Celebrations of the Alchemy Festival 2015 (15 May – 25 May) commenced today in Southbank, London, UK.
Alchemy Festival is Southbank Centre’s annual festival showcasing the best of dance, music, theatre, design, fashion, comedy and literature from the UK and South Asia. Throughout the 11 day festival there are free workshops, must-see performances, stunning, thought-provoking exhibitions and a delicious Eastern inspired food market, as KERB does Alchemy. It’s the sixth year of Alchemy Festival. British Council, Bangladesh in partnership with Southbank Centre has brought together an interactive installation showcasing new work by graphic novelists from the UK and Bangladesh.
The installation is placed at Level 2 Foyers (Green Side) at Royal Festival Hall, a very busy walkway with many Londoners and tourists passing by everyday allowing thousands of people to enjoy the beautiful installation every day.
Pother Golpo recreates a typical Bangladeshi street scene, with 2D buildings, street furniture, cars, bikes and pedestrians on specially designed installation pieces. New commissions from a trio of leading graphic novelists invoke the richness, complexity and intensity of everyday life in Dhaka and other cities of Bangladesh.
UK Graphic novelist Karrie Fransman recently travelled to Bangladesh with the British Council, and Bangladeshi graphic novelists Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy and Asifur Rahman have participated in reciprocal exchanges to the UK.
The installation is inspired by the artists’ experiences of Bangladeshi cities – they even include themselves in the unfolding story.
The installation is accompanied by live events – artists’ talk and school workshops.
Graphic Tales – The Art of the South Asian Graphic Novel
Sunday 17 May, 4.00-5.30pm at Sunley Pavilion at Royal Festival
An informal panel discussion on the theme of graphic novels and visual storytelling in South Asia, including a short presentation on your own practice in relation to the themes of the Festival and a discussion around collaboration on Pother Golpo installation.
Graphic Novels Schools Workshop
Monday 18 May, 10.30am-2.00pm at Royal Festival Hall Foyers
An introduction to the graphic novel form – explores experiment and collaborates. An opportunity for students to meet the artists, explore the installation and develop new skills in graphic storytelling.