In their commitment to artist development, partner venues ARC, The Lowry, Salford and Theatre in the Mill, Bradford have now selected Geddes Loom for Routes North 2014. The group will benefit from rehearsal space, performance dates in each of the venues and advice, support and guidance throughout the production process. The two weeks rehearsal space in each of the venues provides an opportunity to build a relationship with venue staff and audiences.
Geddes Loom are a group of performing artists featuring poet and beatboxer Ben Mellor, singer, writer and cellist Léonie Higgins, and multi-instrumentalist, Dan Steele. Together they fuse spoken word, songwriting, beatbox, story-telling and live-looped electronic and acoustic music to create unique and intriguing musical and theatrical performances. After forming in 2011 Geddes Loom have had a successful run of gigs at the Edinburgh Fringe 2012 and 2013, as well as festivals and venues around the country.
Prelude To A Number focuses on the unique number phi and its deep underlying presence in many areas, from art to the natural world, and Geddes Loom hope to create a reflection and re-interpreting of the strange and beautiful qualities of the “Golden Ratio”.
Inspired by a shared appreciation of maths and science and their application to music, poetry, theatre and design, Geddes Loom are excited to formalize this enthusiasm into their first full length piece together, as Ben Mellor explains,
None of us are mathematical experts, by a long stretch, which is why we’re collaborating with proper mathematicians – but it’s not going to be a dry and dusty lecture, it’s going to be full of the humour, poetry and wonderment brought to us by scientific and mathematical explanations of the natural world.
Ever passionate about providing a developmental platform for emerging artists, ARC’s Chief Executive Annabel Turpin is looking forward to giving another company the opportunity in the 2014 Routes North project along with ARC’s partner venues,
By combining the resources of three venues committed to artist development, we are able to support companies to achieve a real step change in their practice. As well as practical support, Routes North also provides a great boost to a company’s profile, and as someone who has always been passionate about spoken word, I am really pleased that we have chosen to work with Geddes Loom this year.