The UK’s first purpose built Deaf Cultural Centre and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) are working in partnership to explore visual and aural links of Mussorgsky’s orchestral work ‘Pictures at an Exhibition.’

As part of a newly established education project CBSO musicians and Deaf artists Fiona McLean, Iva Tetauerova and Deaf musician Sannah Gulamani have been working with four local hearing impaired schools to develop creative performances that explore how musical themes can be represented visually, enabling creative music making opportunities.  

The main focus of the workshops has been to establish how Mussorgsky’s work can be interpreted through motion and colour, as Lisa Davies, Deaf Cultural Centre Arts Network Coordinator explains; “Colour has always been an important part of representation in life.  We see it every day and are accustomed to its connotations; red as danger or black meaning sombre.  

“We are hoping to introduce this kind of visual representation into the performance at the Cultural Centre and although many of the audience won’t hear the music they will be able understand its emotive content through symbolic movement and colours.”

The final performance, taking place on Monday 30th June, will be attended by the pupils, their families and the teachers involved in creating the performance.

“It is really important to everyone involved that they are there to see the creative ideas and input on stage.  Everyone involved in developing the creative performance has contributed ideas and it will be really great for them to see it come to fruition through a very unique style of performance.” Continued Lisa.

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