This October saw the launch of what will hopefully be the first annual GLEAM festival at the University of Glasgow.
Taking the centenary of Scottish-Canadian filmmaker and pioneer of visual music, Norman McLaren, as a jumping off point, the festival presented two days of concerts, workshops, papers, installations and discussions around current electronic and audiovisual practice in Glasgow and further afield.
The call for works received over 100 submissions of electronic music and audiovisual art from countries around the world. From these, 15 works were selected for either performance or installation, with the first concert of the festival being composed of works selected from the open call. The second day of the festival featured the GLEAM symposium a series of papers and discussions on visual music and audiovisual practice more broadly, with a lunchtime concert of works from the GLEAM student projects 2014. The festival’s closing concert included works by Bret Battey and a new audiovisual piece by Louise Harris alongside a very special live Halloween performance of The Magical Misery Tour by People Like Us.
GLEAM was part-funded by the Chancellor’s Fund and was co-hosted and supported by GAVN (Glasgow AudioVisual Network). It was really well attended, with audiences filling the University Concert Hall on both days and standing room only for the final performance. We hope that GLEAM 2015 will be even better!
Entry written by Louise Harris, Lecturer in Sonic and Audiovisual Practices (Music)