Future Ritual presents



A year-long programme of performances, exhibitions, artist labs and workshops exploring the function of performance as a modality for gathering, ritual and ceremony amidst the fragmentation of contemporary life.

CEREMONY is a 12 month programming cycle unfolding in London and Venice across 2024 and 2025.

The cycle will culminate in a new festival of choreographic work, performance art, ritual offerings and sonic activations in April 2025.

CEREMONY began at midsummer with CONSIDERING TIME an intensive workshop for artists led by Marilyn Arsem, and CEREMONY [I], a day of durational actions, memory activations and offerings performed by Arsem, Devika Bilimoria, Helena Goldwater and Sandra Johnston in a pair of dilapidated terraced houses in Peckham (London). Situated in spaces evocative of decay, memory and tenacity, the performances seemed to speak to performance art as a practice of channelling and devotion.

Across the Autumn, we presented a series of two-day artist labs led by Ron Athey and Michele Occelli on  Anne Bean, and Claye Bowler who shared their practices and different understandings of art-making as a ritual, ceremony and folk tradition.

Programme Cycle

Upcoming
> Whistling as the Night Calls: collaborative photographs by Martin O’Brien & zack mennell ~ 31st October to 1st December
> CEREMONY [II]: Venice International Performance Art Week, 12th to 15th December
> Arcane Portals: an intensive co-creation workshop with VestAndPage - 20th to 26th April 2025
> Future Ritual ~ festival, 23rd to 27th April 2025

Recent
> CEREMONY [I] ~ performances by Marilyn Arsem, Devika Bilimoria, Helena Goldwater & Sandra Johnston. 
> Considering Time ~ an intensive workshop with Marilyn Arsem
> Dig me a grave ~ an artist lab with Claye Bowler
> AUTOBITUARIES ~ an artist lab with Anne Bean
> Constructing Phenomena ~ an artist lab with Ron Athey and Michele Occelli

Enquiries: producing@futureritual.co.uk.
Press: abstrakt@abstraktpublicity.co.uk

Helena Goldwater, safe keeping. CEREMONY [I], Future Ritual. Photos by Fenia Kotsopoulou.

Drawing on our longstanding collaborations with Martin O’Brien and zack mennell, we commissioned an exhibition of collaborative photographic works. The resulting images, made on 35mm Cinestill 800T by mennell and exhibited at VSSL studio, depict actions exhumed from O’Brien’s practice and presented for the ghosts of places of worship and pilgrimage.

The exhibition is open now and continues until 1st December.

In December, we will present Ceremony [II], a performance programme as part of Venice International Performance Art Week.

Following the Easter weekend, CEREMONY will culminate with a weeklong festival (23rd to 27th April 2025), including performances, conversations, ritual offerings, sonic activations and ARCANE PORTALS, an intensive co-creation workshop by renowned performance art pedagogues VestAndPage. 

Credits and Support

Joseph Morgan Schofield - Curator
Regina Agard-Brathwaite - Programme Coordinator

Anna Goodman / Abstrakt Publicity - PR

Programme Assistants: Robyn Green, Ewan Hindes, Ash McNaughton, Kane Stonestreet. 

Future Ritual: Ceremony is supported with public funds by Arts Council England. Further support towards the programme has been given by Mayor of London.

Enquiries: producing@futureritual.co.uk.

Sandra Johnston, Agape / Ajar, 2024. CEREMONY [I], Future Ritual. Photos by Fenia Kotsopoulou.