Take Over the Southbank Centre For One Night Only

The Southbank Centre has announced that acclaimed fashion designer Nicholas Daley, renowned for his intricate, colourful knitwork and interplay with music and culture, is taking over the Southbank Centre for a special one-night cross-cultural series of events on Friday 15 September. Nicholas Daley Presents Woven Rhythms will feature gigs, talks and a club night from some of today's most exciting artists, exploring Daley's inspirations and intersections with electronic, reggae and jazz music.

Commenting on his Woven Rhythms takeover, Nicholas Daley said: 'I am honoured to be given this amazing opportunity by the Southbank Centre to be part of their takeover series. This evening is a true celebration of artists who I feel have continued to push the boundaries through their artistic practices. This event reflects diversity, community and progression - all things that make music, and the dancefloor, so special.'

In the Royal Festival Hall, the internationally celebrated star of the South London jazz scene, Nubya Garcia, performs with the Nu Civilisation Orchestra (NCO) for an exploration of Stan Getz's Focus. Celebrating the 60th anniversary of Focus, the show will be a rare opportunity to see Garcia on stage with the NCO, which debuts its 32-piece string orchestra for this special performance. Getz was already a jazz heavyweight with a 25-year career to his name when he approached acclaimed arranger and composer Eddie Sauter for what would become a ground-breaking collaboration.

In the Queen Elizabeth Hall, tabla player Talvin Singh will collaborate with two of London's most exciting esoteric musicians on the scene at the moment, Lucinda Chua and Coby Sey, for a unique spontaneous night of improvisation. Generations collide to create a special sonic experience for audiences - woven together by Nicholas Daley. Founder of the Anokha club night with promoter Sweety Kapoor at East London's Blue Note in 1995, Singh went on to receive the Mercury Prize for his debut, Ok, in 1999. His eclectic career has seen him collaborate with the likes of LTJ Bukem, David Sylvian, Björk and Madonna. Fresh from the release of her album YIAN, Lucinda Chua is a singer, songwriter, composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist based in South London. Primarily using her voice, a cello, and an array of effects units, Chua writes ambient pop songs that are intimate, atmospheric, and totally enchanting. Sey, meanwhile, is a musician, producer and DJ from South East London who offers a shifting, disorienting vision of club music. Coby Sey's distinguished presence in London has elicited a bold impression of his compositions and performances, to much the attention of acclaimed artists and collaborators Tirzah, Mica Levi, Kwes, Babyfather, Kelly Lee Owens and Klein.

Following on in the Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer from 10:30pm until 4am, Sheffield's Sinai Soundsystem will support a mighty line-up of artists celebrating dub, jungle and bass music, featuring legendary reggae producer Dennis Bovell, new-school dubstep pioneer Mia Koden and Glasgow scene leader Sarra Wild, with more selectors to be announced.

As part of Nicholas Daley's takeover, there will also be a panel discussion in the Purcell Room hosted by broadcaster, writer and DJ Zakia Sewell. Guests include Dennis Bovell, radical North London punk musician Delilah Holliday, Pauline Black, a founding member of 2 Tone ska band The Selecter, and Wu-Lu as each guest discusses key tracks which have defined each artist's artistic journeys.

Adem Holness, Head of Contemporary Music at the Southbank Centre, said: "Working with Nicholas in this way is an exciting testament to the cross-cultural celebrations we are championing as part of our contemporary music programme. Putting legends of the scene alongside emerging talent tells such a rich story of where we've been and where we're going and Nicholas has been there throughout at the intersection of music and fashion."

Lexy Morvaridi, Music Programmer at the Southbank Centre, added: 'Nicholas Daley is one of the most exciting creative voices in London, working with him has been an inspiring process and through his lens we have an opportunity to look at the intersection of fashion, music, art, and subculture in contemporary British society. Woven Rhythms will be a unique opportunity for influential artists to be in dialogue with some of the cultural catalysts of our time - weaving diasporic communities together across all of our venues.'

Daley uses his fashion as a vehicle exploring ideas around identity, heritage, and memory, launching his eponymous brand in 2015, intertwining personal narrative with wider Black British and diasporic themes. Most recently the designer's work has featured in the V&A Fashioning Masculinities exhibition and, as the Appear Here 'Space for Ideas' winner for 2022, Daley launched a London pop-up store. The label has supported music charity initiatives including Tomorrow's Warriors, who host their Young Artist Development Programme at the Southbank Centre, and introduced the Nicholas Daley x Fred Perry grant program in 2019. In an effort to foster young design talent, Daley has taken part in apprenticeship and mentoring schemes, and shared his knowledge and experiences in a series of university lectures and panel discussions themed around diversity and inclusion.

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