Function Sheet
Basil Kirchin: Mind on the Run

Contact Details	
Sam Hunt		

 
PID	

 	Project description (200–400 words) for use in marketing materials, on webpages etc. Note that this may be edited.	Basil Kirchin is the forgotten genius of post-war British music, a pioneer of musique concrete whose roller-coaster of a life stretched from the days in the 40s and 50s when British dance music mutated into rock’n’roll, through a headlong succession of film scores and pop songwriting, before retreating to Hull, where he eked out an increasingly reclusive existence until his death in 2005 – while continuing to find ways to create sonic landscapes that still challenge convention and fire the imagination. Described by Brian Eno as “a founding father of ambient”, Kirchin’s remarkable and intriguing history represents a collision of popular and experimental musical cultures that predates and defines much of the music we hear today. 
The essential Basil: 

Joins his father, Ivor Kirchin’s band as a 13 year-old drummer in 1941. Sixteen years later, Basil’s beats fires the band’s brand of mambo rock that connects with the Teds and fills dance floors across the country. 

Declaring himself a “prisoner of rhythm”, in 1958, he sets out on a mind-expanding pilgrimage to India, and then to Sydney where he became the musical director of the Pigalle nightclub – before being deported for possession of cannabis. 

Through the 60s, Basil divides his time between swinging London and visiting his parents in Hull, where Ivor’s band is resident in the new Mecca nightclub. His wild appearance and obvious talent leading to celebrity status on the Hull music scene. 

Working with collaborators that stretch from Jack Good and Johnny Keating to Jimmy Page, Kenny Wheeler and Evan Parker, he composes music for a raft of British movies (including “Having a Wild Weekend”, “Primitive London” and “The Abominable Dr. Phibes”). Music that is achingly poignant, haunting and sometimes terrifying – evoking a world where a new brutality lurks beneath an innocent surface, where sex, drugs, black magic and violence are ever-present in a green and pleasant land… 

Basil’s epiphany in 1964 leads to the creation of the album series, “Worlds within Worlds” – creating a new kind of music by recording, distorting and looping found sound, and pioneering the use of the then state-of-the–art Nagra tape recorder. This begins an odyssey that makes and breaks the artist. 

Released by Colombia in 1974, the first two albums terrify a label confronted by the avant-jazz of Evan Parker over the delayed and looped sounds of birds, Hull Docks, and the voices of autistic children. The record bombs. Basil is devastated. 

Picked up by Island Records, through their prescient A&R man Richard Williams, and with liner notes from Brian Eno, the next two albums meet with non-comprehension. Now in his late 40s, Basil and his wife Esther, retreat to the seaside village of Hornsea, near Hull, and then to the rundown terraces of the city itself. 

Eking a diminishing living from a dwindling number of commissions, he finds kindred spirits in local studio engineers Keith Herd and Ian Firth – and despite economic straits and failing health, manages to produce late work that is astonishingly complex and inventive. 

Post millennium, Basil is rediscovered by musician and writer Bob Stanley. Jonny Trunk’s cult label Trunk Records re-issue a number of Basil’s seminal back catalogue, to a rapturous, if resolutely underground audience. 

Dies in 2005 in the Dove Hospice in Hull, penniless and with no living relatives other than his much-loved Esther, who died months later.
Fast forward to the present… 
Serious is working with Hull UK City of Culture 2017, and with local partners including Nova Films and J-Night, to tell the Basil Kirchin story through a year of live events, alongside visual and aural explorations of his life and legacy. As well as delving into the Kirchin archive, and including the work of artists who worked with him, or acknowledge his influence and inspiration, the programme will also commission new work from a range of contemporary artists, from the UK and much further afield, some of whom may be discovering his work for the first time. 
The various elements are planned to include: 

“Favourite Sounds of Hull”, curated by Peter Cusack – an interactive project starting in autumn 2016, that invites members of the public to suggest the sounds that define their city. This will build into a living sonic document informed by Kirchin’s vision. 

“The Kirchin Weekender” – Hull City Hall, February 2017. Three days of live performance, dialogue and images at Hull City Hall, with contributions from contemporaries and collaborators, and from today’s sonic movers and shakers – from DJs and producers to innovators from the worlds of rock, free jazz, electronica and ambient sound. From the beats and samples of the dance floor to the outer reaches of experimental noise. 

GoGo Penguin / PRSF New Music Biennial Commission – a new work inspired by Kirchin’s landmark recording “Abstractions of the Industrial North”. 

Newly created visual and audio materials, including an hour-long film documentary by Nova Films. 
Establishing a home for the Kirchin archive at the University of Hull. 

The aim is to give Basil Kirchin the recognition he deserves, by entering his world and reflecting on his place in a changing nation. The story of a man who provided the beat for post-war Britain, and whose restlessly creative spirit produced amazing and ground-breaking work over some seven decades. It is also the story of how Hull itself became the creative hothouse for an experimental genius who was on a quietly determined mission to change the world. 

“The concept for Worlds Within Worlds hit me when I was walking around the docks in Hull. I had known all along that this music was there, but it was then that I realised that it could be used to fulfil a function as music. Up to then, it was impossible, because the equipment to capture the harmonic content of these sounds just didn’t exist. About 1968, equipment of sufficient quality became available, but it was so expensive that it was completely out of my reach. I was given an award from the Arts Council of Great Britain which enabled me to acquire the basics – a Nagra tape recorder and a directional Sennheiser microphone capable of isolating sounds from their environment”. (Basil Kirchin, quoted in a press release for Island Records, 1968).	
	Project Plan	Pending	
	RAMS	Pending	
	Event Operational Safety Plan	Pending	
	Budget	Draft	
	Marketing & Comms Plan	Pending	
	Greenlit?	N	
	Last updated	Wednesday, 8 June 2016	
	Change log	08/06/16 - Description update 	
Dates	Project start date	Thursday, 2 June 2016	
	Project Live date	Friday, 10 February 2017	
	End of Live date	Sunday, 12 February 2017	
	End of evaluation date	Friday, 31 March 2017	
Categories	Project Type	Hull 2017 Production	
	Strand	Music	
	Season	Made in Hull	
	Primary art form	Music	
	Secondary art form	Film	
	Tertiary art form	Visual Art	
	Digital Requirements	High	
	Part of University VIK programme?	N	
Finance	Total project budget	£160,325.00	
	Hull 2017 contribution	£100,000.00	
	Analysis/project code(s)	C394	
	ACE - A4E	N	
	ACE - Strategic Touring Fund	N	
	ACE - HM Treasury for Turner	N	
	Big Lottery Fund	N	
	Ellerman Foundation	N	
	Esmee Fairburn Foundation	N	
	Garfield Weston Foundation	N	
	Heritage Lottery Fund	N	
	H&ER Charitable Trust	N	
	Hull CCG	N	
	Spirit of 2012	N	
	University of Hull	N	
	Are there any specific funder requirements for delivery?	Projected Box office income £37500 (based on average attendance over 4 shows @  750 on a £15 ticket ex-vat 
Projected other income from broadcast fees (or in kind), touring and exploitation £22825 

Total: £60,325  	
People	Project Lead	Sam Hunt (Ref: 20)	
	Assistant Producer	Hannah Williams Walton (Ref: 69)	
Objectives	Target # audience	3000	
	Hull residents	Y	
	Regional	Y	
	National	Y	
	International	Y	
	Children (<16)	N	
	Young people (16-25)	Y	
	Families	N	
	Older people (60+)	Y	
	Self-identify as disabled	Y	
	BME	Y	
	Met?	No	
	Met?	No	
	Met?	No	
	Met?	No	
	Met?	No	
	# temporary jobs created (target) [employed by H2017, >=12m]	4	
	# freelance contracts created (target) [self-employed, engaged directly]	6	
	# commissions (target)	3	
Performance, Residency & Legacy	Performance: Summary of events, including dates, times, venues, ticketing strategy (free/paid, (un)ticketed), age guidelines (free text OR UKFC categories) etc.	The performance will take place over a weekend centred on City Hall with a festival programme of concerts, film screenings and events, curated and produced by Serious with local partners Nova Films, J-Night and University of Hull and national partnership with the BBC. 	
	Residency: What opps will be created for our education programme? How will the project build new audiences through engagement? Note #s, types & duration of participation opps.	Key to Mind on The Run is the extensive engagement programme which will proceed the event and continue through the year, underpinning the wider music engagement programme.   

Favourite Sounds of Hull 

“You learn a lot about the city by asking about its sound.”

Favourite Sounds of Hull will be a project for Hull2017 where the local community is encouraged to identify and share with the broader community and the rest of the world, their favourite sounds of Hull.

Based on an existing and successful idea by the UK sound artist Peter Cusack , this project will be bespoke to Hull and will run for the entire City of Culture Year.  

It will serve a dual purpose: firstly to create a community engagement project based around found sounds and music concrete (ie, a legacy of Basil Kirchin, the subject of other projects during the Hull2017 year) and secondly, it will be incorporated into the media announcements for the City of Culture year and will galvanise the community into talking about and sharing their favourite sounds of Hull.

Previous successful Favourite Sounds projects have included London, Birmingham, Manchester, Southend on Sea, Berlin, Beijing and Prague and they aim to discover, and celebrate, what people value about the soundscapes of the cities, towns and neighbourhoods where they live and work.

The project will ask the seemingly simple questions, ‘What is your favourite sound of Hull, …and why?’ The replies are fascinating, revealing both the city of the ear and the significant role that everyday sounds play in our lives. 

Information will be collected via an online portal and via questionnaires (distributed throughout Hull’s cultural and commercial establishments) and will be recorded by a team led by Peter Cusack.   The recordings will be uploaded onto the Hull2017, Serious and Favourite Sounds websites  to be shared with the world and will also be used to form the basis of live and sonic projects throughout the City of Culture year.

Next Steps:

Announcements & Collecting Favourite Sounds

September 2016/autumn 2016 - initial marketing push, also used as an awareness campaign – to give maximum visibility to the project and to get the public of Hull engaged, while creating and beginning to develop an online presence.  Once announced, this will be a period of gathering favourite sounds via different means, primarily digital but there are also other non-digital options to be explored. 

• Social media – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc
• Online digital interface / dedicated website/webpage - very simple/contemporary with just a digital version of the questionnaire, for people to submit their sounds.
• Physical hardcopy questionnaires available at concert halls/venues, theatre performances and art galleries/museums, for people to complete and leave in a response box – e.g. Ferens Art Gallery, Hull Truck Theatre, Maritime Museum, etc.  Selected Hull2017 projects, e.g., Kirchin weekender, Hull Jazz Festival, etc.
• This can also be extended to commercial organisations, cafes, shops, etc, provided it can be organised/administered.

Recording

• From October 2016 begin recording sounds. Good to also get different sounds at different times of year – potential to tie this in with the four quarters of the Hull2017 programme. 
• Peter Cusack to also do a personal sonic observation - would be interesting to record key industries and other local sounds that are special to Hull, e.g., fishing, Humber Bridge.  May need permissions and access to do so. Could involve a walk around Hull with Matt Stephenson from Nova Films – Peter to record the walk.
• Document each sound-recording location by taking picture. People may also attach images when submitting their favourite sounds via twitter, facebook, instagram, etc. 
• Utilise resources (students and equipment) from the University of Hull (technical music/film students).
• Sounds to be saved as WAV files, uploaded to Dropbox.

Outcome/s

• A couple of options to be explored: online documentation (on www.favouritesounds.org  or Hull2017 site). 
• More complex and costly options include production of a CD, a bespoke phone app, to allow people to walk around the city and listen to sounds / downloadable free audio guide.
• Sonic installation during the Basil Kirchin Weekender at City Hall or The Ferens (depending on which venue is more suitable).
• Use of sounds in the ‘Mind on the Run’ film, to be produced by Nova Films.

	
	Legacy: What is built into the core project that will ensure legacy?	There will be a number of legacy outcomes from this project, such as the discovering of Basil's work for a new generation, the sustained engagement through Favourite Sound of Hull project and the relationship with the wider music programme and the University of Hull becoming the official keeper of Basil Kirchins entire archive . 	
Project Management	What is the model for delivering this project? eg we will employ a creative team, we will outsource to an agency, we are contributing funding but no other resource…	The project will be produced through Serious, who are responsible for the programming and delivery of the entire project with some support from Hull 2017 in terms of producing and production capacity. 	
	How will delivery partners be identified and procured? Refer to the procurement flowchart and note below the agreed process (A–G) for each contract.	Serious were appointed as consultants after under taking an open tender process with Hull 2017.   	
	Who are the delivery partners? (Contact & organisation name, contract status for each)	Serious :  Martel Ollerenshaw | Associate Director|Artist & Rights Management 
Serious| 51 Kingsway Place, Sans Walk, Clerkenwell, London EC1R 0LU 
t: 020 7324 1880 f: 020 7324 1881  e:  martel.ollerenshaw@serious.org.uk   
 
JNight - David Porter, Creative Arts Promotion Ltd
	
	Volunteer management: What is your expectation of volunteer requirements? (Numbers, roles, responsibilities, duration / period required)	TBC 	

Thursday, 9 February 2017 
(10:00 - 23:00)	Event
Delegates : 0 Capacity: 0	Hull City Hall - Main Hall - Full Stage (1 extension) (HCH)

Friday, 10 February 2017 
(10:00 - 23:00)	Event
Delegates : 0 Capacity: 0	Hull City Hall - Main Hall - Full Stage (1 extension) (HCH)

Saturday, 11 February 2017 
(10:00 - 23:00)	Event
Delegates : 0 Capacity: 0	Hull City Hall - Main Hall - Full Stage (1 extension) (HCH)

Sunday, 12 February 2017 
(10:00 - 23:00)	Event
Delegates : 0 Capacity: 0	Hull City Hall - Main Hall - Full Stage (1 extension) (HCH)

Thursday, 16 February 2017 
(10:00 - 23:00)	Event
Delegates : 0 Capacity: 0	Hull City Hall - Main Hall - Full Stage (1 extension) (HCH)

Friday, 17 February 2017 
(10:00 - 23:00)	Event
Delegates : 0 Capacity: 0	Hull City Hall - Main Hall - Full Stage (1 extension) (HCH)

Saturday, 18 February 2017 
(10:00 - 23:00)	Event
Delegates : 0 Capacity: 0	Hull City Hall - Main Hall - Full Stage (1 extension) (HCH)

Sunday, 19 February 2017 
(10:00 - 23:00)	Event
Delegates : 0 Capacity: 0	Hull City Hall - Main Hall - Full Stage (1 extension) (HCH)