The Glasshouse

For musicians looking to build their professional career, the opportunities presented by becoming one of The Glasshouse’s selected Artists in Residence can make a big difference.

This year, following an open call for musicians interested in using digital technology in the creation and performance of their music, The Glasshouse today announces three musicians ready to chart this innovative path.

As one of the leading live music centres in the country, The Glasshouse Artists in Residence receive space, support, and expertise to create ambitious and innovative live experiences. The new programme marks the start of a partnership with Newcastle University, alongside contributions from key partners Mediale and Advanced Media Production, to support early-career musicians across the North East.

Explosive electrofolk artist Frankie Archer, activist artist-musician Natalie Sharp, and experimental electronic producer and performer ako will receive specialist training in combining their craft with digital and immersive technologies. Possible areas of exploration include; immersive and interactive technology, artificial intelligence, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), immersive sound and music technologies.

Frankie Archer, known for her dynamic live performances and unique blend of samples, synths, and traditional Northumbrian fiddle, aims to expand the interactive aspects of her shows, creating truly connected experiences for audiences and communities.

Natalie Sharp, a multidisciplinary artist and body activist, plans to create a ‘softer’ live experience called ‘Sea Blanket,’ which uses projection mapping and immersive sound to explore themes of disability, identity, and environmental stewardship.

Ako, an electronic musician and producer from the North East, will work on an audio-visual album inspired by Richard Brautigan’s poetic work on technological utopias. He will use creative coding and machine learning, along with adapted obsolete equipment, to challenge the consumer-driven tech industry.

The new programme marks the start of a partnership with Newcastle University. Together, they will support early-career musicians across the North East. As lead partners, Newcastle University’s music department will work closely with the artists throughout their 10-month residency.

The department provides connections across the field, drawing inspiration from the overlap of creativity and academic research across a wide range of interest areas including environment, folklore, disability, and machine learning. Artists will have the opportunity to showcase work, and experiment with innovative styles of music performance as part of the university’s on-campus programme, inspiring the next generation of musicians, students and academics.

The residency programme is also part of a two-year partnership between The Glasshouse and Mediale, an international arts commissioner based in North Yorkshire. The ambitious programme of digital commissioning, creative development and exploration resulting from this partnership will help artists create new work combining music and technology in new ways, evolving with the world of creativity and artistic expression.

The final partner supporting these digitally adventurous musicians is Digital Catapult’s Advanced Media Production network, comprising of studios PROTO in Gateshead and Target3D in London. Advanced Media Production is at the forefront of UK innovation, converging technologies and virtual environments to transform media production.

Lucy Scott, Senior Producer at The Glasshouse said: “This residency shows our commitment to fostering innovation and creativity. By integrating digital and immersive technologies, we aim to provide Frankie Archer, Natalie Sharp, ako with the resources and support needed to push the boundaries of their craft. We’re excited to see how they will create unique and transformative live experiences.”

Professor Kirsten Gibson, lead for the initiative at Newcastle University, commented: “Supporting the next generation of creative practitioners is at the core of Newcastle University’s work in the region and beyond and it’s great to build on this work with The Glasshouse International Centre for Music. This collaboration not only gives early-career musicians great opportunities to explore music and digital technology, but it also inspires our students and helps create an environment where creativity and research thrive together.”

Tom Higham, Creative Director, at Mediale said: “We were looking for artists with exciting ideas and an interest in using digital technology to explore music and sound, and who need some time, space and money to develop them. We were bowled over by the standard of the applicants, again showing a thriving creative demand for opportunities in the blurred margins between music, digital and visual art. This collaboration is further evidence of the commitment of The Glasshouse to exploring the boundaries of the form, and providing responsive and supportive artist development programmes. Watch this space, as what these three artists create will most certainly blow your mind.”

/ENDS

For further media information and interviews please contact:

Susie Gray, susie.gray@premiercomms.com / 07834 073795

Orla Noble, orla.noble@premiercomms.com

NOTES TO EDITORS

Information on artists:

Frankie Archer has exploded onto the electrofolk scene with music that transcends stereotypes using a combination of manipulated samples, synths, drum tracks and earthy Northumbrian fiddle and voice to capture her audience. Her aim? To shake up genres and traditions, challenge perspectives and call for a fairer future. Frankie’s music covers matters of humanity and womanhood, projecting ancient melodies and words through the lens of today.

Her live gigs invite audiences to be part of the performance, connected by copper wire they become an instrument, manipulating the sound to create an immersive and interactive experience. She wants to use the residency to expand this part of her live performance, exploring new types of interactive tech to create truly connected live experiences for audiences and communities.

Winner of the 2023 Christian Raphael Prize, Frankie has been featured on ‘Later… With Jools Holland’ and championed by tastemakers at BBC Radio 2 and 6Music. Following the release of her debut EP ‘Never So Red’ (November, 2023), she has supported the likes of The Futureheads and The Last Dinner Party.

Natalie Sharp is a British artist, musician, and radical body activist of dual heritage. With a multidisciplinary practice spanning over 15 years, she challenges societal norms and advocates for inclusivity and accessibility within the art world and beyond. As a disabled artist herself, Natalie’s work traverses sound, vision, and costume, weaving together ambitious interactive multimedia performances that challenge perceptions and ignite conversations. Rooted in body activism, her practice embraces composed sound, electronic music, video, performance, and lighting, all underscored by a profound commitment to inclusivity and environmental consciousness. Drawing on her dual heritage, she incorporates elements of her cultural backgrounds into her art, weaving narratives of identity, heritage, and belonging.

For her residency, Natalie wants to challenge the conventions of music performance by creating a ‘softer’ live experience, one that places audience and artist on the same level – horizontal. Using projection mapping and immersive sound, her proposed project ‘Sea Blanket’ invites audiences into the dynamic and sensory-rich world of coastal landscapes in a unique live experience that explores broader themes of disability and accessibility, identity, and environmental stewardship.

North East based electronic musician, producer and performer, ako (alias of Simeon Soden) infuses influences from vaporwave with experimental dance music. ako is an audio-visual experience, using experimental music videos to accompany musical works and performances.

During his residency, he’ll create an audio-visual album in homage to Richard Brautigan’s seminal poetic work on technological utopias ‘All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace’. Using creative coding and machine learning algorithms trained on environmental sounds, ecological data and thematic elements related to sustainability, his project will also use adapted obsolete audio and video recording equipment and software, rebelling against the planned obsolescence of the consumer-driven tech industry.

Programme partners

Newcastle University

Newcastle University’s music department is one of the largest in the country, offering extensive performance opportunities for its students including the Live in the King’s Hall series. Their vibrant community of scholars and practitioners research, compose and perform a broad musical repertoire – covering classical to contemporary, jazz to folk, and everything in between. They have strong links across the region with key venues and institutions including The Glasshouse, the Samling Academy and Opera North. The department also has links with Culture Lab, Newcastle University’s hub for research in digital creative practice and film practice at Newcastle University.

Supporting partners

Mediale

Dynamic and ambitious, Mediale work year-round to develop and deliver new commissions, live events and artistic development. They deliver careful, long-term interventions & holistic artist development, whilst producing high profile arts events that stimulate new thinking.

Mediale maintains the highest possible standards of curation, delivery and production; commissioning and producing globally significant work that is accessible to all while championing diverse talent. Through incorporating technologies into their works, the artists they work with bridge the gap between the new and the traditional, to challenge and inspire.

Advanced Media Production Network (based at PROTO)

The Advanced Media Production network represents the UK’s first networked advanced media production studios, and the UK’s first interconnected 5G enabled facility designed to explore research and innovation capabilities in media production. The network, formed by studios at PROTO in Gateshead and Dock Street in London interconnected to additional capabilities at Digital Catapult HQ, is at the forefront of UK innovation and will lead the way in how convergent technologies and virtual environments will transform media production, creating new workflows and production tooling.

About The Glasshouse

International Centre for Music

The Glasshouse International Centre for Music is a home for live music lovers.

It’s a place where you can hear rock legends or pop icons on the same night as folk trios or string quartets. Where new musicians are nurtured and showcased on the same stages as platinum-selling performers. And where youth choirs and tambourine-shaking toddlers practise in the same spaces as its acclaimed orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia.

Because as an international centre for music they’re focused on creating and celebrating outstanding music – whether that’s unearthing or growing talent from the region or bringing the world’s best artists to their stages. And as a charity they’re focused on making sure all of that is available to anyone – no matter where you’re from, how old you are, how much money you have, or what challenges you face.

Which is why every year more than 2 million people are able to join for top-notch gigs, concerts, and classes – in their venue at Gateshead Quays, out in communities across the North East, and through livestreamed performances and digital lessons.

Whether you’re making it up or taking it in, you’ll find music lives and grows there

More about The Glasshouse

International Centre for Music

• From global stars to artists starting out, The Glasshouse has hosted 10,022 performances, totalling 4.7m tickets. To have seen every performance would have meant seeing one show every day for 27 years.
• It’s hosted over 220,000 music lessons for North East folk. The region’s young people have learnt to play, sing or produce with us, on over 1.7m occasions.
• Royal Northern Sinfonia perform at The Glasshouse, tour the region, and have played to international audiences on four continents, with livestreams reaching people across five.
• Like stepping stones, artists like Ward Thomas have worked their way from their free stages to selling out its big hall and getting global recognition.
• The Glasshouse regularly opens its doors to a wide range of conferences and events. Since 2004, they’ve welcome over 400,000 delegates from the likes of Greggs, NHS and British Engines, and many, many more.
• The charity is one of Gateshead’s biggest employers, and so far it’s generated £500m of economic value to the region.
• The charity has been the proud guardians of The Glasshouse for almost 20 years, safeguarding it when live music was put on hold during the pandemic.
• The centre has 630 panes of glass, and stands 40m tall.