The Barbican is having a Youth Takeover: here’s everything you need to know

Sunday 29th March brings the Young Barbican Takeover, a full-on festival curated by London’s young creatives at one of the city’s most iconic locations.

Tickets are £12, or £10 if you sign up for free to the Young Barbican scheme. The takeover will take place in the Barbican Centre from midday to early evening, turning the building into something that feels more like a campus event than a formal arts venue.

For students who are bored of the same old pubs and uni societies, this is a great way to feel like the city is yours for a day.

Via Unsplash.

Conservatory poetry and conversation that sparks ideas

Barbican Young Poets will take over the Conservatory Well with guests from London’s poetry scene for performances that feel intimate. The space itself is one of the Barbican’s most iconic spots, full of plants and glass, so it has the vibe of a hidden garden rather than a traditional performance venue.

On the Conservatory Terrace, members of each collective involved in the day will sit at the Conversation Corner and offer prompts, questions and provocations to get people talking. Instead of awkward networking with name badges, you can just sit down, talk about art, and leave with contacts you might actually want to see again.

Organisers describe the day as a chance for the next generation of artists, activists and innovators to get to know each other on their own terms.

Makers’ market and crafts for when you want to get messy

Via Williamz Omope.

Level G Foyer will become a Makers’ Market with ceramics, jewellery and handcrafted zines from London creatives. Craft Forward are hosting collaborative tapestry knitting, Material Grrrlz are running rosette badge making, and Artizine will lead a zine workshop. None of it requires previous experience, so you don’t need to be the sort of person who already has a sketchbook to turn up.

It’s a good place to pick up something that isn’t from a retail chain and to talk to the people who made it. If you’re trying to get into creative work yourself, it’s also a low-pressure way to see what other young artists around London are doing and how they’re getting their work in front of people. 

Music sessions for when you need a break from your rotating playlist

In the Level G Studio, IRL sessions will run throughout the day with local London talent. You’ll listen through silent disco headphones while performances happen live in front of you, so it’s like a cross between a gig and a small listening party.

Some sets are curated with Shai Space and Sad Club Records, which keeps the line-up rooted in scenes that we care about instead of random background music.​

If your idea of live music is usually someone in the corner of the pub with a guitar, this is at least a bit more interesting. It’s also a decent way to discover new artists before they end up on someone’s “chill vibes” playlist.

Workshops mixing dance, drama and DIY labels

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In the Garden Room, Rain Crew, a community powered hip-hop dance collective, is running workshops that mix breaking with activism.

Compass Collective, an arts charity that supports young refugees and people seeking asylum, is holding an energising drama workshop. The point isn’t perfect technique- it’s more about movement, confidence and meeting people with different stories to yours.

DIY publishing house and creative network ARCCA is running a session on how to start your own label or publishing house. For anyone who has ever complained that there are no platforms for the kind of work they want to see, this is basically a shortcut to building one yourself.

You don’t need industry contacts to go- you just need to show up and ask questions.

Cinema 1 films from young programmers of colour

Cinema 1 is hosting programmes curated by SplicD Cinema, Ifriqiya Cinema and T A P E Collective, all alumni of the Barbican Young Film Programmers scheme.

Their selections celebrate African diaspora stories and women of colour both behind and in front of the camera, which means you’re not stuck watching yet another film about the same three types of main character. A full list of films will be announced closer to the date, but the brief makes it clear the focus is on people and perspectives that often get sidelined.

Whether you study film or you just like arguing about it, this is an easy way to see work picked by people your age who care about representation beyond a marketing line. It’s also a lot more affordable than randomly booking a West End cinema ticket and hoping for the best.

Roller disco finale with Roundhouse DJs

The Level minus one foyer will be turned into a roller rink for the day, with community-led skating collective Skate Cabal running sessions.

There are inclusive Learn to Skate slots for beginners and open sessions for people who already know what they’re doing. Young DJs from Roundhouse will provide music all day, so it feels more like a party than a class.

It’s the opposite of sitting in a silent library pretending to revise. You can fall over in front of strangers, get back up, and not think about your attendance record for a few hours. If your group chat has been stuck in the same three locations all term, this is the one part of the day you will probably still be talking about afterwards.

How to attend

Via Jemima Young.

Young Barbican Takeover will be running from 12pm to 6pm at the Barbican Centre on Sunday 29th March. The festival welcome desk opens from 11am, and ticket holders swap their ticket for a wristband on arrival.

The organisers recommend arriving at least ten minutes early to each session so you actually get in. Tickets are £12, or £10 for Young Barbican members, and membership is free for anyone aged 16 to 25. You can book through the Barbican Box Office or contact the ticket sales team by phone, WhatsApp or text if you want to sort tickets between lectures. 

Featured image via Christian Cassel.