Ray Davies to take control at Meltdown 2011

The Southbank Centre have announced that the eighteenth Meltdown 2011 will be artistically directed by Ray Davies.

Lead singer and rhythm guitarist with The Kinks, acclaimed solo artist, actor, director and storyteller, Ray Davies has written some of the most enduring songs in rock and pop history. Feted by successive generations of musicians – from David Bowie and Pete Townshend to The Fall, The Jam, Blur and most recently Mumford & Sons – his prowess as a storyteller has also endeared him to auteur filmmakers like Wes Anderson and Wim Wenders. Davies' latest release See My Friends features collaborations on Kinks songs with Bruce Springsteen, Paloma Faith, Black Francis, Metallica and many others.

From the proto-garage rock of 'All Day and All of the Night' and 'You Really Got Me' to the beautifully observed songs such as 'Dead End Street', 'Lola' and 'Dedicated Follower of Fashion', Ray Davies, with The Kinks and as a solo artist, has chronicled British life for nearly half a century. The full line-up for the annual festival is still to be announced.

He follows in the footsteps of past Meltdown directors Richard Thompson, Ornette Coleman, Massive Attack, John Peel, Robert Wyatt, Scott Walker, David Bowie, Lee 'Scratch' Perry, Morrissey, Patti Smith and Jarvis Cocker, curating a festival that will take place across the Southbank Centre site and reflect the diversity of his career and enduring influence.

Ray Davies, said, "My wish for Meltdown 2011 is that it will be a creative celebration through the decades. A bridge between the past present and future. I am thrilled to be asked to suggest what I hope will be a diverse programme, particularly as it marks the 60th anniversary of the Festival of Britain."

Southbank Centre celebrates the 60th anniversary of the 1951 Festival of Britain with MasterCard from 3 May to 4 September 2011. Next summer's celebrations will feature an eclectic mix of contemporary British cultural talent, reflecting the history of Britain and the history of the site, which began in 1951 when the Royal Festival Hall was built as part of the South Bank exhibition, the main exhibition site of the 1951 Festival.

Jane Beese, Senior Music Programmer at Southbank Centre,, said, "Ray Davies has acted and directed for TV, appeared in cult films and sold millions of records. Though, it is his songwriting that has kept him on our turntables, on our iPods and in our hearts over the decades, and his skills as a storyteller that make him such a tantalising choice as Meltdown director. With a wide range of interests and no shortage of friends and admirers, we look forward to working with this most singular talent on this most idiosyncratic of festivals."

Meltdown takes place over all 21 acres of the Southbank Centre, including the riverside, Royal Festival Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall. The dates for Meltdown 2011 are confirmed as Friday 10th until Sunday 19th June 2011, and the full line-up will be announced early in 2011.

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