You can't ever have enough new music
That is probably the closest thing to a mission statement you will ever hear from us. We are a Not-For-Profit partnership built upon relationships, not ideologies - the sort of creative, encouraging relationships from which some of that new music will, we hope, prosper and flourish.
Purple Music (Suffolk) LLP operates on a project-by-project basis as an artistic co-operative (often under the name "Purple Moments"), pooling our skills and experience as a way of ensuring that our projects are innovative and accessible. Each Partner and co-op member, as an individual artist and entrepreneur, can also expect to benefit mutually, through collaboration, in the attainment of their professional goals.
Our primary aims are:
- Providing project management support to the composer entrepreneurs we work with - taking risks and experimenting with new ideas through seeking commissions for new musical works, and devising and delivering new music projects - adding to the body of exciting new compositions being performed in the UK today.
- Promoting and managing concerts, events and other types of performances in accessible venues.
- Celebrating diversity through facilitating as wide as possible participation in and enjoyment of music arts, irrespective of audience social and cultural background, through combining our projects with community, outreach and educational activities.
We seek to achieve these aims through our on-going programme of individual financially ring-fenced artist-driven projects, and through partnership with other organisations and individuals based on the co-operative movement principles of shared democratic ownership and mutual benefit.
We are proud to have worked in partnership with a variety of artists and organisations, including:
Project team formed for Delaney commission
We have formed a new project team to bring Stuart Stevens' recent commission from the estate of Shelagh Delaney before an audience. We are delighted to say that Rebekah Daven Watson of The Actor's Cafe will be joining us alongside Dan Watson's ensemble Thumb. A show has been conceived that will encompass music and storytelling, and we plan to involve local drama groups in the production. Charlotte, Delaney has suggested the overall theme of "Close To Home" and we are in the process of looking for theatre partners in regions connected with Shelagh Delaney. We also plan to issue an Open Call for scores from emerging composers, to be included alongside Stevens' oratorio.
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Co-op grows by three
We are pleased to welcome our new partner Jane Chambers (left) to the team, as well as our two new associates - composer Rachel Victoria Smith (centre) and actor Rebekah Daven Watson. They each bring something fresh and exciting to the work of the Purple Moments co-operative.
Jane has been a staunch supporter of Purple Music since our first major project in 2009. Following her retirement fom local politics, she is now bringing us the benefit of all her community experience and vast networks.
Rachel first met Stuart at Birmingham Conservatoire, and now joins us an associate - and is the second "composer-entrepreneur" in the team.
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Two new microtonal guitars
Our associate and good friend Jerry Crosson of The Fret Workshop in Felixstowe has spent hundreds of hours perfecting two amazing new instruments. The projects form part of an ongoing mission, alongside composer Stuart Stevens, to introduce people to the wonderful soundworld of 31pitches in each octave.
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New Oratorio to use Shelagh Delaney's short story
We are excited to announce that composer Stuart Stevens has been given permission by the estate of the late Shelagh Delaney (1938 - 2011) - one of English literature's most important and relevant 20th Century writers - to base a new oratorio on the short story entitled "All About And To A Female Artist" (1964).
Shelagh Delaney assembled this prose piece from the mountains of negative, cynical, begging, sometimes threatening, often funny letters and harsh reviews (mostly critical of her gender) that she was bombarded with at just 19 years old following the enormous success of her debut play "A Taste Of Honey".
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