Download press release

June 2016
Carrie Fertig: Torcher Chamber Arkestra
Presented by Craftspace and mac birmingham
Friday 2nd September 7.30pm
Saturday 3rd September 2pm
(This is a relaxed family performance. All tickets £9)
Saturday 3rd September 7.30pm
(Followed by an informal question and answer session with the artists.)
Tickets £12 (Concessions & matinee £9), All ages
Part of the Craftspace Curates at
mac birmingham, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, B12 9QH
A spellbinding performance with fire, live and electronic
music and glass blowing.
Craftspace, in partnership with mac birmingham, present a unique performance seen live for the first
time in England with glass artist Carrie Fertig, composer Alistair MacDonald and percussionist Stu
Brown as part of Craftspace Curates. The performance takes place at mac birmingham on 2nd and
3rd September 2016. In this unusual collaboration Carrie Fertig makes instruments using a process of
flameworking with fire. Together with premade instruments these are played by her and the musicians
combined with electronic and digitally manipulated sound. Audiences experiencing the performance have
described it as "mesmerizing", "tribal", "trance-inducing", "spiritual" and "mystical".
This on-going programme explores the theme of craft in an expanded field.
“We want to present the audience with unexpected encounters in relation to craft. Torcher
Chamber Arkestra exemplifies the inventive ways that creative practitioners are working
across boundaries to devise new cultural experiences. In this instance glass blowing and
traditional hand skills combine with percussion and cutting edge digital sound making. The act
of making and the heat of the flame become a spectacle of theatre”.
Deirdre Figueiredo MBE, Director, Craftspace
During the performance audiences may move around and after each performance the audience will have
the opportunity to handle and play the instruments. On Saturday evening there will also be an informal
question and answer session with the artists after the performance.
“We aim to create a new intersection of craft, music, and technology. Torcher Chamber
Arkestra combines fire, glass and digital manipulation of percussive glass instruments to
produce a dark, theatrical audiovisual experience. Through ritualistic music and action, we
take the audience to a new sonic interior between realms."
Carrie Fertig, artist
The on-going partnership with mac birmingham is devised to encourage audiences to experience the
breadth of creativity associated with contemporary craft and making through a series of commissions and
events, which include live performance, film, digital media and public art.
For booking details go to macbirmingham.co.uk,
Further details at craftspace.co.uk or follow @tweetcraftspace #craftspacecurates
ENDS
MEDIA CONTACT:
More about Craftspace www.craftspace.co.uk @tweetcraftspace
Please contact for images, further information or interview opportunities:
Lisa Falaschi or Deirdre Figueiredo, Craftspace, 0121 608 6444 [email protected]
Mary Rahman, MRPR, 07958 399740 [email protected]
NOTES TO EDITOR:
Carrie Fertig - statement
“I create sonic and visual environments for transformative experiences. I use flameworked glass in an
interdisciplinary practice incorporating sound, light, fire, electronics, dance, and film to address emotional,
spiritual, and physical states and thresholds. My preferred materials are invisible or transparent: sound
and clear glass. My work is made with fire: this elemental process speaks to my recurring subjects of
human connection, self-knowledge, and flight and stasis. I build environments and situations to which
people privately bring their deepest selves to visually public installations. Outputs are experiential:
performance, music, film, installation, and sculpture. All of my work contains engagement with
collaborators or participants, and much of it is interactive.”
Craftspace
Craftspace is a charity creating opportunities to see, make and be curious about exceptional contemporary
craft. We are based in Birmingham and work collaboratively regionally, nationally and internationally. We
build relationships between artists, people and organisations and encourage the sharing of ideas, skills
and knowledge. We have 30 years’ experience and continue to learn, push boundaries and challenge
ideas. Craftspace initiates artistic programmes which stimulate creative excellence, critical thinking and
understanding of contemporary crafts in the widest social and cultural contexts.
Craftspace is funded by Arts Council England as a National Portfolio Organisation. Craftspace was based
at mac birmingham when it began in 1986 and returns to its roots with this collaboration celebrating our
30th anniversary.
mac birmingham
Opened in 1962, mac birmingham is a hub of creativity and learning in the Midlands. With four
performance auditoria, rehearsal and media studios, a cinema, and a visual art gallery, mac
birmingham presents a broad range of contemporary work from both emerging and established
artists across genres. mac birmingham is the most visited arts centre in the Midlands, ranked the
‘Top Free Attraction West Midlands 2013’ in a recent survey carried out by Visit England and
positioned 14 th nationally in the same category. mac is renowned for its family friendly and inclusive
approach. Originally intended for children, the centre now caters for audiences young and old, from
the local community and beyond. Re-opened in May 2010 after extensive refurbishment, the arts
centre boasts stunning architecture and a high level of accessibility. Set in the magnificent
surroundings of Cannon Hill Park and home to the Bridges Bar Café for meals and snacks, and the
stylish Arena Bar for evening drinks, the centre is well worth a visit. www.macbirmingham.co.uk
Torcher Chamber Arkestra has been supported by investment from Craftspace and mac birmingham.