Joe GallopThe Royal Albert Hall (cap. 5,272) has launched an associate artists programme in a bid to attract younger and more diverse audiences.
The four artists will headline shows, present exclusive commissions and run initiatives for young audiences as part of the scheme, which comes a year after the Hall’s 150th anniversary.
The programme, supported by the Thompson Family Charitable Trust, is part of a wider push around innovation and diversity at the London venue, which is aiming to increase young people’s engagement with more traditional art forms.
The four artists are choreographer and filmmaker Corey Baker, saxophone player and presenter Jess Gillam, organist and conductor Anna Lapwood and spoken-word performer LionHeart.
Their individual projects will focus on themes such as sustainability, mental health, creating communities through music and commissioning young female composers.
Royal Albert Hall artistic director Lucy Noble said, “This programme is about shining a light on this historic space – enabling old friends and new audiences to see it in a different way. We’re opening up the stage to these four fantastic artists, making it a place where we can challenge preconceptions, spotlight crucial contemporary issues, and inspire the next generation of creatives.”