LONDON.- London’s international performance art festival Block Universe opened this Monday 29 May for a week-long programme of performances, including 5 new commissions, 4 UK premieres and an exciting public programme. This year’s edition addresses notions of nationhood, the power of collective voices and identity politics set against a changing socio-political landscape. Looking at networked communities and the power of collective voices, Block Universe champions work that questions the status quo in divisive times.

Now in its third edition, Block Universe brings together cutting-edge performance art at the cross-section of contemporary visual art, dance and music, and presents work by some of the most exciting UK-based and international artists working with performance today. This year, audiences will experience Liz Magic Laser’s political therapy workshops at The Showroom along with Stina Nyberg's visually described choreography questioning historic Swedish physical ideals at the Tabernacle on the same day. Commissioned by Open Space Contemporary and Block Universe, Turkish artist lşıl Eğrikavuk will be giving a performative dinner on Tuesday 30 May at the Ned, and Will Rawls will question the audience with a subversive Q&A in a grade-II-listed site on Wednesday 31 May at the Asylum in Peckham. On Thursday 1 June, Zadie Xa will create a unique immersive environment at Somerset House and Nicole Bachmann's new commission will examine the relationship between language, voice and power at Kachette on Friday 2 June. At the Light in Euston on Saturday 3 June, Rory Pilgrim's new commission will explores sci-fi robotic support systems of care whilst at Space Studios we will premiere a first-time collaboration between Kim Coleman, Zoë Poluch and Cara Tolmie. Last but not least, Eglė Budvytytė's mobile performance disrupting public space and Young In Hong’s choreography of protest at the Royal Academy of Arts through an open source participatory performance will both be performing on Sunday 4 June.

Louise O’Kelly, Founding Director of Block Universe, says: “As Block Universe enters its third edition, it has been a pleasure to see what a vital platform the festival has proven to be in such a short space of time for both artists working in this medium and for audiences to experience exciting, relevant new work. The festival has proven to be a real incubator for emerging talent and we hope to continue to support artists in making ambitious new works and increasing visibility of performance practices from UK-based artists within an international context. We have a truly exciting line-up this year with ambitious new commissions and premieres that are pushing the boundaries of cutting edge performance art today.”

Find Block Universe’s programme here.