Brighton Dome Audio Brochure, Spring 2025.

With thanks to Jessie Peck and Darcey Wootton from Performers College Brighton

Track 81 Backstage tours

Vintage Culture brings fire for episode #151 of AFFAIRS.

1. SCRIPT - Headshake 00:00:00
2. Ardalan, Shaded LA, Life on Planets, Black V Neck - Spiraling 00:04:00
3. Siavash - Villain (CIOZ Remix) 00:07:15
4. Yuvee, Lee Doron - Nowhere To Hide (OMRI. Remix) 00:12:00
5. JUNO DE - Que Rico 00:16:07
6. Hollt - Low Pass 00:20:45
7. Franky Wah - Light Years 00:25:15
8. Beswerda - All For Me 00:29:45
9. Belben, Bilal Santiago - Hypnodance 00:34:15
10. Weval - Melchior’s Dance 00:37:30
11. Agustin Giri - Transient Enigma 00:42:00
12. Carol Fernandez - Whatever (Maxim Lany Remix) 00:46:45
13. HILLS x WELKER - Swagger 00:48:45
14. Oliver Huntemann - TrackOnTrack 00:51:30
15. Re.You, Eins Tiefer - Thats Right 00:54:00
16. G-POL - Proper Education 00:56:53

VINTAGE CULTURE - AFFAIRS #151

This playlist includes audio described tracks of the objects available to touch and examine in the Gold, Silver & Mosaics galleries at the V&A. 

Embossing and Chasing touch plaque – top left of display:

This square of silver, about ten centimetres across, illustrates embossing and chasing. Most of its surface is taken up by an embossed and chased image of a partridge standing proudly, facing to the left. Its wings are tucked neatly against its body. It is one of a set of four plaques in this display which shows silversmithing techniques. The others illustrate chasing, embossing and chasing on the reverse and engraving.

The bird is raised in relief. Its shape was first formed by embossing the metal from the back, then refined by chasing from the front. You can feel the smooth curve of its slightly open beak, the plump body and the gnarly, clawed feet.

Discover more about the Gilbert collection: https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/gilbert-collection

Silversmithing in action: embossing and chasing – Room 72a

This playlist includes audio described tracks of the objects available to touch and examine in the Gold, Silver & Mosaics galleries at the V&A. 

Imari Cup touch plaque:

This Japanese Imari porcelain cup is about four centimetres high. The cup has been cut vertically in half and fixed to a board. It has no handle. As you explore it, you can feel the contrast between the smooth white glazed interior and the decorated outer surface, which is in slight relief due to the thickness of its enamel paint. The glaze is glossy and cool to the touch.

On this half-cup, the decoration is arranged in vertical strips around the outside. These alternate between plain white backgrounds and sections in rich orange. On the white sections, you can feel hand-painted decoration. Three flowers form a vertical strand. They are painted in orange, with delicate turquoise leaves threading between them. At the base there is a vertical border of thin blue stripes of alternating heights which continues around the whole cup.

A narrow gold-coloured vertical line separates this from the orange section. Within this is a central circular shape, like a pond, surrounded by curling golden stems. Inside it, a goldfish swims in dotted turquoise water. Along the rim of the cup, both inside and out, a darker blue line follows the curve of the edge.

Next to the plaque is a scent dispenser. If you lift the small flap, you can smell a blend of chocolate, spice and milk taken from an 18th-century hot chocolate recipe. This would have been served in the Imari porcelain and silver trembleuse displayed in a case on the wall to the right.

Discover more about the Gilbert collection: https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/gilbert-collection

Multi-sensory touch plaque: imari porcelain cup – Room 72a

This playlist includes audio described tracks of the objects available to touch and examine in the Gold, Silver & Mosaics galleries at the V&A. 

Engraving touch plaque – bottom right of display:

At the centre of a shiny square metal plate, about 10 centimetres wide, is an engraved image of a partridge: a medium-sized game bird. The bird fills most of the plate’s centre and stands out clearly against the bright metal. It has been engraved into the plate, using a technique where small shavings of material are carefully removed using a sharp tool.

The partridge faces left, shown in profile. Its pointed beak aligns with a large, round eye that looks outward. Its neck and rounded body are covered with feathers, made using small, curved lines. One wing extends to the right, its long feathers layered and clearly defined. Two scaly legs bend at the joints and end in broad feet with sharp talons. Beneath them, two short horizontal lines suggest the ground.

The plate can also be explored by touch, allowing the engraved image to be experienced through both sight and texture.

Discover more about the Gilbert collection: https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/gilbert-collection

Silversmithing in action touch plaque: engraving – Room 72a

This playlist includes audio described tracks of the objects available to touch and examine in the Gold, Silver & Mosaics galleries at the V&A. 

Conch shell:

This conch shell is small enough to rest in your palm. It is about eight centimetres long and four centimetres wide. It is a pale pinky orange and shaped like a rough oval, tapering toward both ends.

Along one side of the shell in front of you runs a long opening. Here, the shell curves inward at the top and bottom, forming a flowing line hinting at the hollow interior. Along these curled edges you can feel fine vertical ridges. The rest of the shell is smooth and glossy.

Beside the shell is a scent dispenser. Lift the small flap to smell freshly grated nutmeg.

There is a nutmeg grater made from a conch shell, mounted in silver, displayed in the case to the right of this room.

Discover more about the Gilbert collection: https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/gilbert-collection

Multi-sensory touch plaque: conch shell – Room 72a

This playlist includes audio described tracks of the objects available to touch and examine in the Gold, Silver & Mosaics galleries at the V&A. 

Embossing and chasing back touch plaque – top right of display:

A piece of flat silver, about ten centimetres square has an image of a partridge embossed and chased into it, but shown on the reverse side. The plump bird stands proudly facing right, its wing tucked neatly against its body. It is one of a set of four plaques in this display showing silversmithing techniques. The others illustrate chasing, embossing and chasing together shown on the right side and engraving.

The plaque is displayed on the reverse so you can feel the embossing and chasing marks that create three-dimensional relief. Embossing marks hammered into the surface push the metal outward to form the raised relief on the front. The outline of the partridge’s body and the curve and ridges of its wing are clear under your fingertips. The legs and feet are formed from stacked oval bowls, giving a layered, textured feel.

Chasing marks punched into the silver from the front also create a relief. Some of the breast feathers can be felt as a small and shallow shield-shaped raised relief.

Exploring the back shows how the subtle variations in depth and shape of the embossing and chasing create the detailed raised and indented relief. You can feel this in the plaque that features embossing and chasing together from the front.

Discover more about the Gilbert collection: https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/gilbert-collection

Silversmithing in action touch plaque: embossing and chasing (back) – Room 72a

This playlist includes audio described tracks of the objects available to touch and examine in the Gold, Silver & Mosaics galleries at the V&A. 

Pomander touch plaque:

Pomanders are small, personal items of jewellery usually worn hanging from the waist or around the neck. They were designed to hold scented materials. This touch plaque is a magnified section of a round pomander made around 1600. The original is made of silver gilt with a black wax interior.

The body of the original pomander is divided into six curved segments, like an orange. Each segment opens like a tiny compartment and can be filled with fragrant substances.

The scent escapes when each compartment has been individually opened. These small openings allow the fragrance to gently waft out while keeping the contents contained.

The touch plaque is a ten centimetre square 3D print made of brass. It enlarges one decorative segment from the original pomander.

In the centre, you can feel the pierced section. Its design is made of repeated curved stems shaped a little like the letter ‘e’. Small leaves branch from each stem. The pattern is stacked in vertical rows and mirrored from left to right. If you trace the leaves with your fingertips, you can feel fine engraved lines suggesting the veins. The openwork areas are backed with black resin. This creates a contrast in texture between the raised metal design and the smooth surface beneath it.

On either side of the pierced section are solid borders. They are engraved with a repeating oval shape. Each oval is framed by small half-moon forms, linked by a straight line running from the top to the bottom of the plaque. The engraving is shallow but crisp beneath your fingers.

Next to the plaque is a scent dispenser. If you lift the small flap, you can smell a blend of herbs and spices similar to those once placed inside the pomander. The fragrance would have drifted out through the pierced grille you have just explored.

Discover more about the Gilbert collection: https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/gilbert-collection

Multi-sensory touch plaque: pomander – Room 72a

This playlist includes audio described tracks of the objects available to touch and examine in the Gold, Silver & Mosaics galleries at the V&A. 

Chasing front touch plaque – bottom left of display:

A piece of flat silver about ten centimetres square has an image of a partridge chased into it. The plump bird stands proudly facing left, its wings tucked neatly against its body. This sample shows flat chasing, which creates detailed textures and pattern on metal by indenting lines into the surface using shaped tools. Other samples in this set illustrate embossing and chasing from the reverse, embossing and chasing together and engraving.

The outline of the bird and its eye, beak and wing have deeply indented lines that give the impression of it standing proud on the surface. Different chasing marks create the texture of the feathers. On the wing, the quills are long and slightly raised. On the head and down the back, the feathers are shorter, densely packed and finely lined with tiny parallel grooves. The legs and feet are rougher and are marked with small irregular ridges and horizontal rings, giving a scaly feel that is distinct from the feathery body.

Discover more about the Gilbert collection: https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/gilbert-collection

Track 81 Backstage tours

Brighton Dome & Festival

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