Exciting Autumn programme launched at Attenborough Arts Centre
Angélica Teuta: Inner Jungle [Putumayo]. Image Courtesy of Policroma Gallery.
Attenborough Arts Centre’s new autumn season features a range of thought-provoking exhibitions, performances, and artist-led creative courses and workshops, together delivering on the organisation’s mission of ‘Art For All’.
In Gallery 1, Attenborough Arts Centre presents a new exhibition drawn exclusively from the David and Indrė Roberts Collection, ‘We Grown-Ups Can Also Be Afraid’, 18 July – 19 October. Featuring works by some of the most significant artists working today, the exhibition invites viewers to reflect on the complex and often overwhelming nature of the world we live in. The exhibition includes sculpture, works on canvas, moving image and installation by internationally renowned artists Francisca Aninat, Fiona Banner, Phyllida Barlow, Nina Beier and Marie Lund, Huma Bhabha, Ayan Farah, Mona Hatoum, Jacco Olivier, and Doris Salcedo. In an era marked by instability on multiple fronts – the climate crisis, global conflicts, genocide, mass migration and the legacy of Western imperialism, We Grown Ups Can Also Be Afraid explores how artists are examining these fears and uncertainties through their work. Whilst the artists represented in the exhibition respond to these themes in very different ways, their practices are connected by a sustained engagement with globally important issues. The exhibition will be supported by a Deaf Artist-Led BSL Tour by Rubbena Aurangzeb-Tariq, Saturday 4 October.
In Gallery 2 from 3 October to 14 December, Colombian artist Angélica Teuta will exhibit Inner Jungle [Putumayo], an immersive exhibitionthat offers relief from the pressures and stress of city life through a range of beautiful floor-to-ceiling projections. She creates art based on the concept of 'Emotional Architecture', building common spaces through emotions, human connections and creativity. The artist’s work goes beyond the visible structures of walls and buildings as Teuta’s artistic practice sees her creating spaces which feel meaningful to visitors. She does this by considering how people relate to each other and by exploring the importance of cultural roots and ancestral knowledge, as well as our deep links with the natural world. Her work highlights how much greenery we have lost in urban areas and questions how we can create spaces which soothe our soul – whether they exist in reality or simply in our imaginations.
This autumn the venue has a variety of exciting upcoming performances such as
Allow Me by Rahul Dua, Thursday 4 September, one of the biggest stand-ups in India embarking on a huge UK tour. OfTheJackel returns with Countess Dracula, Friday 7 November, for a unique retelling of Bram Stoker’s famous tale full of blood, rage and humour. Meanwhile, Zoo Indigo will present The Conditional Citizen (Don’t You Want Me Baby?), Friday 21 November, a politically charged work-in-progress about the absurd rituals of trying to belong. Attenborough Arts Centre will also be working with the Sitar Music Society to present their Diwali Concert 2025: Roopa Panesar, Saturday 18 October, for a special performance of North and South Indian Music at Leicester Cathedral with the Leicester star.
With a number of performances offered on a Pay What You Can pricing scale, Attenborough Arts Centre remains committed to ensuring access to the arts for all.
Throughout the season Attenborough Arts Centre will be hosting large-scale events that support artists from across the UK, including the popular Attenborough Late. Taking place Friday 3 October, the centre will open its doors after dark for a night of art, performances, workshops and after-hours access to the galleries. More details and full lineup will be revealed soon. The following month sees the second Craft & Art Fair of the year, Saturday 1 November, which showcases the work of some of the best regional craft-makers and artists working in jewellery, ceramics, printmaking, artisan foods and more.
Delivered by experienced tutors, Attenborough Arts Centre has a range of creative courses and workshops, all led by artists and crafters from across the region. This includes Digital Art: A Beginners Workshop for iPad and Procreate in a Gallery Setting, where participants can learn the basics of creating digitally with help from Leicester artist Rosie Johnson. Explore the world of music with Jazz Performance Workshops, led by tutor Richard Everitt, to gain confidence in improvisation and performing in a jazz group. Later in the season, take part in a Beginners Sewing Day with local crafter Freya Gilbert, who teaches a comprehensive one-day workshop. In the winter months, Attenborough Arts Centre will be hosting a range of festive workshops that are perfect for creating unique gifts and decorations for the season including Festive Fused Glass Decorations, Punch Needle Christmas Decorations and Light Up Macrame Star.
Alongside Exhibitions, Performances and Creative Courses, Attenborough Arts Centre also runs a range of free events to engage local communities including Family Gallery Workshops each Saturday during exhibitions, free weekly Sunday Sessions in the café with creative activities from 12pm - 4pm, and Soundbites Lunchtime Concerts every Tuesday.
With such a range of events on offer, there is sure to be something for everyone this autumn at Attenborough Arts Centre.