The Common Rooms emerged from a unanimous desire amongst a few friends to create a space where thoughts can be shared, ideas can emerge, and open, thoughtful discussion can be had. We wanted to hear passionate speakers share their insights and ideas, then revel, wallow and be immersed in beautiful acoustic music, leaving the event refreshed in mind, body and spirit.

We hope to develop a space where people can practice listening, coming together for an evening where to be like-hearted is valued above being like-minded. 

The first part of this evenings event will feature interviews with two extraordinary women.

Annie Edwards is a dance artist from Brighton, now based in London. Her current practise is the culmination of two strong influences – a background in hiphop and contemporary dance and her lived experience as a disabled person.

Annie made her West End debut at the age of eleven in the long running hip hop show ‘Into the Hoods’. In 2019 She graduated with distinction from London Contemporary Dance School, and has since gone on to collaborate with a diverse collection of artists and companies including Sadlers Wells, Scottish Ballet, Garsington Opera, Candoco, Zoo Nation: A Kate Prince Company, Sidi Larbi Cherkauoi, Botis Seva and Liam Francis – touring internationally as well as working in television and film, whilst maintaining an ongoing engagement with disability advocacy throughout all her work.

This year Annie will be performing with Candoco in Germany and Slovakia, as well as appearing in a new collaboration between director Danny Boyle, composer Michael Asante and choreographer Kendrick Sandy MBE, for Manchester International Festival.

Lou Beckerman’s career in the arts has spanned several genres – as an established jazz vocalist and song-writer (including TV and two albums), as an artist-illustrator with commissions from, amongst others, WWF, Amnesty International and Oxfam, and as a fine artist exhibiting widely, including the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.

Lou’s former work as a health professional also enabled her to integrate these elements as a healing arts practitioner and coach. She was awarded a Churchill Fellowship for her work in music as medicine in palliative care. Lou has also been musical director for several community choirs.

Lou now writes short fiction and poetry, and her recently completed poetry collection, together with her own illustrations, is for publication in 2023. She writes for the page and also performs the work as spoken word, frequently woven together with musical interpretation.

​Themes range from reflecting on the personal and observational to social commentary and broad spirituality – drawing on the colourful threads from her experience and enquiry into the human condition. She has a playfulness with words but beneath them invariably lie life’s deeper issues.

Music :

​The music will once again be curated by Brighton based pianist, producer and composer Mark Edwards and will feature beautiful, gentle, acoustic jazz and improvised music – including material by Keith Jarrett, Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell and others, aswell as original compositions.

​Special Guest : Winston Clifford

​Winston Clifford is one of Britain’s leading jazz drummers. Since studying with ex-Tubby Hayes drummer Bill Eyden and with Trevor Tomkins at the Guildhall School of Music, he has gone on to play with many musicians including Courtney Pine, Bheki Mseleku, Jason Rebello, Gary Husband, Pete King, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Iain Ballamy, Leroy Osbourne, Ronnie Scott Band, Julian Joseph, Andy Sheppard, Tony Remy, Steve Williamson Band, Jean Toussaint Band, Slim Gaillard, Bobby Watson, Monty Alexander, Gary Bartz, Art Farmer, Archie Shepp, Orphy Robinson, Birelli Lagrene, Joey Calderazzo Freddie Hubbard etc. He has appeared at many International Festivals and recorded albums with Frevo, Roadside Picnic, Jean Toussaint, Andy Hamilton, Brian Dee Trio, Harry Beckett Quintet and Jan Ponsford. He has appeared on Channel 4, BBC 2 and ITV as well as radio broadcasts.