City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

During July 2005, Ikon worked in partnership with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) as part of IgorFest, a celebration of the music of Igor Stravinsky who, in his lifetime, encouraged collaboration between different artforms. In this spirit, artist Simon Blackmore worked alongside animateur Duncan Chapman and CBSO musicians to offer 30 young participants in the CBSO’s Summer School the opportunity to explore the musical potential of contemporary art.

Simon is a sound artist who is interested in low-technology and composition using everyday materials. His Weather Guitar at Ikon involved harnessing the wind through the use of basic electronic equipment, which then generated power to pluck the strings of a guitar, thus allowing the natural forces of the wind to create abstract sound.

This project was supported by the CBSO, Equal and Urban Fusion. Urban Fusion was an explosion of creativity and events throughout 2005, which brought together more than 60 of the city’s leading lights in arts and culture. Funded by the Arts Council and the Millennium Commission, the programme covered six key themes around music, poetry and literature, city regeneration, cultural diversity, visual arts and the celebration of talent.