Mussorgsky's 'Pictures at an Exhibition' Gets a Visual Twist

 

The UK’s first purpose built Deaf Cultural Centre and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) are working in partnership to explore visual and aural links of Mussorgsky’s orchestral work ‘Pictures at an Exhibition'.

As part of a newly established education project, CBSO musicians including Deaf musician Sannah Gulamani and Deaf artists Fiona McLean and Iva Tetauerova have been working with four local hearing impaired schools to develop creative performances that explore how musical themes can be represented visually, enabling creative music making opportunities.

 

 

 

The main focus of the workshops has been to establish how Mussorgsky’s work can be interpreted through motion and colour, as Lisa Davies, Deaf Cultural Centre Arts Network Coordinator explains; “Colour has always been an important part of representation in life.  We see it every day and are accustomed to its connotations; red as danger or black meaning sombre.  

“We are hoping to introduce this kind of visual representation into the performance at the Cultural Centre and although many of the audience won’t hear the music they will be able understand its emotive content through symbolic movement and colours.”

 

Deaf Artist Iva Tetauerova with the children from Longwill School for the Deaf

 

The final performance, taking place on Monday 30th June, will be attended by the pupils, their families and the teachers involved in creating the performance.

“It is really important to everyone involved that they are there to see the creative ideas and input on stage.  Everyone involved in developing the creative performance has contributed ideas and it will be really great for them to see it come to fruition through a very unique style of performance.” Continued Lisa.

Ends
For more information on this project or to arrange an interview please contact:
Anthony Beeby
Deaf Cultural Centre
Ladywood Rd
Birmingham
B16 8SZ

Tel: 0121 450 7749
Click here to send an email

NOTES TO EDITORS
The Deaf Cultural Centre is a community driven environment created to explore Deaf cultural expression through art, film, music and cinema.  Our dedicated team work along side the community and a diverse array of partners to develop new projects that will allow for cultural development to continue.