To describe Brainchild as merely another summer festival, regardless of the plethora of sugar-coated adjectives and similes you could embellish it with, would be to do it a disservice. Over it’s precious few years in existence, this entirely volunteer-run organisation has nurtured a burgeoning community of musicians, artists, poets, actors and playwrights that have shown their willingness to invest in one another’s projects and collaborate with their peers.
Born in South London, Brainchild has become a hub for creatives to showcase their works and ideas to an open minded and engaged audience and this seems to be becoming infectious. Less than 5 years on from its inception it is clear that they are on to something special. They are now able to lay claim to early career performances from tastemaker artists such as King Krule, Moses Boyd, Tom Misch, Loyle Carner and Catching Flies to name but a few and it’s clear they have no signs of stopping. With a clear focus on nurturing and developing new talent through the community while also creating the opportunity for more established artists to come and create something totally new, it’s going to be fascinating to see what this year’s edition of the festival brings.
The team behind the festival are upping their output in 2016 and are launching this with a rather unique event this Saturday (27th Feb) at Hackney Showroom. With performances from the critically acclaimed Theon Cross Trio (with our very own One To Watch for 2016 – Moses Boyd – on drums), Hector Plimmer (92 Points show– NTS Radio) with a unique live AV set from Loup Blaster, the hotly tipped Poppy Ajudha and DJ sets from My Panda Shall Fly and Maxwell Owin, the evening’s aural pleasures are sure to be wide ranging, all-consuming and utterly fascinating. The venue is being transformed through projection mapping, sculptures and installations by a number of Brainchild’s young artists including Joana Palmer, Jonathan Harris, Josh Murr and Sophie Molyneux. It’s these elements, alongside the poetry, spoken word and open jam sessions that really set Brainchild events apart and this one is sure to be equally as special!
Ahead of her performance at the launch event, the Brainchild team have jumped into the studio with the very special Poppy Ajudha to discuss some of her music, what Brainchild means to her, and play some of the tracks from her set at last year’s festival. It’s clear that Poppy has a bright future ahead, with a release on Catching Flies own record label already in the bag and it seems to us that she may just be the next artist on the list of Brainchild’s nurtured talents to take bold steps outside of the community that has supported her from the start.
Take a listen here:
Full info on the launch event can be found on the Brainchild Facebook page.
To get your tickets for the 2016 festival and stay up to date with forthcoming Brainchild announcements head to their website.