Ida Barr is rapping pensioner who instead of morosely looking back on her glory days as a music hall singer, is embracing a style of music called Artificial Hip Hop. Ida is based on a real English music hall star and is based on a mountain of research. She has wowed audiences all over the world with her shows including Artificial Hip Hop, Get Old or Die Trying, and Last Christmas (Possibly) and had her own Radio 4 series.
Ida in action
There are lots of Ida Barr videos on Youtube. But this short film Artificial Hip Hop is a good place to start:
Artificial Hip Hop
Ida Barr at the Barbican Theatre
Ida Barr at Duckie
Ida Barr’s Mashup
This project has Ida Barr in character leading workshops with children and pensioners, then bringing them together to form a mass participatory choir. We have done lots of events and it’s taken us to an extraordinary range of places and we have met some fantastically inspiring people. It’s the luckiest job in the world. Supported by Arts Council England.
Ida Barr at the National Theatre
Ida Barr’s Mashup on tour
