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Concrete Garden: Imagining Worlds

,Conservatory
Christmas in the Conservatory

Explore words and worlds at this day of drop in readings, live events and workshops, nestled among the plants in our living, breathing conservatory. 

What ignites your imagination? How does the desire to create manifest itself? We invite writers, readers, collectives and artists to come together and think through in workshops, worldbuilding and speculative fiction. The day will explore how coming together in creativity through words and imaginations give us a sense of meaning, belonging and community.

Join us for readings by poets and writers Nikita Gill, Ariana Reines and So Mayer. The Feminist Duration Reading Group present readings and explorations of influential texts and under-represented voices, including Octavia Butler and more. And Big Dyke Bookclub, hosted by Sophie Crawford, will lead a drop in discussion of formative texts and queer speculative imaginaries.

There will also be opportunities to get involved via open mic sessions – take a look at the full programme below.

Tagged with: Talks & events Spring 2025 Young Barbican More...

Accessibility
Seating at this event is limited and some audience members will be required to stand during readings. 

The Conservatory entrance, for ticket and bag checks, can be found on Level 4. With the exception of guide dogs, dogs are not permitted inside the Conservatory. Large items, including large bags and luggage, are not permitted inside the Conservatory. There will be no cloakroom available.

 

 

Events in the conservatory are free, but ticketed. Audiences are required to book a timed entry slot before they visit.

If you have reserved a ticket and can no longer make the event, please let us know by contacting our box office team on [email protected] or 020 7870 2500 (Mon to Fri between 12pm and 5.30pm.

This event is part of Spring at the Barbican: Concrete Garden, a series of events inviting you to retreat from the noise of the city with a season of growth and transformation.

 

Presented by the Barbican's Creative Collaboration team. 

Programme

12pm-1.30pm: Somatic Cosmologies
Frobisher Auditorium 1, Paid and ticketed
A conversation with poets and writers Nikita Gill, Daisy Hildyard and Ariana Reines on how mapping the body can help to understand and even change the world.

12pm-2pm: Feminist Duration Reading Group in collaboration with Silver Press
Conservatory, Free but ticketed
The Feminist Duration Reading Group in collaboration with Silver Press hosts a session of out loud readings inspired by shape-shifting and transformation, across time and space, gender and species, including texts by Octavia Butler and more.

2pm-4pm: Big Dyke Bookclub led by Sophie Crawford
Conservatory, Free but ticketed
The Big Dyke Book Club will be presenting readings from emerging queer writers and discussing their work and process in an informal setting. Join us for readings and conversation with novelists, poets and playwrights including Kate Young, Nina Bowers, Charlotte Cole, Amie Corry, William Wyld, Roberto Salvador Cenciarelli and Clara-Læïla Laudette.

2.30pm-4pm: Writing Worlds
Frobisher Auditorium 1, Paid and ticketed
How do artists make worlds and imagine new possibilities? Inspired by Ursula K. Le Guin’s Steering the Craft, discover more at this panel discussion featuring guest speakers Season Butler, Chloe Aridjis, Sarah Shin, Sammy Lee and Siri Rodnes.

4pm-4.30pm: Reading by poet Nikita Gill
Conservatory, Free but ticketed

4.30pm-5pm: Reading by Poet Ariana Reines
Conservatory, Free but ticketed

5pm-5.30pm: Reading by writer So Mayer
Conservatory, Free but ticketed

5pm-6.30pm: Season Butler: Speculative Fiction Writing Workshop
Garden Room, Paid and ticketed
Downfall: It's over. An empire falls, a tree is felled and spores disperse. Join Season Butler for this workshop about focus, tension, action and anticipation.

5.30pm-6.30pm: Poetry open mic – bring your poems!
Conservatory, Free but ticketed

6.30pm-8pm: Performance open mic – bring your words, voice and song!
Conservatory, Free but ticketed
 

Conservatory

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