Earsthetic

Brighton Dome, Church Street and New Road, Wednesday, November 25, to Tuesday, December 1

THERE’S no point trying to find over-arching themes or links between the different performances at this year’s celebration of sonic and visual art.

Earsthetic curator Laura Ducceschi has ensured her third festival isn’t constricted by any boundaries of programming.

“I’ve always been drawn to experimental work,” she says. “Electronic work is often where the experimentation is happening, but I didn’t want to create an electronic festival. Instead each piece is very different from the other.

“It goes against the grain – often in arts it is about putting things in a box.”

So this year’s Earsthetic features the white-faced cabaret favourites The Tiger Lillies in Lulu: A Murder Ballad, their second collaboration with visual artist Mark Holthusen, alongside an immersive documentary about women diving for pearls and seafood off the volcanic island of Jeju (see the separate feature), and the UK premiere of a series of vocal improvisations, movement and sound from Elaine Mitchener investigating our loss of privacy in the internet age.

A big part of Earsthetic is about supporting artists in creating new multi-disciplinary work in collaboration with the PRS For Music Foundation.

Mitchener’s Industrialising Intimacy, a special edition of regular scratch night The Works and a new collaboration between CocoRosie’s Bianca Casady and The CiA have received support from Ducceschi, a theatre programmer and a dramaturge to help develop the work.

Ducceschi compares the experiences of theatre makers developing new work – with the option to get research and development grants for example - with those of musicians.

“Contemporary music has a pressure to be financially viable,” she says. “It has to be supported by labels and radio pluggers, so to create something conceptual requires a whole different language and approach.

“I hope through this programme we can not only give audiences some new experiences, but also support the ecology of the work, and give musicians somewhere to show their work.”

She points to the classically trained vocalist Mitchener, who has previously worked with the likes of classical composer Heiner Goebbels and electronic artists Goldie and Aphex Twin.

“Elaine applied to us last year with her piece,” says Ducceschi. “We got to see ten to 15 minutes of it and were able to develop it further.”

To create Industrialising Intimacy as a stage piece Mitchener is working with choreographer Dam Van Huynh, computer music pioneer George Lewis and sound artist David Toop.

Ducceschi is excited to be working with Casady again, who she describes as one of the most creative human beings she has ever worked with.

“What you see with CocoRosie is a strong narrative throughout each album,” she says.

“I wouldn’t want to take credit for what they do, but hopefully through Earsthetic artists like Elaine and Bianca come to know their work is appreciated, and that if we can find a way to support them we will.

“We are creating new experiences for an audience.

“Three years is still early days for a festival, but we know from the Brighton Festival that we have an inquisitive audience. It’s about having another offering for them in the year which is equally appealing.

“Whenever we put on The Works 90% of the audience are artists. A lot of people are coming along for ideas to challenge their own work.”

The Works, Brighton Dome Studio Theatre, Corn Exchange and Founders Room, Church Street, Saturday, November 28, 7.30pm, free but ticketed.

Elaine Mitchener: Industrialising Intimacy, Brighton Dome Studio Theatre, New Road, Sunday, November 29, 7.30pm, £8

The Tiger Lillies: Lulu A Murder Ballad, Brighton Dome Concert Hall, Church Street, Monday, November 30, 8pm, from £12.50

Bianca Casady And The CiA, Brighton Dome Corn Exchange, Church Street, Tuesday, December 1, 8pm, £14

Visit brightondome.org or call 01273 709709 for further information.