Benjamin Britten on Aldeburgh Beach in 1959 (photo: Hans Wild)

It’s time once again for those of us with an interest in the arts and the environment (I’m guessing that’ll be you then) to turn our eyes easterly and see what Gareth Evans has curated for his annual weekend of events at Snape Maltings:

The third edition of the annual winter weekend exploration into the culture and meanings of place looks at the nature and resonance of home. It draws its inspiration from the life and travels of Benjamin Britten, and its title from an astute observation he made in 1951 about the importance of Suffolk to his life and creativity.

This year is themed around home and migration, with the centenary of Benjamin Britten the anchor and prompt to roam.

Featuring two world premieres – a new installation / performance by the outstanding sound artist Chris Watson – and a live scoring by Mercury Prize winner Talvin Singh of Ben Rivers’ great feature film Two Years at Sea.

Press release:

There are new and exclusive presentations by multi-award winning writers Geoff Dyer, Marina Warner, Patrick Wright, Ali Smith, Blake Morrison, Ruth Padel, Ken Worpole and others.

Over the weekend, in the company of award-winning writers, thinkers, artists, musicians and film-makers, Roots will explore what home means in an age of globalization, from considerations of domestic architecture to the psychology of unsettlement, and from the lure of the local to our place in the cosmos.

As always, the approaches will be various – readings, screenings, music, performance, discussion, walks and installation – and we’re especially pleased to announce a new commission by internationally acclaimed sound artist Chris Watson, ‘In Britten’s Footsteps’, responding directly to the Aldeburgh landscape, and a presentation by conductor and writer Paul Kildea, the author of an important new Britten biography.

Weekend ticket deal £50 Under 27s half price Includes all events except In Britten’s Footsteps – a walk.
PLACE is curated by Gareth Evans in association with Aldeburgh Music.

More information can be found here.