4 new artist commissions producing 2 new audio-visual works
We are excited to be able to offer 4 artists commissions this year as part of our Delia Derbyshire Day 2023 Doctor Who 60th anniversary heritage project. Supported by National Lottery Heritage Fund, we are offering exciting opportunities to 4 North West England based marginalised artists to create new work inspired by Doctor Who and Delia’s iconic realisation of Ron Grainer’s original Doctor Who theme composition in 1963.
These will be 2 x new electronic music/sound and visual based art commissions to be presented online on DD Day 2023 – 23 November. A live in-person event in Manchester on DD Day is also being planning by our volunteer team, more on that in due course.
Artists will respond to the theme of Doctor Who 60th anniversary as well as Delia’s work and the Delia Derbyshire Archive based at John Rylands Research Institute and Library in Manchester, UK.
Follow us on our social media channels or join our mailing list as we countdown to DD Day 2023’s new collaborative art presentations on 23 November!
Introducing our DD Day 2023 artists
DD Day 2023 audio-visual commission 1:
Joy Ingle and Laura Spark
Joy Ingle is a composer and sound artist who is interested in exploring ideas of landscape, environment and identity through field recordings and spectral music, with heavy influences from British folk traditions.
“Delia Derbyshire’s work on Doctor Who and at the Radiophonic Workshop has been a huge influence on my craft and I’m so excited to start looking through the archive and start creating weird and wonderful sound worlds as she did. I can’t wait to work on this project with Laura and learn more about Delia’s music in the process.”
Laura Spark is a visual artist who applies animation across film, performance and installation, practicing a reverence for the natural world and both human and non-human experience.
“I’m really excited to delve into the Delia Derbyshire archives to learn more about her approach to world building through sound. I know she was a strong character who worked hard to get the results she wanted and I’d love to know more about her creative process. I’m also excited to work with collaborator Joy Ingle and explore our shared interests alongside Delia’s works!“
DD Day 2023 audio-visual commission 2:
Joel Foster & Alexis Maxwell
Delivered in partnership with Brighter Sound
Joel Foster is a composer, orchestrator, songwriter and performer based in Blackpool and Liverpool, UK.
“I’m always eager to collaborate with creatives of different backgrounds, drawing on our differing life experiences, passions, and skillsets to aid me in developing my creativity to its fullest. Some of a musician’s most vital assets are the ability to listen, communicate, innovate, and adapt, so I’m thrilled with the prospect of collaborating with a creative from a different field to celebrate one of the UK’s most pioneering figures. This commission is the perfect opportunity to try and find a way to innovate in composition, in the spirit of Delia Derbyshire.”
Alexis Maxwell is a self-taught animator and long-time fan of all things spoken word, adopting a socially involved approach to exploring their lived experiences. Alexis uses a blend of text, animation, projection and performance to blur the boundaries of the digital and physical worlds.
“Something I love about Doctor Who is its ability to use Sci-fi to reflect on and celebrate humanity. I’m interested in weaving real stories with elements of fiction, blurring those boundaries. Delia Derbyshire had some beautiful visual scores for her music, so it will be interesting to see how working with the archive will inspire me. It’s exciting to start collaborating with Joel, and seeing what might take shape from our different perspectives and lived experiences. Our creative response will be something that neither of us could have made on our own!”
