Following the launch of Issue 07 at Ninety One in Brick Lane, PYLOT spoke with the team at The Old Truman Brewery about their multifaceted business, and what is next for them.
You have a lot of things going on at the Truman Brewery; tell us more about the various types of events that take place at Truman?
We host an eclectic mix of events primarily for the creative industries that range from alternative trade shows and dinners large and small, to exhibitions, product launches, fashion shows, photo shoots and filming, through to ambient and experiential marketing. On any given day you can expect all manner of different happenings!
We recently covered the Free Range Photography week in June, do you feel that Truman is on the pulse when it comes to new talent in the arts, and are there other events similar to Free Range that you think our audience may be interested in?
We love supporting new talent whether through showcasing graduate art and design at Free Range or hosting catwalk shows for new fashion designers at Fashion East. We have a brand new in-house festival coming to The Old Truman Brewery this November. It’s called We Are Robots. We wanted to provide a space for musicians, industry professionals and music fans to come together to experience new music technologies, discuss future practices and share industry insights. Whether you’re a music maker, industry insider or a music fan, you can come and experience first-hand the new technology in music creation, get involved in future practices and learn how to hone your skills through innovative workshops. You can also immerse yourself within interactive and challenging installations and enjoy our impressive line-up of live musical performances.
When did Truman start using its spaces for events and exhibitions?
We started hosting parties and films shoots in the mid ’90s. An early event was Bjork’s Homogenic album launch as well as shoots for bands like Coldplay in their early years.
What is coming up next for Truman?
We’ve grown a lot over the last few years so expect some exciting new projects soon. The second edition of Vegan Nights returns to the Boiler House on 23 November – a mixology of vegan food and beats.
Virtual Reality is getting a lot of attention, especially in the music world and that’s really exciting. There’s lot of talk about how VR could potentially change the game in terms of music festivals and live music. It means that people don’t need to be physically inside a venue to watch their favourite artists.
What are your thoughts on the rising popularity of vinyl and analogue practices in music?
This is increasing due to the latest music technology not providing a physical product for the true music fans and collectors.
What do you think London is in need of right now?
More platforms for emerging and established creative talent, such as Juju’s Bar & Stage which launched at Truman this year.
Thank you to Ninety One for hosting the PYLOT Issue 07 launch, and to Inserrata for providing us with organic wine from Tuscany. PYLOT 07 ‘Do or Die’ is available in stores and online now.
