Italian/British experimental vocalist, actor, and scholar, Ilenia Cipollari has performed internationally at major festivals and venues including the International Festival of Chamber Music (São Paulo), Yale Repertory Theatre (No Boundaries), Tbilisi International Theatre Festival, Edinburgh Fringe, and BRAVE Festival (Wrocław).
Her latest acclaimed performance work Sirena was praised for its “sublime” vocal strength (Everything Theatre, 2025). Known for collaborations that bridge traditions and experiment, she has worked with Sona Jobarteh, A Filetta, Anna Maria Jopek, Jennifer Walshe, and Lore Lixemberg.
Cipollari’s practice explores polyphony, myth, and trauma through voice. She is currently completing a PhD in Practice Research in London, where she develops new dramaturgies of care and sound.
Watch The Last Seven Years live performance
For one night only, Jay Bernard presented an experimental performance informed by the voices of people across the UK who opened up to the artist about the last seven years. In collaboration with Musarc, one of the UK’s foremost experimental choirs and multi-instrumentalist Petero Kalulé (petals), a performance was devised that presents memories of people across the UK from the post-Brexit landscape, and thoughts on how they and the country have changed. Bernard’s work spans poetry, audio-visual media, graphic illustration, theatre-making, archiving, and film programming. Their work brings together personal recollections with grand political narratives presenting themes of injustice, queerness, family relationships and state surveillance, in critical and unexpected ways. The Last Seven Years was presented in collaboration with Bold tendencies.
The Last Seven Years by Jay Bernard was produced by Artangel and presented in collaboration with Bold tendencies in September 2023. A prelude to the digital commission, it was devised and delivered by Joseph Kohlmaier and Musarc with Petero Kalulé (petals). Performers include Temitope Ajose-Cutting, Jeni Be, Thomas Boudier, Serena Braida, Elizabeth Chan, Ilenia Cipollari, Raphel Famotibe, Rozhina Ghasemizadeh, and Loren McK.
The Last Seven Years Recording credits:
Directed by Anthony Comber-Badu
Camera Operators: Jack Barraclough, Radford Nicholls
Sound Design and mixing: Panos Chountoulidis