Welcome to our DD Day 2023 Doctor Who 60th project
Welcome to our Delia Derbyshire Day 2023 programme of activities. Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, we are doing our best to provide electronic music education and inspiration, honouring the 60th anniversary year of BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who.
David Butler, Delia Derbyshire Day Chair and Delia Derbyshire Archive researcher said:
“The Doctor Who theme tune thrilled, fascinated and compelled audiences in the 1960s to learn more about how electronic music was made. Sixty years later, the Delia Derbyshire Day 2023 activities will encourage a new generation of audiences and school children to find out more about this extraordinary piece of music, the people who made it and how to produce and record their own histories by becoming active participants in documenting adventures in space and time!”
Helen Featherstone, Director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said:
“It is fantastic news that thanks to National Lottery players we are able to support this project that by working with local young people who will explore and record the heritage of this iconic theme music and the influence Delia Derbyshire’s work had on television, preserving it for future generations to come.”
2023 marks the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who and its hugely influential theme tune, realised by Delia Derbyshire, providing a timely opportunity to unlock and celebrate the heritage of this iconic and enduring piece of music. With the imminent arrival of the first principal black Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa, later this year, this project highlights the diverse team who created the original series in 1963 as inspiring role models, including Verity Lambert (then the BBC’s only female TV drama producer), Waris Hussein (director of South Asian heritage) and Delia Derbyshire (one of the few working clas women working in music for TV at the time).
The activities of this project will include:
- Establishing a Delia Derbyshire Day archive at John Rylands Research Institute and Library alongside the Delia Derbyshire Archive, thereby increasing diversity represented in heritage.
- Recruiting a team of 6 young volunteers (ages 18-30) who will learn new skills and be empowered to make key decisions on heritage, education and project documentation.
- Delivering inspirational days in primary schools in Greater Manchester that will explore the DD Archive. Pupils will learn about the diverse original Doctor Who production team and how the theme was made. This experience includes making their own “wobbulator” – a re-creation of the DIY instrument Delia used to create the distinctive Doctor Who theme melody. Delivered in partnership with One Education Music and followed by a visit to John Rylands for each school – a direct experience of a major heritage centre which the pupils will be contributing to through their own work.
- Producing a short documentary with schoolchildren that will tell the world how Delia produced the theme in 1963.
- Facilitating a new trans-generational oral history project led by school children who will develop new skills by interviewing past BBC employees.
- Producing 2 new audio-visual works produced by marginalised artists, with 1 commission produced in partnership with Brighter Sound.
Dick Mills, Delia’s tape assistant in 1963 and Doctor Who “special sound” sound effects producer 1972-1989:
“What a great idea, letting ‘the past’ speak directly to ‘the present’ who, in their turn will soon become ‘the future.’ How clever to get pioneers to personally explain to young inquisitive folk how things were done and provide practicable tips on how to do the same.”
JOIN OUR MAILING LIST AND SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS TO GET ON BOARD THE DD DAY 2023 TRAIN!
We are a growing organisation with no core funding so if you are able to, you can support our work via our donations page and get your own Delia-n merchandise from our shop.
