In 2016, I commissioned and produced the Music + Film project for Manchester's contemporary arts centre HOME. Supported by the PRS Foundation and the BFI Film Hub, the year-long programme presented an eclectic season of silent cinema accompanied by soundtracks from the city’s most innovative musical talent.
Combining the immediacy and energy of live performance with the magic of the big screen, Music + Film saw Manchester musicians creating original scores for early 20th century silent cinema, archive footage and artist film.
Singer-songwriter Josephine Oniyama got to grips with synths and sequencing for her score to HAXAN; , Dutch Uncles songwriter and bassist Robin Richards worked with an orchestra for Lonesome, and Mercury Award nominees GoGo Penguin created their now legendary score for Koyaanisqatsi, which has since toured Europe. The project gave these artists the opportunity to explore the relationship between live sound and image, with many of them scoring and arranging for film for the first time. I worked hand in glove with the artists, and took care of all elements of programming and production with the support of HOME.
The programme was featured by the British Council as part of their FAMLAB project, garndered praise in the national press, and led to a number of successful offshoot projects for the artists.
