With less than a month to re-opening, Warwick Arts Centre has announced more events and activities for its Autumn 2021 season.

These include appearances from internationally respected artists, ground-breaking performers, and thought-provoking new works.

Scoring her first Top 10 hit in 1988, Mica Paris (11 Dec) is arguably the UK's Queen of Soul. Her most recent album, Gospel, was her first in over a decade, and hit the No.1 spot in the UK R&B Album Charts upon release in December. Joining her in a broad music line-up, that also includes the previously announced John Grant (1 Oct) and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (8 Oct - Re-Opening Concert) is Tricky (3 Nov).

Another leading figure in British music, the trip hop pioneer and producer shot of widespread fame in 1992 after contributing to Massive Attack's Blue Lines record. His 14th album, Fall To Pieces, is released on 4 September.

Theatre and dance highlights include Cupid's Revenge (6-7 Oct), in which New Art Club ponder the loss of real love, and Beckett's Room (4-7 Dec), the latest work from Dublin-based company Dead Centre. Having previously visited Warwick Arts Centre with Hamnet in 2018, Beckett's Room sees them ingeniously exploring writer Samuel Beckett's Parisian apartment during WWII using just voices and objects.

In Cuckoo (8-9 Dec), Jaha Koo reveals 20 years of Korean history using a group of talkative rice cookers, while Frozen Light imagine a future world in 2065 (2-4 Nov), a futuristic sensory extravaganza for audiences with profound and multiple learning disabilities.

A series of talks includes bestselling writer and campaigner Caroline Criado Perez, whose latest book, Invisible Women (5 Oct), exposes data bias in a world designed by men.

With a comedy line-up that promises not only laughter, but also personal confessions and questions, acts include the ever-challenging Russell Brand (7 Oct), rising star Sindhu Vee (17 Oct), multi-award-winning Bridget Christie (14 Nov), the West Mids' very own Luisa Omielan (19 Nov), and ventriloquist Nina Conti (20 Nov).

Other activities to look out for include a well-timed return for Change Festival (5-7 Nov), featuring workshops, performances and free family activities that explore our collective strength and need for change.

Warwick Arts Centre's Director, Doreen Foster, said: "It's been quite a journey. But we're coming back with a bigger and better offer than ever before, and with a new mission to bring more people together through arts and culture.

"The arts have always been a source of wisdom, support, connection, understanding, joy and inspiration for each and every one of us.

"In our ever more fragmented world, we know that the arts are one of the few places we can all meet, a place to share our experiences, a place to find common ground and understanding, a place to connect, to transform and explore new possibilities together."

Following a major four year transformation, Coventry's Warwick Arts Centre is reopening for live events on Friday 1 October 2021.

The redevelopment, the largest in its 47 year history, combines extensive upgrades of existing spaces with spacious new areas, including a more welcoming foyer, three new cinemas and (opening later) a repositioned Mead Gallery and restaurant, Benugo.

For more local events, follow this link to our What's On page!