Yoko Ono is director of Meltdown 2013 at Southbank Centre, London, UK

Yoko Ono, who will celebrate her 80th birthday next year (on 18th Feb 2013) has today been announced as the director of Southbank Centre’s Meltdown Festival 2013.

In curating the festival in its 20th anniversary year, the iconic musician and artist follows in the footsteps of some of music’s biggest names including David Bowie, Patti Smith, Jarvis Cocker and Massive Attack.
Worldwide cultural icon Yoko Ono brings a lifetime of achievement in music, visual art and peace activism to Southbank Centre.
Yoko Ono’s Meltdown (14th – 23rd June 2013) will be led by the artist’s dedication to music across all genres, environmentalism, feminism and peace.
As well as featuring iconic names from the world of music and arts, Meltdown will at the same time be an opportunity to discover new and emerging talent from around the world.
For 20 years Meltdown has invited internationally renowned musicians to create once-in-a-lifetime experiences at Southbank Centre. Tasking artists to take over the 21-acre artistic site, Meltdown is renowned for unique events and artist-led programming, from Jeff Buckley’s final UK show, to the New York Dolls reuniting, and a rare live performance from Cocteau Twins’ Elizabeth Fraser.
Yoko Ono is no stranger to the festival, having performed as part of both Patti Smith’s Meltdown in 2005 and Ornette Coleman’s Meltdown in 2009, and her return for the 2013 festival promises to have 10 days of not-to-be missed performances.
Yoko Ono said today: “I am deeply honoured to curate the world-famous Meltdown Festival. In doing so I am aware of the great tradition of experimentalism mixed with classicism that has made the festival such an enduring part of the British Arts landscape. I am now starting to approach names from all over the world, some of whom you will know and some who might be new to your world. Let the fun begin! ”.
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