The Philharmonia Orchestra has announced that acclaimed dance theatre company Thick & Tight will join as Artists in Residence for its 2025/26 80th Anniversary Season.
This marks the fifth residency in the Philharmonia’s celebrated programme, following in the footsteps of House of Absolute, Love Ssega, Soumik Datta, and Vidya Patel.
Thick & Tight, co-directed by Daniel Hay-Gordon (he/him) and El Perry (they/them), are known for their unique blend of dance, mime, theatre, satire and drag. Their work is deeply rooted in queer identity and aims to challenge elitist notions of artistic excellence.
Their residency will see the creation of new work inspired by the Philharmonia’s rich history, developed through interviews with orchestra members and aligned with the season’s overarching theme of ‘identities’.
A major strand of the residency, Queering the Score, will comprise two new pieces. One will reinterpret a classical composition through a queer lens, while the other will explore how contemporary identity shapes musical creativity.
The season will culminate in a symposium hosted by Thick & Tight, featuring performances of 80 Years Duet and Queering the Score, alongside discussions on the creative process and the intersection of queerness and orchestral music.
Community engagement is central to the residency. The company will tour Queering the Score to two centres outside London, offering workshops with local groups. Open rehearsals and informal sharings will also invite public insight into their creative journey.
Thick & Tight said:
“We’re delighted to be in residence with the Philharmonia! We both love orchestral music and it has played a central part in the development of our work, so it feels very special to have been chosen and to begin a relationship with this wonderful orchestra. It’s a fantastic opportunity for us to expand our knowledge of how, as dancers and choreographers, we work with scores and musicians. We are interested in reframing and challenging the power structures which surround traditional techniques in dance and other art forms, and are excited by the Philharmonia’s desire to diversify the artists it collaborates with and the audiences it engages. We share this desire.”
“We hope the results of our residency will bring new ideas about the identity and potential of orchestral music. It’s a privilege to be part of the orchestra’s 80th anniversary programme. We’re hoping to join the celebrations by creating a work which looks back through the archives and shares with audiences where the Philharmonia has come from, and where it might be headed next. We can’t wait to get started!”
Thorben Dittes, Chief Executive of the Philharmonia Orchestra, added:
“I’m excited to see what will happen when Thick & Tight’s talent and unique take on contemporary life are combined with the skill and creativity of our players. As we celebrate the Philharmonia’s 80th birthday in our 2025/26 season, we’re focussing on the many ways that music and identity are intertwined. Questions of identity are central to Thick & Tight’s creative practice, so our collaboration will give us and our audiences new insights into our music and the world of the orchestra. I’m sure their take on the Philharmonia’s history will be as provocative as it is entertaining.”
Listings and ticket information can be found here
