'Rock Music Rock Art' is a unique synthesis of Ugandan and British music and art which has its UK launch on 1 October 2008 at London's brand new cultural centre, Kings Place. The Kings Place building is the work of Jeremy Dixon and Edward Jones (architects of the Royal Opera House and National Portrait Gallery renovations), and is now the permanent home of the London Sinfonietta, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and the Guardian newspapers.
'Rock Music Rock Art’ is an initiative of the Ruwenzori Sculpture Foundation, in association with the British Council Visual Arts and Music departments. It is an extraordinary cross-cultural, cross-continental project with roots in Uganda and Britain, in music and in visual arts. As part of the Foundation's long term aims of developing a sustainable resource for artists from across East Africa, it took a group of British artists and musicians last year to the remote Ugandan island of Lolui, on Lake Victoria. Among the group were the sculptor Peter Randall-Page and the composer Nigel Osborne. Musicians from the London Sinfonietta and lead musicians from the Uganda Dance Academy also took part in this extraordinary trip to Lolui, chosen specifically because of the island's ancient and magnificent rock formations, which can be played as natural musical instruments. The group made music together over a period of ten days on the island – a period which the British musicians described as a life-changing experience. A first performance of the work in progress was given at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Uganda in November 2007, supported by the British Council.
As a result of this initial work, the Ugandan musicians are now travelling to the UK where they will bring the project to Kings Place in celebration of Ugandan-British links. Peter Randall-Page’s work, inspired by the rock gongs, will be on display at Pangolin, the new gallery dedicated to sculpture at Kings Place. The Ugandan musicians will perform in a newly written work by Nigel Osborne and perform their music in public concerts in London, as well as give drumming master-classes to local children and their parents. They will also give performances and workshops in other UK cities.
Beyond the musical performances at Kings Place, Ruwenzori Sculpture Foundation is continuing its work of building creative cross-cultural links with Uganda. They are building a new foundry in the foothills of the Ruwenzori Mountains, using local building materials, and three Ugandan sculptors (trained in Stroud for a period of three years with support from the British Council) are now back in Uganda developing the business. Artists such as Damien Hirst, Angus Fairhurst, Ann Christopher and Phillip King have all been to Uganda as part of the work of Ruwenzori to give masterclasses on bronze founding and other casting techniques, and have actively supported the building of this outstanding new creative resource between the UK and Uganda.
All photos © Steve Russell
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