26 Sep 2024 - 28 Sep 2024
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A vibrant fusion of sonic art and engineering for everyone to enjoy
Designed and made by Rag & Bone
Created by Dave Young with Spencer Jenkins and Julia Snowdin
Produced by Artichoke as part of Nuneaton & Bedworth Council’s Creative Explorers programme, Babylon Gamelan was a pilot project exploring the potential for a festival to celebrate local industrial heritage and culture.
In memory of George Kessler CBE, who was a long-term supporter of Artichoke’s work and a particular fan of all things technical
“It made me happy!” Overwhelming audience response to three days of joyful experiments with noise and sound in Bedworth’s Miners’ Welfare Park
Babylon Gamelan invited audiences to immerse themselves in joyful sound sculptures and percussive installations. Created by Rag & Bone artist Dave Young, it was a series of mechanical sound sculptures and noise-making machines designed for hands-on exploration. Forget “don’t touch” signs – here, visitors were encouraged to pull, push, strum, and drum their way through these playful installations in the Miners’ Park. Sensors reacted to touch, creating vibrant soundscapes that echoed the town’s industrial past.
At the heart of the event was the 4-meter high Babylon Gamelan, a monumental sculpture made from recycled materials and found objects. Its whimsical design, inspired by the Tower of Babel, combined rough music and random engineering to produce sonic chaos.
“The response to Babylon Gamelan has been wonderfully enthusiastic and it’s clear that there is a real appetite here for art, which we know really makes people happy. It is a pilot project as part of Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council’s Creative Explorers programme, funded by Arts Council England and it’s been a great way to test for some kind of regular future event in Nuneaton and Bedworth that also considers the local heritage of the area. Thank you to everyone who took part and to our funders and sponsors who helped make it happen”. – Helen Marriage, CEO of Artichoke
4m
Babylon Gamelan structure
350
Community Participants
3
Artists
1,500
Audience
Artists
The Percussive Trail
Visitors followed a vibrant art trail in the Miner’s Welfare Park from the 26 – 28 September 2024. Designed by local artist Julia Snowdin, the trail featured installations made with the help of over 300 community members and schoolchildren. The trail pieces, created from recycled cans and other scrap materials, led visitors through the park to three interactive sound sculptures by Nuneaton artist Spencer Jenkins.
These sculptures were co-designed with local community groups, making each piece a collaborative work of art rooted in Bedworth’s rich industrial history. Each group brought something truly unique to the table. From young people experimenting with sound waves and crafting percussive instruments, to elders tapping into their rich musical heritage—every voice has shaped this project.
Built by artists and the local community using an array of scrap metals, found materials and recycled objects, these noise-making machines invited the audience to play them and make as much noise as possible!
“It’s been a joy working within the Bedworth and Nuneaton community on Babylon Gamelan and seeing everyone get involved in creating, painting and designing. Around 350 people aged between 5 and 90 years have taken part through workshops in schools, libraries and local groups. From turning recycled cans into colourful artworks on the art trail, to the collaborative co-design and invention of three interactive installations made by Spencer Jenkins, the community can definitely say that they are part of the art.” – Beth King, Head of Learning & Participation, Artichoke
Created by the Community
Since May 2024, local artist Spencer Jenkins has worked closely with local groups, including Aspire in Arts, Khair in the Community, and Race Leys Junior School. Through hands-on workshops, participants contributed to the design and creation of these noise-making installations which are displayed alongside the Babylon Gamelan. Each group brought unique perspectives, from young people exploring sound waves and engineering percussive instruments to elders reflecting on their musical heritage.
This process included creating their own models to visualise the artwork, utilising their engineering skills to make interactive instruments, exploring colour through spray painting, painting and stencilling for decoration and making sound and noise with the use of found and recycled items. Spencer used the outcomes of each workshop to inspire his making process, with the final artworks combining the creativity, minds and hearts of all those involved.
Just as all the artworks in the project were made from recycled materials, many elements are being donated back to the schools that took part, whilst the wooden structures are being donated to a charity for repurposing.
Finale Event: Saturday 28 September 2024
On Saturday 28 September Babylon Gamelan took its final bow with an unforgettable final fanfare.
The finale as dusk fell on Saturday night, rounded off three days of sonic fun, which saw around 1,500 local people of all ages come to take part. Children and adults alike delighted in strumming, drumming and playing the various community-made artworks, experimenting with sounds and making as much noise as possible.
Following a live processional performance from the Heavy Beat Brass Band, Babylon Gamelan illuminated, crackled, popped, and whistled its way into the sunset – culminating in an electrifying, surprise bang!
Khair in the Community
Khair in the Community was setup in 2012 to continue serving the needs of the elders within the Muslim community through day care provision. They suffer from a number of different health conditions, some have mobility issues, some require 1-1 support and some are suffering from early stages of dementia. They offer a safe space in the heart of the community where they can meet their friends, eat fresh home cooked style food, share life experiences, and hope to breakdown any isolation they face in the day to day.
The women from Khair in the community are aged 60 – 90 yrs from India, Pakistan, Kenya and Syria and used the workshops to discuss their heritage and tell stories of their past. We discovered their love of singing and playing the Duf ( also known as a Daff or Duff) a framed drum played across the Middle East, South and Central Asia. The sessions also explored colours and stencil design inspired by these discussions, their countries and faith. Spencer has used the Duf and drums as the circular inspiration for the installation.
Aspire in Arts
Aspire in Arts aim to inspire and empower young people to reach their full potential. Their mission is to provide a safe, social, and creative environment that supports their transition into adulthood. They offer a variety of programs and resources designed to help young people discover their passions, develop their skills, and build self-confidence. Through art, music, and other forms of creative expression, they aim to foster a sense of community and belonging among young people.
Working with young people between 11 – 18yrs, Spencer drew inspiration from the group’s interest in creating a multi-percussive pyramid styled structure that would allow audiences to play instruments on all sides. Throughout the workshop process, the young people created pendulums and percussive instruments using scrap metals and plastics, and learned how different materials can make unique sounds.
Race Leys Junior School
Race Leys is a vibrant and exciting school, where students are given wonderful opportunities to learn, develop and shine. Race Leys is built on the three Pillars of the Griffin Schools Trust which are: Proud Traditions, Wide Horizons and High Achievement.
The Year 5’s from Race Leys started their sessions by discussing sound waves and used this as the inspiration for the base design of their installation. They discovered how materials such as plastic, wood and metal can make different sounds and used this to engineer unique instruments from bicycle wheels, gas bottles, oil drums and bins. You’ll see the colours of the school (blue, silver, purple, white, gold) throughout the artwork as chosen and decorated by the young people.
Supporters
Thank you to our supporters who have given so generously to help Artichoke produce Babylon Gamelan.
Artichoke is a registered charity and every penny received from the public, businesses, trusts, and foundations goes directly towards the festival and keeping it accessible for everyone to attend.
Special thanks to our Giving Circle member Roger Medwell.
The Giving Circle
If you would like to play a part in jump-starting Babylon Gamelan, we invite you to join the Giving Circle.
Donors enjoy a close relationship with the creative team and have access to special behind-the-scenes experiences as a thank you for their generous support.
