Fulfil a lifelong fantasy at “A Fluid State”: Food and drink meets art, music and live performance. October 19, 2010

Last year punters were taken on a unique gastronomical journey called “Towards a Fluid State”, held in a secret warehouse location in Dalston. An immersive and mind-blowing experience saw guests “greeted by a scene out of Soviet dystopia mixed with a touch of Mad Max” as they had their passports stamped. Once inside, they popped through a human Tetris wall into another world with sake and food pairings, drag geisha boys and live anime art. Moving into the turfed, natural space, people dined on a wild fusion of biodynamic wines and natural, raw foods from Saf whilst watching Philip Li (now creating costumes for Lady Gaga) transform himself into a live sculpture. The whisky and cheese bar was four deep all night with ex-music industry experts dishing out interesting facts and fabulous whiskies with cheese matches. A hidden speakeasy profiled some of London’s most talented emerging acts from The Dulwich Ukulele Club to Plaster of Paris. On sensory overload, guests convalesced in the Gin Palace – sampling savoury molecular cocktails, a liquid take on the royal roast finished with a pork scratching, before feasting on the real thing.

This year continuing their trademark multi-room approach “A Fluid State” (www.afluidstate.com) will transform an 8,000sqft space in central London with 5 main experience areas on the Friday and Saturday with a brunch session on the Sunday. Each festival space will feature performances and installations from some of the UK's most interesting and emerging artists, musicians and performers.

A FLUID STATE EXPERIENCE AREAS

THE RECONCILIATION
Face your nemesis in the Tequila Slammer. Confess your crimes against tequila in the interrogation room and get inked in the Mezcal Monkey Tattoo Parlour.

THE TWILIGHT HOURS
Travellers making the pilgrimage to the Holy Land stop here for shelter, rest and sustenance. A voyage of enlightenment and discovery with a hidden chamber and secret supper.

FANTASY ISLAND
A recreation of the hit 1970s film and TV series. Order a lifelong fantasy from a menu whilst trying fantastical food pairings and experiential cocktails.

THE PALM, UPPER EAST SIDE
Mad Men inspired cocktail bar featuring 1960's classic cocktails with a twist. Enjoy whisky and jazz pairing by some of the UK's most talented jazz collectives.

GARDEN OF EDEN
A magical experience centred around the idea of temptation with our own take on forbidden fruit and unique chocolate and alcohol pairings.

TICKETS FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
Tickets are £35 which includes: entry, arrival cocktail, an experience of your choosing as well as live music, theatre, performance and art in completely wild surroundings. There will be experts on hand to guide you through your gastronomical journey.

SUNDAY STEAMPUNK BRUNCH
From 12-6pm on Sunday 05 Dec 2010 experience the ultimate weekend recovery at the SteamPunk Brunch Sessions. A Wallace and Grommet-style breakfast machine will crank out toast to tunes from a line up of quirky independent live music acts as well as theatre, performance and art in completely wild surroundings.

Enjoy a delicious brunch of mini breakfast foods from rum and raisin porridge to eggs sunny side up. Sign up for one of the masterclasses and learn how to mix up a mean Bloody Mary - from the classic Vodka version to unusual twists with unconventional ingredients. Get your morning kick at the coffee masterclass whilst learning the secret to making a really great coffee.

On offer:
Breakfast Tapas Tasters showcasing the best of British produce
Coffee Masterclass Expert lesson on tricks and techniques
Beer & Cheese Masterclass Unconventional and delicious matching session
Bloody Mary Masterclass Savoury twists on everyone’s favourite breakfast drink
Music Lineup Great line up of emerging indie & quirky music acts
Installation & performance art Wallace & Gromit breakfast machine, Space Opera, Victorian era Futurism and clockwork Arachnids

TICKETS FOR SUNDAY
Tickets are £15 which includes: entry, a line up of fabulous and quirky live music acts as well as theatre, performance and art in completely wild surroundings. There will be experts on hand to guide you through your gastronomical journey. Please note: masterclasses are limited and we recommend advance purchase.

FULL FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
Thursday 02 December, 2010 7pm – 11pm VIP launch with key media and trade N/A
Friday 03 December, 2010 7pm – 12am Main festival with entry at 7pm & 9pm £35
Saturday 04 December, 2010 7pm – 12am Main festival with entry at 7pm & 9pm £35
Sunday 05 December, 2010 12pm – 6pm Sunday SteamPunk Brunch £15

For further information and tickets go to www.afluidstate.com or email us at [email protected]

Previous quotes about A Fluid State and The Tasting Sessions

Stephen Fry on Twitter
03 December, 2009
“Off to NYC tomorrow morning. Good, but boo, I'll miss the East London 1 day food/drink/music/art fest” http://bit.ly/6GA45o #fluidstate

Guest of A Fluid State on Twitter
December 2009
One comment overheard at #fluidstate on Sat:
"I feel like I'm at the beginning of the food & drink version of Woodstock".

Times Online
25 June, 2010

“Savvy diners are shunning standard restaurants for an experience that combines food and art…It’s not just food that’s winning a style makeover, but drinks as well.

The Tasting Sessions is a project by two entrepreneurs, Angella Newell and Hayley Sudbury with the mission to add a twist to formal ways in which wine, cognac, or any other drink is traditionally appreciated”

Jonathan Brown, food and drink blogger
07 December, 2009

"Angella and Hayley, masterminds of the Tasting Sessions and most recently architects of Towards a Fluid State, have moved the goal posts so far that most booze brands planning a tasting experience won’t be able to see them…

Over the course of the last year they have continuously raised the bar with their artistic mash-ups of art, booze, culture, flavours, music, theatre and entertainment. They are the drinks version of what Shunt is to traditional theatre”

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About The Tasting Sessions

Angella Newell and Hayley Sudbury, founders of The Tasting Sessions, are redefining the way people experience food and drink in London.

Unearthing some of London’s hidden locations and talents, they create multi-sensory adventures uniting food and drink with all elements of design from art to music, film and fashion.

In December of 2009 The Tasting Sessions launched a new movement in food and drink festivals, now being followed by many in the drinks industry. Held in a secret warehouse in Dalston (known only by photographers and filmmakers), guests were taken Towards a Fluid State www.towardsafluidstate.com – A wild immersive journey filled with live art installations, eclectic performances in a hidden speakeasy and a voluptuous feast. The festival profiled flights of Whisky, Gin, Sake, Cognac and Natural & Biodynamic wine matched with delicious pieces of food, and showcased some of the UK's hottest emerging contemporary artists, musicians, set and fashion designers.

From 2010 A Fluid State will be the annual food and drink festival in the London arts and cultural scene.

The Tasting Sessions has been profiled by leading trend company PSFK as one to watch and written up in many of London’s underground guides such as The Londonist, Urban Junkies and lecool amongst others.

Other experiences created by The Tasting Sessions:

For the past 2 years, The Tasting Sessions has been reinventing the food and drink experience. You never quite know what’s going to happen.

At the chocolate and booze experience, Deliver Us From Innocence, guests were challenged with temptations of biblical proportions. Taken on a journey through a fairytale forest they followed “Mr Truffus” through a cupboard door into BarNarnia and handpicked caged, golden apples from the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden. Guests became part of a live TV audience where Snow White, a young Cockney lad in dress, demonstrated the best way to cook with poison apples. Little Red Riding Hood proved to be less innocent than the legend when the Woodcutter (who was also the Wolf) tried to have his way with her. Each experience included a mind-blowing chocolate and alcohol pairing with creatively themed food produced by Michelin starred chefs.

At Tequila: The Reconciliation, guests were taken prisoner and made to face their nemesis in a Texan-style Slammer – The Shoreditch State Penitentiary. Checked in by prison guards they were given standard issue prison wear and “drug tested” (served Tequila Sunrise in a urine sample jar). Mug shots taken, guests were let loose in the recreation yard. Muscle Mary’s vigorously pumped iron whilst swapping skincare tips and guests could “get inked” at the Mezcal Monkey Tattoo Parlour.

An expert master class profiling a range of premium and ultra premium Tequilas, freed guests from past experiences and misconceptions and they were welcomed into a colourful Day of the Dead celebration with a gorgeous feast.

Official Website: http://www.afluidstate.com