Grimeborn
| Grimeborn | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Opera festival |
| Location(s) | Arcola Theatre, London |
| Years active | 2007 to present |
| Founded by | Mehmet Ergen |
Grimeborn is an annual East London musical theatre and opera festival which coincides with the world famous East Sussex Glyndebourne Opera Festival. Founded by Arcola Theatre’s artistic director Mehmet Ergen in 2007, the festival is held at Arcola Theatre in Dalston, East London. It takes place in and around August, and is considered a dynamic alternative to the traditional "summer season".
The festival's name is a punning reference to Glyndebourne, as it deliberately supports emerging performers and writers, rather than the polished, prestigious output of Glyndebourne. The "grime" comes from it having a "dirtier" backdrop in a converted textile factory in the congested bustle of Hackney as opposed to the scenic gardens of East Sussex. The festival showcases new and experimental works. Many see Grimeborn as the fashionable alternative to Glyndebourne, due to its E8 location.
Originally devised as a contemporary contribution to the Battersea Arts Centre's (BAC) Opera Festival. The BAC Opera Festival's Artistic Director at the time, Tom Morris, asked Ergen, who was working at the BAC as an Associate Producer, to create something different from normal operatic preconceptions, in a manner similar to that of the Tête à Tête opera company at the Riverside Studios who were also taking the stage at the BAC Opera Festival that year. Grimeborn is an opera and musical theatre festival in its own right, with the Arcola Theatre its exclusive host. The 2010 Grimeborn programme was curated by director and actor Andrew Steggall who also oversaw the festival's first outing in 2007. He considers the festival to be "a testing ground for young opera and musical theatre practitioners".
Curated by Mehmet Ergen and produced by Leyla Nazli (21 August - 8 September)
Curated by Andrew Steggall and produced by Leyla Nazli (9 August – 21 September)
Curated by Alex Sutton and produced by Leyla Nazli (24 August – 5 September)
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