THE life and work of an electronic music pioneer will be celebrated in Furness this August.

Delia Derbyshire Day comes to Barrow on Saturday August 5, including the premiere of new work by prize-winning Cumbrian artist Jenn Mattinson.

As part of their Full of Noises festival activities, Barrow-based Octopus Collective are hosting two events on the day.

Best remembered for her work at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, where she produced the version of the Dr Who theme, loved by generations of fans, during the 1970s Delia spent a few years in Cumbria working as a radio operator for the laying of a British Gas pipeline, and was later involved with an Art Gallery in Banks, near Brampton, set up by the Chinese-born artist Li Yuan-Chia.

Very little is known about her time in Cumbria so Full of Noises have commissioned Cumbrian sound artist Jenn Mattinson to produce a new work based on interviews with people who knew Delia alongside recordings of some of the places she visited and worked.

The new work will form part of the concert on August 5, which also features performances of work inspired by Delia Derbyshire including: Audient, My Dear for electronics, voice, ping pong ball and ruler by Caro C; The Architects of Rosslyn performing a live electronic and acoustic soundtrack to a collage of films by artist and ‘movician’ Di Mainstone; an audio collage by David Butler, lead researcher at the Delia Derbyshire Archive at John Rylands Library at the University of Manchester; and a camera-less 35mm film in by FON favourite, Ulverston-born Mary Stark.

Earlier in the day there will be a free hands-on workshop for children aged eight and upwards led by sound engineer and music producer Caro C, and composer Mandy Wigby.

After deconstructing Delia’s iconic rendering of the original Dr Who theme tune and looking at some working notes from Delia’s archive, guests will have the opportunity to explore and play with found sounds, sampling and creating loops.

Both events take place at the Cooke's Studio, in Abbey Road, Barrow, and tickets for the evening performance can be booked via fonfestival.org

  • The event organisers are looking to speak to anyone who came into contact with Delia Derbyshire during her time in Cumbria. Anyone with memories or information that could help the project is asked to email Andrew Deakin at andrew@octopuscollective.org