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Portrait of Simeon Barclay. Courtesy the Artist and Workplace, UK
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RIA Presents: The Ruin (2025) is a new performance by Simeon Barclay commissioned by the Roberts Institute of Art. Combining spoken word by Barclay with live percussion by James Larter and horn by Isaac Shieh, Barclay’s debut performance explores British identity, focusing on masculinity and class. Drawing from Barclay's upbringing in Huddersfield, with parents from the Caribbean, the work reflects on the industrial landscape of northern England in the 1980s and 90s.
Known for his sculptural practice, Barclay incorporates pop culture to explore memory and identity. In The Ruin, he questions mythic notions of Britain, blending early modern music, sounds and images remembered from Barclay’s youth and personal history. Barclay performs for the first time, with a monologue he wrote himself.
With RIA’s support, Barclay developed The Ruin over a year-long R&D period that included close engagement with theatre, costume and performance. In March 2025, The Ruin will tour to The Hepworth Wakefield.
Known for his sculptural practice, Barclay incorporates pop culture to explore memory and identity. In The Ruin, he questions mythic notions of Britain, blending early modern music, sounds and images remembered from Barclay’s youth and personal history. Barclay performs for the first time, with a monologue he wrote himself.
With RIA’s support, Barclay developed The Ruin over a year-long R&D period that included close engagement with theatre, costume and performance. In March 2025, The Ruin will tour to The Hepworth Wakefield.
Simeon Barclay’s practice often takes the form of sculptures or installations rooted in a strong relationship with material histories. He uses pop cultural references to discuss personal and cultural memory and navigate imposed and self-created identities. Barclay has an intense interest in the body and the self, investigating how self-image is created and grappled with.
Simeon Barclay (b. Huddersfield, 1975) lives and works in West Yorkshire. Barclay received his BA from Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds in 2010 and an MFA from Goldsmiths College, London in 2014. In 2020 Barclay was selected to be included in the British Art Show 9. He has exhibited both nationally and internationally including at Southbank Centre, Tate Britain, South London Gallery, Workplace, Gathering, London; Liverpool Biennial, Liverpool; Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Workplace Foundation, Gateshead; Holden Gallery, Manchester; The Tetley, Leeds; Cubitt Gallery, London; The Bluecoat, Liverpool; Jerwood Space, London; Galerie Lisa Kandlhofer, Vienna; Rodolphe Janssen, Brussels; Arcadia Missa, New York and W139, Amsterdam.
His work is in the Arts Council Collection, London; Zabludowicz Collection, London; Manchester Art Gallery and Whitworth Art Gallery collection, Manchester.
The Roberts Institute of Art (RIA) is a non-profit contemporary arts organisation. We commission pioneering performance art, run a residency programme in Scotland, collaborate with national partners on exhibitions and work to research and share the David and Indrė Roberts Collection.
David Roberts founded the organisation in 2007 and since then we have welcomed over 135,000 visitors, partnered with over 100 museums and organisations and collaborated with over 1,000 artists. Through our interdisciplinary approach, we seek to respond and adapt to different contexts, aiming to open up new conversations about how we engage with culture. For over a decade we have championed the development of performance art through commissions and innovative programming. Over 200 artists, choreographers, musicians and dancers have worked with us to make and show new performances to live audiences in London and around the UK.
Practising Performance is a commissioning programme to support artists who would like to engage with live performance. RIA invites a visual artist who is interested in exploring performance to take part in a multidisciplinary research and development programme to create a new performance work.
Simeon Barclay (b. Huddersfield, 1975) lives and works in West Yorkshire. Barclay received his BA from Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds in 2010 and an MFA from Goldsmiths College, London in 2014. In 2020 Barclay was selected to be included in the British Art Show 9. He has exhibited both nationally and internationally including at Southbank Centre, Tate Britain, South London Gallery, Workplace, Gathering, London; Liverpool Biennial, Liverpool; Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Workplace Foundation, Gateshead; Holden Gallery, Manchester; The Tetley, Leeds; Cubitt Gallery, London; The Bluecoat, Liverpool; Jerwood Space, London; Galerie Lisa Kandlhofer, Vienna; Rodolphe Janssen, Brussels; Arcadia Missa, New York and W139, Amsterdam.
His work is in the Arts Council Collection, London; Zabludowicz Collection, London; Manchester Art Gallery and Whitworth Art Gallery collection, Manchester.
The Roberts Institute of Art (RIA) is a non-profit contemporary arts organisation. We commission pioneering performance art, run a residency programme in Scotland, collaborate with national partners on exhibitions and work to research and share the David and Indrė Roberts Collection.
David Roberts founded the organisation in 2007 and since then we have welcomed over 135,000 visitors, partnered with over 100 museums and organisations and collaborated with over 1,000 artists. Through our interdisciplinary approach, we seek to respond and adapt to different contexts, aiming to open up new conversations about how we engage with culture. For over a decade we have championed the development of performance art through commissions and innovative programming. Over 200 artists, choreographers, musicians and dancers have worked with us to make and show new performances to live audiences in London and around the UK.
Practising Performance is a commissioning programme to support artists who would like to engage with live performance. RIA invites a visual artist who is interested in exploring performance to take part in a multidisciplinary research and development programme to create a new performance work.
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06:30 pm
Thu, 16 Jan 2025
Stage
08:30 pm
Thu, 16 Jan 2025
Stage
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