Jazz Studies - Translating curatorial practice

Fiona Talkington (BBC Radio 3) - If Mountains Could Sing

From Kristiansand in the south of Norway, to Svalbard in the far, far North, Fiona has spent nearly 20 years travelling throughout the country, getting to know musicians and festivals, working with them on curatorial projects and navigating different approaches to production, funding, audiences and self-perception. A large country with a relatively small population yet an enviable financial wealth brings challenges and advantages, yet it was the uncompromising passion for creativity and a sense of freedom to express oneself that lured Fiona into a relationship with the arts where ideas were met with positivity and excitement. Many things have changed over the years, politically, financially, technologically but Fiona firmly believes that human understanding and creative partnerships are fundamental to creating new art.

Dr. Sid Peacock (BCU) – Surge in Spring 2

The presentation will be about the Grow Your Own Festival - Surge in Spring 2 which Sid is curating at Midlands Arts Centre on 21st April 2018. The festival aims to provide an open space for experimentation and collaboration across art forms. This year’s festival will present a new ensemble and music from Rachel Musson and Marks Sanders commissioned by Tony Dudley Evans. We are inviting Palestinian clarinettist Mohamed Najem and his group to perform with Surge Strings and there will be an exciting new commission for Juice Aleem to work with Surge Orchestra and Flatpack Cinema marking 50 years since 1968 with a Rivers of Love celebration. Others acts throughout the day will include Steve Troman’s new Dead as Dillinger project, Didier Kisala and the Froe, Culture Dub Orchestra Quartet, Mbira player Millicent Chapanda, Room Art and many more acts to be confirmed from the worlds of classical, world, folk, jazz and spoken word. http://surgeorchestra.com/

About the speakers:

Fiona Talkington is best known as BBC Radio 3 presenter particularly as co-founder in 1999 of the Sony Award winning Late Junction. She has also curated many festivals and events particularly working with the Norwegian arts scene. In 2009, she was presented with the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit for her services to the Arts. She is editor of the English translation of Luca Vitali’s ‘The Sound of the North’.

Dr. Sid Peacock is a composer/musician from Northern Ireland based in Birmingham since 2003. He leads Surge Orchestra and his musical practice spans folk, roots, classical and jazz. He presently He holds a post-doctoral researcher position at Birmingham City University where he curates and runs the annual Surge in Spring Festival.