696

696 Festival

Where does Black British music belong and who gets to decide?

The Black British sounds of south London take centre stage at the Horniman Museum and Gardens for 696.

The 696 programme features live gigs, installations, collaborations, residencies, talks, specially commissioned works and a summer music festival.

The 696 Festival offers a mix of free and paid events, with some shows both live and live streamed. Plus ‘pay what you can afford’ for some events with tiered ticketing to suit a range of budgets.

Find out more about the programme and book tickets.

696 Promoters

The 696 Promoters are a group of young people aged 16 – 25 who are passionate about producing live music events. For 10 weeks participants will work with music industry experts to produce a high quality event and put their stamp on the exciting 696 Festival.

During the programme you will:

• Plan and deliver an exciting music event
• Work with music industry experts
• Develop key professional skills
• Receive 1:1 mentoring
• Make friends and build networks
• Have fun and gain confidence

Applications to be a 696 Promoter are closed. Successful applicants will be notified shortly. 

Resident Artists

The Horniman’s 696 Resident Artists programme is for music artists at the cutting edge of south London’s music scene.

Five south London musicians have been appointed as resident artists to the Horniman’s 696 music programme.

During a year-long residency, Resident Artists will develop an artistic project in response to the Horniman’s collection of musical instruments which is one of the most comprehensive and exciting in the UK.

The five resident artists are:

London-based solo artist and musical collective member Afronaut Zu. Of Nigerian descent, Afronaut Zu’s sound and approach to music is largely shaped by cultural influences and life experiences growing up in Britain, whilst also being from the African diaspora.

DemiMa, an electronic soul artist and sonic-poet from South West London and South Africa’s eThekwini’s south coast. Inspired by nature and Afro-futurism, she presents a unique form of electronic soul fusing ‘voxstrumentals’ (live vocal looping with psychedelic effects) with English and isiZulu lyrics.

MC, singer, producer and rapper Eerf Evil. Eerf uses his experiences of growing up in Croydon to influence the content of his music, with a desire to share the freedom he has through the idea of living free.

Richie, a vocalist, trombonist and composer, born and raised in a British-Caribbean household in South East London. A classically trained musician, Richie has since the age of 16 been active on the London jazz scene, as well as performing as a sideman for international artists including Solange Knowles and Nick Waterhouse.

Musician, composer and performance artist Roxanne Tataei, from South London. Having supported artists on tour including Grace Jones and Florence & The Machine, collaborating with Mark Ronson, Paul Weller and more, and releasing critically acclaimed works, Roxanne is currently exploring her main instrument, the voice, through opera and free-form.

The residency includes:

• A budget of up to £3,000 to develop a creative project
• Behind the scenes access to our Musical Instrument Collection
• One-to-one coaching sessions
• Access to free writing/rehearsal space
• Free and exclusive access to Museum gallery, work and performance spaces
• Bespoke digital content created about the artists and their work
• Potential performance slots at the Horniman’s summer festival in 2021, in partnership with Balamii in 2021

If you have any questions please contact

Adem Holness, Music Curator: aholness@horniman.ac.uk