EURYDICE - SHE, SO BELOVED: A new film & installation by The Quay Brothers, based on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice

Opens on Friday 12th October at Leeds Art Gallery, The Headrow, Leeds, LS1 3AA and runs until January 20th, 2008

“... all inwardness,
and fully-clothed in her own death, her treasure,
she had become like a sweet full of darkness:
she was all crammed with death
too huge and recent for her understanding.”
Rainer Maria Rilke

Eurydice is based on the classical story of love and loss as Orpheus enters the underworld in an attempt to bring his deceased young bride Eurydice back to the world of the living. The Quay Brother’s extraordinary installation will retell the myth with a combination of art forms; film, dance, music and visual art contained within a contemporary staged installation to provide an intimate sensory experience.

The Quay Brothers are renowned for the commercial and independent film work they have created over the last 30 years for cinema, television, theatre and opera. ‘She so Beloved…’ has been developed in collaboration with leading opera and contemporary dance performers including Royal Ballet prima ballerina Zenaida Yanowsky, baritone Simon Keenlyside and dance choreographer Kim Brandstrup.

`Eurydice, She So Beloved …’ has been created as part of a vibrant programme of activities by Opera North to mark the 400th anniversary of Monteverdi’s Orfeo – generally considered to be the first opera ever to be produced in 1607.

Project conceived and produced by The Culture Company and Opera North Projects. Co-commissioned by Opera North Projects and Capture in association with Leeds Art Gallery.
Supported by Arts Council England

SECRETS AND LIGHT: PHOTOGRAPHY AND NEW MEDIA COMMISSIONS

Secrets and Light is the fifth in a series of photography and new media commissioning programmes delivered by The Culture Company for artists working in Yorkshire practising in lens-based media (film, video, projection, chemical and digital photography), digital technologies (sound, interactive) and lighting techniques.

For the 2006 programme ten artists were commissioned to create a temporary public art trail revealing the curious stories, dark and hidden corners, imagined futures and half-remembered histories about Holbeck, the Dark Arches and the Canal Basin in the city centre of Leeds.

Secrets and light is supported by Arts Council England, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and Yorkshire Forward.

See images here

LIGHT NIGHT 2007: Leeds Metropolitan University and The Culture Company have commissioned three new works for hidden architectural gems in Leeds city centre.

Friday 12th October 2007

Jason Bruges Studio: An Interactive Installation at The Old School Board, Leeds Metropolitan University, Millennium Square, Leeds, LS1 3ED.
Overlooking Millennium Square, Jason Bruges Studio will create a light screen on the windows of the Old School Board, which interacts with visitors to Light Night. The light screen generates content by observing and reacting to the activity in and around it. It has been conceived as a responsive surface that lives and breathes with its environment, constantly refreshing and updating. Jason Bruges Studio has an impressive track record, including recent work at The Southbank Centre, Tate Britain, the V&A, and interactive visuals for George Michael's recent comeback tour.

Amenity Space: Jabberwocky, The Pearson Corridor/Courtyard, School of the Built Environment, Leeds Metropolitan University, Northern Terrace, Queens Square, Leeds, LS2 8AJ.
The Pearson Corridor is home to a wonderful and fascinating collection of stained glass panels, documenting the work around the world of the Leeds engineering company S. Pearson & Son Ltd in the period 1844 -1927. In Jabberwocky, Amenity Space, have created a work which will (quite literally) reflect on this. Following their recent success with 'The Sonic Shed' at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, this new commission plays with how light and reflections can distort our perception of space.

Stanza: Genomixer, Double Helix Staircase, The Old School Board, Leeds Metropolitan University, Millennium Square, Leeds, LS1 3E. A most intriguing venue, the Double Helix staircase at the Old School Board consists of two entwined staircases, apparently designed to prevent post-exam students passing information to those awaiting their tests. However, in more recent times, the Double Helix form has become more widely known for its association with DNA structures. For Light Night, the award-winning artist Stanza will present one of his Genomixer series, part of a series of audio/visual artworks inspired by the human genome sequence, and developed using DNA profiles sequenced from the artist's blood. As well as a raft of international exhibitions (including the Venice Biennale), Stanza has recently shown work at Tate Britain, and received a number of awards, including an AHRC Creative fellowship and NESTA Dreamtime Award.

MELT 2007: DIGITAL CONTENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

WHAT IS MELT?

• Melt is a three year, digital content development programme for South Yorkshire which was launched in 05.
• Melt gives annual research and development (R&D) awards of up to £50,000 to leading artistic, media and technical talent to explore the creative and economic possibilities of innovative content for new and emerging media platforms.
• Melt Awards help you take proposals from initial concept to pilot or prototype stage, where they could attract further development funding, production investment or full commissioning.
• Melt also enables South Yorkshire creative and digital companies and individual practitioners to work with partners anywhere in the world.

Melt is managed by The Culture Company working with the BBC, Channel 4, Orange and PACT and is funded by Yorkshire Forward, Objective 1 South Yorkshire and Arts Council England. Melt operates in partnership with Screen Yorkshire.

For full details of the Melt 07 programme please visit www.lovemelt.com

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