Always Already There

Always Already There is a three-day symposium and weekend of Afrodiasporic music, presented by the Barbican in collaboration with the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Initiated by music scholar, composer, and performer George E. Lewis, the project brings together composers, sound artists, and performers from across the Afrodiasporic world to collaborate and explore Black music histories across different geographies. This London edition is curated by British-Jamaican experimental vocalist and composer Elaine Mitchener, with a focus on Black British and Commonwealth contexts.

The program includes U.K. premieres and works by living and historically overlooked Black composers. A new Always Already There Ensemble, led by Apartment House, will perform with Guildhall School of Music students alongside professional musicians.

This symposium is supported by the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation.

Further information:
barbican.org.uk

Dates

October 23–25, 2026
Various locations, London