Somerset House - What's on in UTOPIA 2016: A Year of Imagination and Possibility

UTOPIA 2016: A Year of Imagination and Possibility

Utopia 2016 is in full swing! Celebrating the 500th anniversary of Thomas More's seminal text Utopia, we bring you a year of artists, designers, provocateurs and thinkers experimenting with ways we might live, make, work and play. Get involved with a variety of upcoming events and explore your own vision of utopia with us!

The Utopia Fair The Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court 24 - 26 June Free admission Representatives from contemporary utopian movements will fill The Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court at Somerset House, celebrating the pockets of utopia that are flourishing around the country, and the importance of the spaces that artists create for dreaming. Visitors will enjoy interactive displays and activities that look at the environment and city-living, community inclusiveness, fashion and arts and craft practices. Stalls will be cash only on-site. > more Paths to Utopia Inigo Rooms, King's College London, East Wing 1 July - 2 October Free admission A collection of new artworks resulting from collaborations between artists, performers, architects, technologists and King’s College London academics. This wide-ranging exhibition includes film, immersive installations, durational performances, and fleeting happenings. Encounter whales, ascend to a community in the clouds and witness the ubiquitous, transcendental pursuit of creativity. > more

Utopia Treasury Great Arch Hall, South Wing Open Daily for 2016 Free admission The Utopia Treasury, open throughout the year, hosts a rolling programme of talks, debates, workshops and performances on contemporary issues, inspired by themes from Thomas More's 500 year old text. Drop in and chat with one of our Utopia treasurers, attend a free talk or delve into a library of ‘utopia’- themed literature. > more Utopian Voices Here and Now Site Wide, Somerset House 6 July - 29 August Free admission A series of cutting-edge, contemporary displays, installations and performances across our whole site. Exploring prevalent issues in today’s society, this dynamic range of works will showcase the utopian visions of young UK-based artists, giving voice to the issues most affecting them today including body, gender, sexuality and race. > more

For the full programme and to find out more visit utopia2016.com. Follow@UtopiaOverheard on Twitter for daily whispers and don't forget to #Utopia2016

MORE WAYS TO GET INVOLVED:

15 Minutes of Utopia Utopia Treasury, South Wing Every Thur and Fri at 13.00 Free talks on utopian thoughts and practices, from artists, scientists, makers, academics and many more. > more Paths to Utopia in conversation King's College London Various Dates A series of talks exploring the wide-ranging ideas and collaborations behindPaths to Utopia. > more Confusion of Tongues The Courtauld Gallery, North Wing 16 June - 17 July An exhibition from Courtauld MA students, exploring the power of language to construct, complicate and withhold meaning. > more Walking Women Utopia Treasury and Screening Room, South Wing 16 - 17 July A series of artworks and talks, celebrating women who use walking in their creative practice. > more

Guardian Live Utopia 2016 series Utopia Treasury and Screening Room, South Wing August - November A series of discussions and activities on transhumanism, happiness, dying, food and more. > more The London Design Biennale Site Wide, Somerset House 7 - 27 September Nations from six continents present newly commissioned work on the themeUtopia by Design. > book now Edible Utopia Weekend The Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court and Utopia Treasury, South Wing 20 - 21 August Rediscovering growing, cooking and eating as Utopian activities in the city. > more The Dancing Monks of Majuli Island The Quad, King's College London 10 - 11 July 2016 London premier of the Majuli Island monks performing Sattriya, the joyful dance of love. > more