In the Ink Dark

Dreamt as a living poem In the Ink Dark is the latest work by Luke Pell and collaborators. A multi-disciplinary project it takes in live art, podcast, dance, music and poetry. The work has developed over the past few months from conversations between Luke and residents of Edinburgh about things they have loved and lost. We opened in Leith theatre last friday and the piece continues in unique venues across the city this week. I've been priveleged to have been one of the collaborators and have written a score to accompany the dance.

Unusually for dance I've not spent much time in the room but rather developed the piece through conversation, poetry and my own memory. Inspired by the partly refurbished old Leith Theatre with its flaking paint, faded grandeur, heavily worn floor boards my starting point was to create something layered, something raw -  the feeling of musical material sitting on top of lost songs that are sometime revealed. I dusted down my 20 year old dictaphone for its broken grainy sound quality to start the composition and the result is a 45 minute piece for electonics, shruti box, electric guitar, autoharp, piano and string quartet. Live artist Brian Hartley and Luke are putting together a publication of words and drawing which will be published later in the year.

For more information on this fascinating project and to listen to the podcast series please visit In The Ink dark. And if you get the chance please pop along to one of the venues this week. Here's a review from The Herald to tempt you.