Documentation from the second hardware hacking group meeting at Octopus HQ in Barrow Park, Thurs 26th April 2012.

A two hour session around making, playing and experimenting with contact microphones.

Participants: Andrew Barker, Geoff Hodgson, Neil Wade, Steve Povey, Shaun Blezard, Pete Dent, Gemma Hall, Kirsten Taylor, May Davies, Fiona Ogilvie.

Octopus encourages artists to come and spend time with us to research and make new work at our Piel View House studio space in Barrow-in-Furness Park.

Previous resident artists have included:

AGF, Mobile Radio, Haco, Tetsuo Kogawa, Philip Jeck, Paul Rooney, Susan Matthews and Hildur Gudnadottir

During 2012/13 we will be offering 4 residencies for artists working with sound, consisting of up to 3  visits to Barrow leading to a performance, presentation or talk. Work produced during residencies will also feature as part of our next edition of the FON Festival in Summer 2013.

Selected artists in residence for 2012/13 are: Ryoko Akama, Tom Scott and Lee Gamble.

A fourth residency will be offered via an open call to North West based emerging and early career practitioners in June. Please re-visit this page for details or contact glenn@octopuscollective.org to be added to our mailing list.

We also offer free use of our studio spaces for short projects and subsidised rent for longer term occupancy. Please contact us for details.

Our next session is on Thursday 26th April at Piel View House, Barrow-in-Furness Park, 7-9pm.

This month we’ll be making and playing with contact microphones as well as sharing ideas for future projects. New members are welcome!

There will be a materials fee for the session of £4, for which you’ll be able to make and keep at least 2 contact microphones.

Contact glenn@octopuscollective if you’d like to come along.

Pics from our recent co-production with Tusk which took place in March, featuring a first time collaboration between Maja SK Ratkje and Ikue Mori. Performing alongside the duo were Ola Szmidt and Dave Dhonau plus an electronics and Shamisen set from artist in residence Ryoko Akama.

Philip Jeck at St John’s Church, Sat 6th August 2011. See the rest of Saturday’s videos here.

Anchorsong at Barrow Bluebird Club, Friday 5th August 2011. See the rest of Friday’s videos here.

Over the last few months Octopus has been visiting the residents of Station View House, playing records and talking about music, how we experience it and what it means to people . In the coming year we will be working on a project called Voices Of Station View, with the support of our County Council. Today  composer Philip Jeck performed for  the residents,  drawing on records sourced from local charity shops.  At the end of the performance a member of the audience told Philip ” I could have listened to that all day.”

The first event of FON 2011.  Japanese Free Radio pioneer Tetsuo Kogawa presents his Transmitter workshop at Lanternhouse , Ulverston,

Lee Gamble,  Philip Jeck and AGF at Piel View House , Barrow , at work on their pieces for FON 2011.  Lee, Antye and Philip will join Barrow’s own Tom Scott and  Japanese Transmissions Artist Tetsuo Kogawa. Tetsuo presents a Transmitter workshop at Lanternhouse tonight alongside a performance and origami workshop from Ryoko Akama.