We're raising funds to put on a revival tour of 'Calcutta', a unique theatrical project that brings together English Baroque and Indian Classical music, and explores period crossover between the two in the 18th century.
Ensemble Tempus Fugit is a historical music group making new work with connection at its heart.
Everything we do opens doors beyond our core historical performance practice. We play around with concert expectations, cultures, and sensory perceptions, and blend them with an element of surprise to deepen the music's connection with you, the audience.
This approach results in unique projects like Calcutta.
Inspired by true stories of Baroque English musicians jamming with Indian Classical musicians in 18th-century Calcutta, this theatrical performance illuminates the power of multiculturalism, then and now. There is something new for everyone in this revealing experience.
We premiered this show in 2009 with two sold-out performances, and support from the Arts Council.
We want to reinvent it for 2017 with freshly researched music, add the voices of new artists, and stage it with fabulous new costume, design and puppets for performances at Brighton’s Early Music Festival and at Tara Arts, a gorgeous multicultural theatre in London.
We've spent the past year coordinating an outstanding lineup of artists for the reboot, including renowned sitarist Sanjay Guha, countertenor James Hall, Indian classical singer Debipriya Sircar, puppeteer Lori Hopkins, designer Austèja Znaidauskaite & director Francesca Bridge-Cicic, who will join lutenist Jamie Akers, Baroque violinist George Clifford, early winds specialist Emily Baines, gambist Lucia Capellaro, & our director and harpsichordist Katie De La Matter for our revival!
We're all set to go.
From top left: Katie De La Matter, harpsichordist & creative director; Debipriya Sircar, Indian Classical singer; James Hall, countertenor; Francesca Bridge-Cicic, stage director; George Clifford, Baroque violin; Emily Baines, recorder & shawm; Lucia Capellaro, viola da gamba; Jamie Akers, lutes; Sanjay Guha, sitar; Austèja Znaidauskaite, design; Lori Hopkins, puppets; Dominique Munday, assistant director.
There's just one person missing in our story now -- and that's you.
We're applying to Arts Council England for a grant to support our development costs. Costumes, puppets, staging, lighting, and rehearsal, workshopping and arranging of European and Indian music are expensive!
But first, we have to show them that you care about this project and its aims, and are willing to invest in it.
This is where YOU come in...
Please support us. To thank you, we've got some rewards we hope you'll love, including:
- pairs of tickets to our Tara Arts shows, to other shows at this amazing theatre & to Brighton's Royal Pavilion
- a pair of tickets to a Diwali food walk on 14 October with award-winning chef & food historian, Monisha Bharadwaj
- invitations to a rehearsal, followed by an informal Q&A
- pairs of tickets to a private concert
- your own bespoke chamber concert with members of Ensemble Tempus Fugit, for friends, family, or your business
- a unique print of one of the illuminated pages of our source manuscript, with some of the earliest depictions of certain Indian instruments
And more! If you're viewing this page on mobile, just click the Support button above for the full list.
No donation is too small. Even adding to our list of supporters with a £1 donation helps say you're with us!
Sharing is also a huge help! If you choose to donate, please tweet or post that you have, and we’ll retweet you: this really helps to spread the word.
Click through to our website for the history behind this unique show, its creation, and its successful performances in 2009, as well as for a taste of our future plans.
This is our first crowdfunding campaign: we couldn't have done it without support in preparing for the crowdfunder and our video! Huge thanks go to Elizabeth Aab, Esther Anstice, Jamie Akers, Debipriya Sircar, the cast & crew of Ensemble Tempus Fugit, Trevor Bowes, to St. Michael's Battersea & Pawel Siwczak for kindly hosting our video, and our wonderful filmmakers Adrian Hedgecock and Luke Wasylkiw.
Find out more about Calcutta and our other projects at ensembletempusfugit.co.uk , or contact us at [email protected].