Wednesday 13 December 2006

Asialink Performing Arts Residency

[It doesn't rain ... it pours]. I received news that my Asialink Performing Arts Residency application was successful, to spend 3 months in Asia. I applied to do composition and interaction design at the Future University in Hakadote, Sapporo Island of Japan. [It looks like there may be some change to the host institution arrangement so I may take it up in Tokyo and Chichibu, with the possibility of including an additional Asian country]. I hope to catch the Chichibu Yomatsuri (Night Festival: floats, fireworks, Kabuki performances, a portable shrine, flutes and taiko drums). The objectives of this residency are to combine 3 activities: composing a new acoustic major work for shakuhachi and ensemble; studying shakuhachi playing with Kakizakai; and developing responsive electro-acoustic interactive music for shakuhachi with sensors driving sonic augmentation and live visualisation display. There is some time to refine the plan and destination institutions. Tom Heneghan at work has advocated his old University - Tokyo Geijitsu Daigaku [Tokyo University of Fine Arts] - and I would like to learn more about traditional Japanese music including Nagauta [Kabuki music] and the Kinko tradition of shakuhachi. This is a nice creative complement to the Matsumae science research fellowship. This will probably take place at the end of 2007, running into 2008. My Asialink Performing Arts Residency program is funded by the Australia Council and NSW Ministry for the Arts, organised by Asialink at the University of Melbourne.