the summer experiment

The Summer Experiment was first conceived as a short-term, high-speed collaborative project directed by three Belfast-based musicians: Cavan Fyans (PhD researcher at the Sonic Arts Research Centre), John Ferris (session guitarist and song writer) and myself.

In the summers of 2008 and 2009, two separate interdisciplinary collaborations took place in Belfast and London between artists of myriad disciplines including everything from choreographers to beat poets, electroacoustic improvisers to live performance painters. The Summer Experiments were met with critical acclaim: we performed in some of N. Ireland’s most popular arts venues, garnering praise from the national Irish music press (Hotpress Magazine) and giving session performances and interviews on local BBC Radio.

The Experiments used online media to document the raw creative process of multiple projects from their inception and presented the completed work at the culmination of the collaboration. Audiences enjoyed a deeper connection with the final performances having seen the raw material grow and develop and the creative practices of the artists laid bare. Participants challenged each other to work outside of their everyday practice, trust in the spirit of collaboration and develop as artists.