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MELTWATER

PAST EVENT
Accessible
Wed 23 Aug 2023, 7.30pm
Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall
Classical music
From £15
past event
past event
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Supriya Nagarajan wearing a pink sari sitting down with a microphone and smiling.

Examine the diversity of sound in MELTWATER, a haunting 60-minute composition focusing on the melting of a polar ice cap.

MELTWATER is a music piece that uses the amazing diversity of sound created by ice sheets turning back into water; running streams, crashing ice and rain combine with evocative Indian vocals and instrumentation to create an impactful performance.

MELTWATER is framed by a backdrop of melting glaciers, filmed by Richard Sidey.

The performance is the culmination of Manasamitra’s ‘Terrarium’ project, which worked with local communities in the UK, India, Indonesia and Portugal to elicit personal narratives of the impact of flood and drought.

Composer and vocalist Supriya Nagarajan is joined for a post-show Q&A with Dr Natasha Barlow.

Dr Natasha Barlow is an Associate Professor of environmental and sea-level change at the University of Leeds, and is currently running a major European research project on sea-level change. She is leader of the international PALaeo SEA level and ice sheets (PALSEA) working group and her research has been included in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports.

Performers
  • Supriya Nagarajan vocals
  • Karin de Fleyt flute
  • Lucy Nolan harp
  • Simon Limbrick marimba
  • Duncan Chapman electronics
Repertoire
  • Supriya Nagarajan: Meltwater

Need to know

This event is a Relaxed Performance (RP).

Relaxed Performances have a relaxed approach to noise and movement in the space, and you are free to enter and exit during the performances. A chill-out space and noise-cancelling headphones are available for both adults and children. There are no adjustments to sound and lighting for these performances.

You can join our free Access Scheme through your online Southbank Centre account or via email.
Find out more about our Access Scheme
All our Access & facilities information

This event consists of 60 mins of performance followed by a 30-minute talk.

Dates & times

Wed 23 Aug 2023, 7.30pm

Approximate run time: 1 hour 30 mins.

Run times may vary by up to 20 minutes as they can be affected by last-minute programme changes, intervals and encores.

Price

  • Standard entryFrom £15*
  • Concessions25%**


* Excludes £3.50 booking fee.

Book as early as you can to ensure the best choice of tickets. Ticket prices may be adjusted without notice to reflect demand.

** Limited availability. Read about concessions.

Tickets can only be sold through the Southbank Centre and our authorised agents, and can't be resold. You can return your tickets to the Southbank Centre for a credit voucher up to 48 hours before the event. Tickets resold on any third-party platforms will become invalid.

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Venue

Purcell Room

Our number one priority is the health and wellbeing of our visitors and staff. 

Check here for our current guidance

Open 90 minutes before an event until the end of the event. Closed at all other times.

See the opening times for all our venues

Our address is: Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. The nearest tube and train stations within 5-7 minutes walk are Waterloo (Northern, Bakerloo, Jubilee and Waterloo & City lines) and Embankment (District & Circle lines). There are also lots of bus routes with stops 2-5 minutes from our venues. For more information on getting here by road, rail or river.

 Visit our Getting here page

Pre-booking online is recommended. Check our website on the day for returns. There’s no need to print your e-ticket – just show your phone to our Visitor Assistants on entry.

Some free events don't require a ticket. Found an event labelled FREE on our website with no way to book? Simply turn up on the day.

If you don't receive your e-ticket

Your e-ticket will be sent to you seven days before the event date from [email protected]. If you don't receive your e-ticket, and it's not in your junk or spam folder, please get in touch. 

Email us

More information

Find out all you need to know about tickets, including concessions, group bookings, returns, credit vouchers and more, via the link below.

Frequently asked questions

Get an overview of the seating layout of the Purcell Room by downloading our seating plan.

Download seating plan

Toilets

An accessible toilet is located in the foyer.

A Changing Places toilet is located on Level 1 Royal Festival Hall next to the JCB Glass Lift, for the exclusive use of disabled people who need personal assistance to use the toilet.

The facility includes a height-adjustable bench, tracking hoist system, a centrally-placed toilet, a height-adjustable basin and a shower. The phone outside the Changing Places toilet will connect you with a member of staff, who can provide you with the key. The facility is open daily 10am – 11pm.

Cloakroom

The Queen Elizabeth Hall and Purcell Room cloakroom is closed. You won’t be able to bring any bags over 40 x 25 x 25cm into the venues, so please leave large bags at home.

We're cash-free

Please note that we're unable to accept cash payments across our site. 

Purcell Room is located in Queen Elizabeth Hall. For step-free access please use Royal Festival Hall JCB glass lift to Level 2 and enter via Riverside Terrace.

Talk to a member of staff at the auditorium entrance if you have a disability that means you can’t queue, or you need extra time to take your seat. They can arrange priority entry for you as soon as the doors open.

Please bear with us while we update our access map to reflect the refurbishment of the Royal Festival Hall’s Level 2 foyer spaces. The step-free routes remain the same.

Download step-free access map

More about Access & facilities