8 November 2011
Inspired by Spitsbergen
Image: Daniel Blinkhorn recording on a small iceberg The polar region of Spitsbergen (also known as Svalbard) is unparalleled in its geologic and environmental rarity. Positioned above Norway, the archipelago is a truly remarkable part of the world that continues to inspire awe and fascination, and is often at the heart of our collective consciousness for its ecological and climatic sensitivity.
As part of an interdisciplinary arts residency, I had the good fortune to travel throughout the region on a traditionally rigged tall ship (known as a barquentine) for a period of just under three weeks. Whilst onboard I discussed and collaborated on a number of projects with fellow artist participants from around the world. The backgrounds of the individuals were incredibly diverse, ranging from sculptor and playwrights, through to authors, new media technologists, inventors, film makers and beyond.
A typical day consisted of landfall twice (morning and afternoon)
- we pursued artistic activities and specialist projects were
undertaken in truly remarkable locations throughout the
archipelago. I had the chance to capture many field recordings of
the region, providing some very inspiring materials for use in
upcoming music and interdisciplinary pieces I'm composing. I also
had the opportunity to begin putting together a radio feature for
the ABC Radio National's 360 program.
My trip to the region was made possible through the extremely
generous assistance of the Churchill Trust, through which I am a
2011 fellow, as well as through the Ian Potter Cultural Trust,
who have also been very generous in assisting me to undertake the
program.
As part of my Churchill Fellowship I'm looking into developing
strategies and techniques for composing with environmental sound
in fixed-media and live performance. To this end, I've now left
the polar region and am visiting specialist composers within the
field at institutions in the US and Canada. I'm particularly
excited about the possibilities that exist when drawing from the
environment to inform the compositional process, and hope to
develop a range of techniques and resources that can be shared
with interested individuals well into the future.
AMC resources
Daniel Blinkhorn - AMC profile
© Australian Music Centre (2011) — Permission must be obtained from the AMC if you wish to reproduce this article either online or in print.
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