Terry Williams - photographer
with the
Scottish Clarinet Quartet

Songs of the Earth

Project outline

This innovative collaboration between photographer Terry Williams and the Scottish Clarinet Quartet (SCQ) aims to create a combination of photographic exhibition, musical performance and educational workshop, through specially-commissioned photographs and music. An essential aspect of the project is the tour circuit, which will take the event into schools and centres throughout Scotland, especially in the Highlands and Islands.

Exhibition

A series of approximately 12 display-size, colour photographs depicting aspects of the island world, based on the photographer's accustomed style - working in close-up to create an almost abstract image whilst retaining the 'reality' of the original subject. Complementary music - specially commissioned by the SCQ from both established and up-and-coming composers - will accompany the exhibition.

Close liaison between photographer, composers and musicians will result in a tightly-integrated visual and musical celebration of the island world. A flexible approach will allow for maximum creativity, the impetus originating with the photographs and thereafter moving between images and music as the project evolves.

Live performances

One or more live performances of the commissioned music to be given by the quartet within the exhibition space, in tandem with a background large-screen presentation of the exhibition images. The commissioned music to be recorded on CD for broadcast during the exhibition and for sale through commercial outlets. Cards, unframed prints and/or a printed catalogue of the exhibition photographs to be produced for sale during and after the exhibition. A CD-ROM of the whole collaboration to be produced for for workshop presentations, and for educational and commercial distribution thereafter.

Workshops

An educational outreach programme to be developed, in the form of workshops for/in local primary schools. Workshops to be in three parts, following a presentation of the exhibition and music in the exhibition space or on the school premises (CD-ROM presentation):

1. the photographer to guide children in the use of a polaroid and/or digital camera to produce 'songs of the earth' images of their own surroundings, the exhibition photographs providing a start point.
2. the musicians to encourage creative musical invention, leading to the pupils' own 'songs of the earth' to complement their photographs.
3. the workshop to culminate in a live performance of their work by pupils together with the musicians of the SCQ.

Further potential workshop outcomes:

• a dedicated page of pupils' images (and possibly music) on Terry Williams-photographer and SCQ websites, as well as the school's own website.
• a school CD-ROM including the pupils' own photographs and audio files of their compositions, in addition to the central project images and music.

Tour

An integral part of the collaboration is that the project and associated workshops should be toured throughout Scotland, especially the Highlands and Islands. A number of potential venues have already been identified in locations including the Isle of Lewis, Isle of Skye and North Uist.

Credentials

Terry Williams -
made the commitment to work as a full-time photographer when she moved to Skye in April 2000, having become addicted to photography whilst living in Perthshire. Her work draws especially on the patterns to be found in the island world, and is on sale in galleries and outlets throughout Wester Ross and Skye & Lochalsh. Her solo exhibition, in September 2003 at the Two Small Rooms Gallery in Plockton, drew the attention of a visiting member of the SCQ, and led to this collaboration. Further information and examples of her work are available on this site.

Terry has wide experience of workshop and project management, and has taught in a number of fields, including desktop publishing and website design. One of her current involvements is in the development of a photographic workshop to be held on Skye in spring 2004. As well as making fine art photographs, she also supplies articles (photographs and text) for a growing number of publications throughout the UK.

Scottish Clarinet Quartet -
was formed in 2002 by a group of young professional musicians based in Scotland. They have given critically-acclaimed recitals at Glasgow University, St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh and at other venues across the country. The group is actively involved in commissioning new works for the clarinet, and gave the world premiere performance of Matthew Rogers' timewave zero at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2003. In addition, the musicians are all experienced educators and workshop facilitators. Their first commercial CD is in preparation and a demo CD can be submitted if required. Further information is available online at www.scq.org.uk

Timescale

It is hoped that - with sufficient support and a suitable start venue - the exhibition and commissioned music will be ready for public presentation in late 2004. In addition to the photographic and compositional work, rehearsal time for the quartet is essential. Considerable time will also be required for making exhibition, performance and workshop arrangements, especially with regard to co-operation with schools.

Funding

We are actively seeking sources of funding and sponsorship to cover various aspects of the project, including:

• transport
• travel
• accommodation
• teaching time in workshops
• photographic, projection and digital equipment
• CD and CD-ROM recording
• picture framing
• exhibition/performance space
• publicity and promotion

Examples of sponsorship - you could:

• commission a piece of music, a photograph
• sponsor a performance, an exhibition, a workshop, a tour
• provide or fund a piece of equipment, recording facilities
• help with travel/accommodation costs

Benefits, according to the level of sponsorship, include

listing in, for example:

• event publicity - posters, brochures, etc
• programmes
• products (eg CDs)
• educational materials
• websites (TW-photographer and SCQ)

  advertising (banner, logo, etc), for example:

• at live performances
• at exhibition venues
• at workshops

If you are interested in supporting the 'Songs of the Earth' project in any way, we'll be glad to hear from you, without obligation. If you are a teacher or an exhibition/performance-space manager and are interested in becoming involved in the project, do get in touch.
Please contact us by email in the first instance, and we'll respond as quickly as we can:

Photography - Terry Williams: info@terrywilliams-photographer.co.uk
Music - Alex South: alex@scq.org.uk

Terry Williams/SCQ
February 2004

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