Climate Symphony

I was invited to participate in Climate Symphony, an event devised by Disobedient in collaboration with Jamie Perera. It was co-produced by Forma Arts and Disobedient, and supported by Arts Council England and Sculpt the Future Foundation. The event was held at Culture Lab, Newcastle University. Climate Symphony was a live music performance that turned data into a four part symphony to tell the story of what climate change means for humans and their environment through sound.

Some questions we thought about included

Can we use sound as a narrative and reporting tool?

Can we engage and inspire and maintain factual rigour?

The lab brought together scientists, artists, journalists and members of the public to interrogate some of the ideas behind the project and as part of a workshop/lab, we created some initial works to communicate some of the data to a new and wider audience.

The lab was intended as a research and development vehicle to answer key practical and artistic questions around the process by which we can transform data into a narrative symphony.

Schedule

LEARN

Birth of a Climate Dataset: Artists, scientists and data analysts delivered talks on field recording and climate data collection.




Jim Lloyd gave an introduction to his work as a scientist and artist, and discussed some of the challenges he faces with science that led him to art.




Jez Riley French described his approach to field recording and shared some examples of his work.


PLAY

What is the Sound of a Dying Planet? We split into two groups and each group selected a set of climate data and turned that into sound.



This is the data set that we chose (kindly provided by Erin in our group).

We found the averages of points along the timeline and plotted this data into the computer. We used the trends to alter the recordings that Jez from our group had provided.

CHALLENGE

Each group explained the decisions made throughout the process of making the work, discussed the challenges faced, what worked, and what didn’t work. This led to a broader debate about role of sonification in communicating narratives of climate change.


Here is the presentation about the work that I was involved with making.

In the evening we were treated to two performances, one by Kate Carr and the next by Jez Riley French.

It was a really interesting and stimulating day, working with such a range of experts in their field and sharing lots of ideas and raising lots of questions. Thank you to Forma Arts and Disobedient for making it happen and for inviting me to be part of it.

Climate Symphony Lab in Newcastle at Culture Lab, Newcastle University on Saturday 8th July

I have been invited to participate in Climate Symphony a forthcoming event to be held at Culture Lab, Newcastle University in July. Each organiser comes from a different background and their skills and interests have shaped what looks to be a fascinating and pertinent event. Katharine Round works primarily in film, Leah Borromeo is an artist and journalist and Jamie Perera is a composer. Tonight I talked to Katharine about the event and my involvement. 

"Climate Symphony is a creative lab that turns hard data on climate change into a symphony to tell the story of what climate change means through sound.

Journalists, climate scientists, data analysts and sound artists will spend the day collaboratively exploring and discovering how we can change climate change research data into a sound and music composition.

Datasets related to different areas of climate change will be used - issues like air quality & asthma, glacial erosion, flooding, migration patterns and food choices etc.

The days run from 11-6pm. There will be an overview to the data and the scientific principles around its collection and analysis, followed by a longer workshop exploring how data can be translated into sound and the outcomes. Later there will be a discussion between all participants as to the findings of the day.

The event will culminate in a live illustrated performance by leading sound artist Jez Riley French who uses field recordings in the composition of his work, often from places affected by climate change."

If you would like to reserve a place at the event, please contact Philippa Barr on pb@forma.org.uk by July 1st.

Limited capacity so please book early.

Climate Symphony is supported by the Digital Cultures Research Group, Culture Lab, Newcastle University digitalcultures.ncl.ac.uk. Climate Symphony is devised by Disobedient in collaboration with Jamie Perera and co-produced with Forma.

For more information please visit

https://www.facebook.com/events/1551764054894196/?active_tab=about

Thanks to all involved in the Unpitch event at Culture Lab

The Drone Ensemble would like to thank Ben Freeth and Jez Riley French for inviting us to perform at the Unpitch event at Culture Lab, featuring headliners Hankil Ryu and Lo Wie from Korea.

We would also like to thank all the people who turned up to listen to us!




The Drone Ensemble set up this evening consisted of:

friction drums

pipe gurdys

hurdy gurdy

percussion

It was good to test out a simpler score and allow each of the instruments to have a period of time as the focus.

The Drone Ensemble featuring in Hankil Ryu and lo wie evening performance at Culture Lab

The Drone Ensemble have been invited to perform in

Unpitch presents: Hankil Ryu and lo wie evening performance at Culture Lab, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.

Invite
You are cordially invited to a series of sound art presentations, workshops and performances to take place on 24th February 2017 in Culture Lab and Fine Art, Newcastle University. These are free and don't cost anything to attend / participate. They are aimed at anyone interested in electronic music, electronic performance, digital media, creative practice involving technology, artists developing their own musical instruments, musicians, artists and those with an interest in contemporary music and performance in Korea.

Background
Following a recent Arts Council England sponsored research visit to SouthKorea artists Ben Freeth and Yvette Hawkins in collaboration with Jez Riley French have invited Korean artist's Hankil Ryu and Lo Wie to Newcastle.

To share practice and expand networks there will be a series of workshops, presentations, and performances taking place over two days: 23rd and 24th February 2017. Ben and Yvette will launch "Hybrid Cultures / Borderless Practice" a book and set of recordings on the Sonospace label. This will feature their work in Korea. https://www.sonospace.org/

Jez Riley French will work with First Year Fine Art Students to create a performance involving field recording and photographic scores.

Hankil Ryu and Io wie will work with Creative Arts Practice students, fine art students and members of the public to explore acts of listening, writing and collective vocalisation.

Daytime
12pm - 1pm Lunch time presentations Hankil / Io wie, JRF (lunch bites format - listen and eat lunch!)
1pm break
1.30pm - 4.30pm Hankil / Lowie Workshop begins
Spaces limited: to reserve a free place book here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/text-oriented-composition-hankil-ryu-lo-wie-workshop-tickets-32055137780

Evening
7.00pm Doors open
7.30pm First performance

Performances:
7.30pm Drone Ensemble
8.00pm Jamie Cook
8.40pm Jez Riley French (UK) + (1st Year Fine Art Students)
9.20pm Ben Freeth, John Bowers and Tim Shaw
10pm Hankil Ryu / lo wie (SK)


Artist Bio's / Descriptions:
Hankil RYU (Korean, born 1975) is a musician from Seoul. He has organised a monthly event called RELAY since 2005 and established his own publishing office called The Manual. He is interested in finding an alternative musical structure possessed by abandoned objects like clockworks, typewriters and telephones. After discovering the instrumental possibilities of a typewriter, he started to collaboration project called ‘A.Typist’ with lo wie and Taeyong KIM. The collaboration’s results were released by The Manual and Mediabus as three CD+Book sets. He has also been a member of FEN (Far East Network) since 2008. As a different approach from his past works, in 2015, he started digital beats project called ‘pilot Ryu’ based on synthesis sound.

lo wie
lo wie is Beckett's Typist and a member of A.Typist, and organizing a music composition concert series, Namsan.
http://lo-wie.blogspot.com/
https://vimeo.com/160201665

Hnakil Ryu / lo wie performance on 24th will feature a variety of objects, text and software:
“A. Typist: The Soft Machine”

A.Typist is a project group consisting of the musician Ryu Hankil, and the writers Kim Taeyong and lo wie. They use prepared typewriters with an interest in finding sound/music produced by writing, texts produced by sound/music and unexpected things produced by the relationship of the two ways of producing sound/music and texts. Recently, their interest is extending into translation among writing, text scores and performance, and transition among physical forms of sound, light and electricity.
In this concert, Ryu Hankil and lo wie will perform “cut-up feedback” using their cut-up score based on William Burroughs’ “The Soft Machine” which is the first work of his cut-up trilogy.

Jez Riley French
Alongside performances, exhibitions, installations, JRF lectures and runs workshops around the world and his range of specialist microphones are widely used by recordists, sound artists, musicians, sound designers and cultural organisations.
In recent years he has been working extensively on recordings of surfaces, spaces and situations and developing the concept of photographic scores and ‘scores for listening’, which have featured widely in publications and exhibitions.
His work has been exhibited in shows and installations alongside that of Yoko Ono, David Bowie, Pauline Oliveros, Chris Watson, Alvin Lucier, Annea Lockwood, Ryuchi Sakamoto, Stars of the Lid, Jeremy Deller, Sarah Lucas, Brian Eno, Signe Liden, Sally Ann McIntyre etc, at galleries including The Whitworth Gallery (Manchester), Tate Modern and Tate Britain, MOT - Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo (Japan), Artisphere (USA)….
jezrileyfrench.co.uk

Yvette Hawkins
Yvette Hawkins (British Korean, born 1979) is a paper artist of South Korean and English descent who makes installations, sculptural objects and scores for improvised musical performance using books, maps, silk, textiles and other found materials. Hawkins trained at the Glasgow School of Art and graduated from Newcastle University in 2007. She has had numerous group and solo exhibitions within the UK and Europe. She also has pieces in collections in Italy, Japan, and the United States. Her work has been featured in several books. Hawkins is currently represented by Globe Gallery, UK.
https://yvettehawkins.co.uk/

Ben Freeth
Ben Freeth is an artist, musician, and researcher with an interdisciplinary practice using data, networked technologies, sonification, extended recording techniques, prototype electronics and marine algae to create sculptural installations and contemporary sonic performances enabling entangled encounters within “naturecultures” (a necessary entwining of the natural and the cultural, the bodily and the mind). This involves an exploration of sound and its ability to create relations within nature cultures, humans, environments, and technology.
https://bcfreeth.wordpress.com/

Tim Shaw has worked internationally as an artist, performer and sound designer. His practice is situated within media art and draws upon soundscape and electroacoustic composition, performance making and DIY technology. He currently works as a lecturer in Digital Media at Culture Lab, Newcastle. Collaboration plays a central role in his approach, he has been lucky enough to make artistic work with Chris Watson, John Bowers and Sébastien Piquemal.
https://tim-shaw.net/

John Bowers is an artist-researcher working within Culture Lab with a particular interest in the use of art and design-led methods (Research Through Design) to explore digital technologies and novel interaction concepts. He also works as a sound artist improvising with electronic, digital, acoustic and electro-mechanical devices and self-made instruments in performance and installation settings, typically accompanied by live digital image.

Drone Ensemble
The Drone Ensemble is an experimental sound group that uses acoustic instruments that can produce a prolonged drone sound. All the instruments are made by the group and are often re-interpretations of existing instruments from around the world.
The Ensemble intends for the combination of drone and pulse to induce trance-like states and a heightened, timeless listening experience.
Members of the ensemble are students or graduates of Newcastle University Fine Art. The ensemble is led by staff member, Joseph Sallis.

Jamie Cook
"soundscapes created from live foley recordings and granular synthesis"


Sponsored by:
Newcastle Institute of Creative Arts Practice (NICAP)
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/nicap/
Digital Cultures Research Group from Culture Lab
http://digitalcultures.ncl.ac.uk/
Fine Art Newcastle University
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/sacs/fineart/
Arts Council England
www.artscouncil.org.uk/

Scratching The Surface - final exhibition by Creative Arts Practice MA students

Congratulations to the Culture Lab students who have created an interesting and innovative exhibition using new media and interactive technology. The show consists of work by a variety of artists, designers and musicians who have come to the end of their one year Creative Arts Practice MA course at Newcastle University. They "explore new media to challenge the role of electronic arts, disrupting the relationships between artwork, audience and interaction."

Exhibiting artists: Barti Sena, Clive Wright, Cuong Dao, Edmund Nesveda, Meteor Liang, Qingchan Li, Tan Zou, Wenya Chen and Yousif Abdulghani unveil an exciting exhibition consisting of audio-visual interactive installations, live hacked CCTV, performances and interactive objects.

Bartira Sena

In a burgeoning momentum of excessive technological consumerism and electronic mediation, Bartira Sena's work attempts to juxtapose notions of nature, spirituality and technology. Her installations create situations in which we experience alternative cultural representations. For this show she presents ‘Ceremonial Hardware’ the result of a collaborative session where participants responded to the imaginary scenario ‘ Spiritual e-tools from the future, excavated in our present time’. The engulfing device imprints multi-touch gestural frustration while multi-mouthing attempts a surrogate to multi- touching interaction.

Clive Wright looks at disrupting the notion of mass surveillance presenting us with an installation that provokes and questions our current beliefs.
‘Surveillance Discourse’ presents us with an eclectic mix of live hacked CCTV footage from around the world, from dystopian looking landscapes to places of worship, we glimpse a first hand view of who and what is being looked at through these faceless pieces of technology.

Clive Wright

By underlining the characteristic of Studio Ghibli fans, Cuong Dao’s work describes the essential role played by a fan-made fiction. Ghibliary, an approach to fan art, will be presented as a closer analysis, which will investigate how a fan uses natural constitutions and spiritual themes from original movies as metaphors to expose cultural values to people and society.

Edmund Nesveda's interactive video installation explores the relationship between the public and the private in the context of surveillance in contemporary society. It plays on the ambiguous role of technology in the process, and underlines the tensions emerging from the blurring of lines between public and private lives. In the UK alone there are more than 6 million CCTV cameras, forming a huge surveillance network, many are unsecured, leaving a window open into people's lives. Someone might be watching, indeed someone might be watching right now.

Qingchan Li explores the possibilities of a totally open and free environment in interactive narratives by producing multiply alternative life of Adolf Hitler in a game style. This project mainly consists of historical images, text, along with impressive sound effect, providing various options and branches in every stage in Adolf Hitler’s life for audience to choose, leading to more than five different endings.

Tan Zou

“To-be” Garden is Tan’s interactive installation design, which consists of “Music Garden” and “Weather Garden”. “Music Garden” is a multisensory interactive installation controlled by infrared sensors.“Weather Garden” is a creative design based on weather change. Tan's work aims at providing a multisensory and emotional digital world for participants.

Bencharmony – Yousif Abdulghani
The bench is an everyday functional and familiar object. It satisfies variable needs and provides a platform for human communication. Although it can accommodate multiple occupants with a close proximity, it has been observed that they rarely connect to each other in the public spaces. This piece was created to investigate the ability of collaborative music making to demolish barriers, and stimulate connectivity between strangers in the public spaces. With its minimalist and accessible interface design, it allows occupants to explore and create musical patterns and textures collaboratively, which results in various levels of human connections with unpredictable outputs and interactions.

http://dm.ncl.ac.uk/usifaghani/

http://www.thecrackmagazine.com/view-event/25724/2015-09-22/19

http://narcmagazine.com/news-scratching-the-surface-culture-lab-newcastle/



The exhibition is open 22nd - 25th September 9am - 5pm

Culture Lab Space 4/5
King's Road,
Newcastle upon Tyne,
NE1 7RU

A Bad Hand, Folding: A Live Rehearsal

A Bad Hand, Folding: A Live Rehearsal

Featuring versions by:
Faye Green & Beth Ramsay
Giles Bailey
Paul Becker & Francesco Pedraglio

Music by Dawn Bothwell.

Last night I went to the Culture Lab for A Bad Hand, Folding: A Live Rehearsal. I did not know what to expect, and the event was like nothing else I have ever experienced.

It was like sitting in on a practice session as the group tested out different ideas, sometimes stopping in the middle of some spoken word, other times waiting until the end of a section in order to have a chat about what was working/not working.

It made me question the role of the audience. We were not acknowledged, except at the start when they explained that this was not something that they had finished, and therefore that we should be patient with them. Were we there to give them an idea of what it would be like to have an audience? At times I wondered whether some of the performers were off-put by having an audience there, and them having to critique their own performance.

It was really interesting to spectate, what seemed to me to be a kind of critique session for a spoken word performance. As this is not my area of practice, I learned a lot about what they thought was not working within the performance, and different ways they could change and approach their work.

It would be fascinating to see the final outcome, and see how far it has moved on since the rehearsal.