Oscailt

Music Network opened its Autumn 2023 Season with the world premiere of Oscailt, a new Music Network commission by Jennifer Walshe at Dublin Fringe Festival, ahead of a national tour to Kildare, Limerick, Cork and Mayo in September 2023.

The extraordinary multimedia composition for sound and video by vocalist, improviser and composer Jennifer Walshe was developed by Walshe in collaboration with Panos Ghikas, Nick Roth and Liz Hilliard with the help of secondary school students from across Ireland. The show, which drew on the students' experience of growing up in a world mediated by technology, incorporated installation, film, improvisation, artificial intelligence (AI) and live performance.

Students from Loreto Abbey Secondary School in Dalkey, Patrician Secondary School in Newbridge, Limerick Educate Together Secondary School, Glanmire Community College in Cork and Davitt College in Castlebar worked with the ensemble over a number of weeks. Through a series of workshops together, they explored and created sounds using instrumental, vocal and computer improvisation techniques, such as the Unrealtime digital improvisation software, that were incorporated into the final live performances. The students also joined the professional musicians on stage to perform some of their co-created material for audiences in their local venues.

Oscailt premiered at the Samuel Beckett Theatre on Tuesday 19 September as part of Dublin Fringe Festival and toured to Riverbank Arts Centre in Newbridge, Belltable in Limerick, Triskel Christchurch in Cork and Linenhall Arts Centre in Castlebar.

Oscailt was commissioned by Music Network, and funded by The Arts Council with support from the ESB’s Energy for Generations Fund.

Jennifer Walshe - composer and vocalist
Elizabeth Hilliard - soprano
Nick Roth - saxophone
Panos Ghikas - multi-instrumentalist/electronics