25 Sep New Feature Article
(Published 25/06/10 – Noosa News / Sunshine Coast Daily) This talented young woman is the definition of ‘jetsetter’. Just four hours after speaking with multi-award winning artist and composer Leah Barclay, she was to catch a flight to Shanghai. Ms Barclay had spent a short six weeks at home in Cooroy after a stint in India working with the Triveni Trust. The Triveni Trust is an organisation designed to facilitate inter-cultural collaborations, Ms Barclay said.“It’s about preserving intangible cultural heritage and using digital methods to preserve music traditions”
Despite being home, the last six weeks didn’t serve as a break. Ms Barclay launched her Cypress Trilogy installation, a dramatic display of sound, light and imagery at the Noosa Regional Gallery and composed the sound for an interactive installation at Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve. She also attended The Dreaming Festival in Woodford where she spoke about intercultural partnerships. Specialising in electroacoustic music and currently completing her PhD, Ms Barclay’s trip to Shanghai will see her present a paper at the international electroacoustic music studies conference. “I’ll be presenting a model of intercultural electroacoustic music to leaders in the field.”
The contemporary artist will then globe-trot to Seoul, South Korea, as part of an international residency to create a contemporary version of Pansori, Korean traditional opera. From there, Ms Barclay will perform several gigs in Hong Kong before she returns home again in September to prepare for the launch of her latest installation, Sound Mirrors. Sound Mirrors was selected as one of four national projects for the HELM Award, an initiative of The Australia Council of the Arts and the Queensland Conservation Council. “HELM inspires the next generation of leaders to create works that are at the intersection of art, technology and the environment,” Ms Barclay said. The Sound Mirrors installation opening and CD launch will be held on October 8 at the Noosa Regional Gallery. (ARTICLE BY ALICE CAMPION)