Soundbeam at centre of creative arts project in Barnsley

Edward Williams

A collaborative project between Barnsley College Pre-Foundation Studies Department and Corridor Arts has led to the formation of Cloud 9 - a mixed group of students with Physical and / or Learning disabilities.

Cloud 9 have worked with College tutor Stewart Geddes and Artist Helen Ward to explore their aspirations through movement, digital imaging, video and sound based work.

Soundbeam technology has played a key role in the project allowing the group to ‘paint’ a musical soundscape of their work. Having developed their own individual movement sequences about personal journeys towards their dreams, the whole group gathered around a parachute. Stewart Geddes conducted the group and music by selecting individuals whose movement were then mirrored by the whole group. The parachute then became the collective trigger for Soundbeam. The music was recorded, multi-tracked using a Pro Tools recording system and then mixed down.

The stunning results have been captured on the video ‘Dreams and Aspirations’ which brings together the group’s work. A CD of the music has also been created. Cloud 9 presented their work in The Cooper Gallery, Barnsley in July to excellent responses from the public. Since then the group have undertaken another piece of work exploring relationships which will be shown in the Imagination Technology Exhibition at The Cooper Art Gallery in Barnsley.

The Cloud 9 project has taken place as part of a wider project run by Corridor Arts entitled Imagination Technology and funded by the National Lottery through The Arts Council of England and Government Single Regeneration Budget funds.