'Great art isn't about economics. It's about the ambiguity and restraint of Gerhard Ricter's September; the lyrical insight of James McCarthy's 17 Days, the breath-stopping horror of Jacobi's Lear, the exploration of personal landscapes of Akram Khan's Desh, the restless looking of David Hockney, or Lucien Freud. These works, these artists, some exalted, others setting out to develop their voices, tell us something about ourselves, about how we live and about what it is to be alive at this time.'(Liz Forgan, Arts Council Chair, State of the Arts speech, 2012) Read more at the Guardian 

The world premiere of 17 Days at the Barbican (5 Feb 2012) received an outstanding review in The Independent: '...The overall effect was remarkably engaging: plenty of interest all the way through with lovely word setting which built, in an organic and integrated way, to a genuinely moving climax.' (Cara Chanteau, The Independent). Read the full review here