Following the sad death of Salamanda Tandem artist and co-director of Eye Contact Company Lewis Jones who as a blind then deafblind person provided the core inspiration and values on which Salamanda Tandem was formed.  These works made over a 2 year period, were developed in conjunction with Isabel Jones' role as curator of an International project and director of a new work for a final symposium in Estonia, to celebrate the contributions of visually impaired artists to the field of performance.  Thus Isabel makes a series of new works building upon Lewis' deep sensory perception, through touch, sonic vision and kinesthetic awareness and how this relates to environment in movement and sound based performance. The project began in Lewis's birthplace in Wales, where Photographer Geoffrey Fielding and Isabel developed a film and exhibition together for Lewis's funeral. Following this Isabel received an award from Fermynwoods Contemporary Art; to work with Geoffrey and 2 visually impaired dancers to develop a new choreographic, photographic and audio work for Corby Cube: 'Gesture'. 

This Gesture project led to Touchstone, and then the devising of a duet, called 'Ad Astra', where 2 visually impaired performers were able to perform totally independently with live audio description.  

Performances were developed over these 2 years at the Astra Building in Estonia, The Water Tower in Northampton shire, Wirksworth Quarry, Leeds Victoria Gardens, and as a 6-week photography, film and sound exhibition at Rufford Craft Centre, Nottinghamshire. 

This film score was created for Ad Astra' directed by Isabel Jones, with the score created by co-composers Isabel Jones and Duncan Chapman. 'Ad Astra' was a site specific piece Isabel directed for the Fragile? Symposium in Estonia. 
The track starts, with an Estonian woman who is blind telling her life story whilst working with artist and close colleague Lee Sass, then Isabel's singing voice, birdsong collected from all over Europe which relates to the mother countries of the 14 dancers who performed the work, audio description which is designed to enable visually impaired performers and audiences to access the dance, and a beautifully crafted electro-acoustic underpinning made by Duncan with material composed by us both. Deep inside the sound track is a string quartet composed by Isabel and Duncan, originally  for 'Corrosion' one of our earlier works this was re-orchestrated for Ad Astra and played by the Amarosa quartet based in Tallinn Estonia who performed live for the event. 
A great track for dance as it builds up into a rhythmic and mysterious atmosphere, best heard on head phones or with great speakers of course!

Ad Astra Film Score Salamanda Tandem Estonia 2013

…..PERFORMANCE & ARTISTIC RESEARCH INVITE…..
Salamanda Tandem UK White Cane
Firstsite Gallery, Colchester

13th January Open Artistic Research Session 3 – 5pm (Turn up and Find us)
Performance Events at First Site Next Week
14th January 2pm – 3pm (Free Public Performance 30 Headsets available)
14th January 7pm Sound and Music Experiment Session (15 - 25’s only)
click link: http://www.firstsite.uk.net/page/sound-and-music-experiment-sessions

WHITE CANE Salamanda Tandem: is a series of site-specific performances touring nationally throughout 2016, where audiences wearing wireless headphones are immersed in a sound world created by two blind performers exploring and navigating public space. As the long cane rolls across the surface of each space, we hear it’s sound, which is combined with live music and spoken and sung audio description to create a unique experience of ‘sonic vision’. Visit: salamandatandem.wordpress.com

Artists:
Isabel Jones: Composer/Performer         
Duncan Chapman: Composer/Performer
Takashi Kikuchi: Viola Player                              
 Mickel Smithen: Performer

This performance is presented by Salamanda Tandem and Firstsite Gallery Colchester, in collaboration with Sound and Music as part of the Composer-Curator programme 
Special Thanks to: Judith Merritt for making this event possible


White Cane Salamanda Tandem; A Child Stops

A short excerpt of White Cane in live performance, sung by Isabel Jones, here Natalie Speake one of our dancers picks up on the movements of a pigeon.

Co-Composers Isabel Jones and Duncan Chapman
Viola player Takashi Kikuchi

White Cane Salamanda Tandem Pigeon Pigeon

‘SoundWalk into Wellbeing’ was designed over many months of creative conversation, & wellbeing practice in West Bridgford, supported by tea and cake! Developed By: Biant Singh (Nottinghamshire Co-Production Team) and Isabel Jones (Salamanda Tandem) with Colin and Diana Macmillan (Rushcliffe Carers)

Salamanda Tandem Artists:

Photographer: Geoffrey Fielding. 
Composer/Singer/ekta: Isabel Jones. Sound walk location recordings, live vocals
Composer/performer/horn: Duncan Chapman 
Dance Artist/Mindfulness Practitioner: Indra Slavena. 
Technical Support: Derek Grant & Geoffrey Fielding.

This project is one of a series of sensory art works touring nationally led by a team of blind, visually impaired and sighted artists, who take people into a fascinating world of sonic vision, & movement, drawing on lived experience to embed and realize the ‘5 Ways Of Wellbeing’. 

Funders and Partners:

Rushcliffe Mental Health Carers
Nottinghamshire County Council’s Co-production Mental Health Project
Salamanda Tandem, Nottinghamshire.

Autumn Sound Walk into Wellbeing Salamanda Tandem 13 Oct 2016

White Cane The Curve 24th January 2017 

Artists Performers:
Isabel Jones: 	Composer/Singer/Audio Describer/Choreographer
Duncan Chapman: 	Composer/Performer, 
Mickel Smithen: Long Cane Performer/Dance Artist
Takashi Kikuchi: Viola Player/Long Cane Performer/Dance Artist
Indra Slavena:  Dance Artist / Long Cane Performer 
Sam White: Dance Artist. 
Geoffrey Fielding: Photographer
Laura Mansford Artist Advocate, and Photograph featured

White Cane is a series of site-specific performances made by blind, visually impaired (VI) and sighted musicians/dancers/choreographers who lead a public of passers by and invited audiences into a fascinating world of sonic vision. As blind and VI long cane performers navigate public space, a unique perception of the environment emerges through touch, sound and movement, as the sound of the long cane is transmitted live to audiences through radio headphones. Tuning in to this parallel universe, audiences hear the ground underneath their feet, sense the shift of air between the buildings, and re-imagine the space around them. White Cane uniquely combines dance, live viola, music, location recording and the spoken/sung audio description of a live choreographer to engage audiences who enter into dialogue with VI performers, to become part of the performance itself.

Salamanda Tandem White Cane Curve Performance Jan 24 2017

'Access as Art' is central to the art and ethos of Salamanda Tandem. This audio programme was written and read by Isabel Jones. The live show is also audio described by Isabel, and widely accessible. Also tactile maps, braille, & large print information has been produced and are available pre or post show.

Audio programme Information White Cane Salamanda Tandem

‘Soundwalks into Wellbeing’, is an outdoor site specific performance, tailor-made for each season. Events takes place in our local city park, and are designed by soundartists, wellbeing practitioners and seldom heard carers, who collaborate together to develop their own wellbeing, and that of others, to address the challenges of isolation, stress, disability and poor health.

This ‘SoundWalk into Wellbeing’ draws on lived experience to embed and realize the ‘5 Ways Of Wellbeing’ through sound, music, mindful access to nature and movement. 

The Autumn soundwalk into wellbeing was designed over many months of creative conversation, & wellbeing practice in West Bridgford, in our home opposite the park our site for these walks - and as our new studio was being built, supported by tea and cake! An idea developed By: Isabel Jones (Salamanda Tandem) and Biant Singh (Nottinghamshire Co-Production Team)with Colin and Diana Macmillan (Rushcliffe Carers)

Artists:

Isabel Jones Director Composer. Live Singer and Ekta Player: Sound walk location recordings
Biant Singh: Co-Designer of concept/ Mental Health Social Worker /Mindfullness Practitioner
Duncan Chapman: Composer/performer/horn player: 
Dancer: Indra Slavena
Photographer and wellbeing practitioner: Geoffrey Fielding
Technical Support: Derek Grant & Geoffrey Fielding.

This project grew out of a sensory art works called White Cane: Salamanda Tandem touring nationally 2014 - 2018. Led by a team of blind, visually impaired and sighted artists, who take people into a fascinating world of sonic vision.

Credits:
Original Recording Horn (Duncan Chapman) and Ekta (Isabel Jones): was created for the Album E8. Recorded by Voice Print. Ensemble 8 was an ensemble of musicians developed by The Firebird Trust as an idea to allow participatory art musicians to develop their own work collaboratively. 

Funders and Partners:

Rushcliffe Mental Health Carers
Nottinghamshire County Council’s Co-production Mental Health Project
Salamanda Tandem, Nottinghamshire.
Arts Council England through Grants for The Arts

Autumn Soundwalk Into Wellbeing Bridgford Park clip 4 min.51sec

Salamanda Tandem's ‘Soundwalks into Wellbeing’, is an outdoor site specific performance, tailor-made for each season. Events takes place in our local city park opposite Salamanda Tandem's, studio, led by Artistic Director Isabel Jones and designed by soundartists, wellbeing practitioners and seldom heard carers, who collaborate together to develop their own wellbeing, and that of others, to address the challenges of isolation, stress, disability and poor health.

This Summer ‘SoundWalk into Wellbeing’ draws on lived experience to embed and realize the ‘5 Ways Of Wellbeing’ through sound, music, mindful access to nature and movement.

The Summer soundwalk into wellbeing was designed over many months of creative conversation, & wellbeing practice in West Bridgford, in our home  opposite the park our site for these walks - and as our new studio was being completed, supported by tea and cake! 

Developers of the Summer Soundwalk: 
Salamanda Tandem 
Biant Singh (Nottinghamshire Co-Production Team), 
Colin and Diana Macmillan (Rushcliffe Mental Health Carers)

Artists:

Isabel Jones Director/Choreographer of Live Audience Composer/Singer/audio describer
Biant Singh: Tabla Player, Co-director of Audience involvement and Text
Duncan Chapman: Composer/performer
Photographer / wellbeing practitioner / Technical Engineering: Geoffrey Fielding
Dancers: Indra Slavena, and Caroline Robinson

This project grew out of the sensory art work: White Cane, Salamanda Tandem that toured nationally 2014 - 2018, led by a team of blind, visually impaired and sighted artists, who take people into a fascinating world of sonic vision.

Funders and Partners:

Rushcliffe Mental Health Carers
Nottinghamshire County Council’s Co-production Mental Health Project
Salamanda Tandem, Nottinghamshire.
Arts Council England through Grants for The Arts

Summer Soundwalk Into Wellbeing Bridgford Park 13 min.12sec Clip

January 2018 is the 15th Year or our Dark Januaries project. "Beards getting thicker, and hair a little thinner!". We meet again for 2 days, to rekindle energies spark off new ventures, and start the year with a piece of artistic research and reflection.
This year we arrived independently at the same idea; to revisit our 1st ever Dark January in 2004 which focused on voice and horn. At that stage we'd just emerged from the break up of E8, directed rather too much towards short, undeveloped vast ideas for us and we felt liberated by the joy of exploring 1 note for a 20 minute duration. Thus this year, we adopted a more performance mode of creating the work, and largely because now our new studio is completed we have a glorious acoustic to play with. This years play results in a series of improvisations with live voice, flugelhorn and live electronics, that have emerged into 6 pieces, totaling 45 minutes of music.
The Visible Breath ...... 14:55"
Skirr..................................7:04"
Mulch ...............................5:09"
In the Air..........................4:46"
Pithy Pithy Pear.............3:1"
Berry's Are Few .............5:37"

We have chosen 1 track to load up here, running out of souncloud space......  
Title: "Skirr" which means: to go into for the purposes of discovery. 

We are also trying to work out how to make all 6 parts available to anyone interested, and muse with the thought: could we make a bit of money out of it?!!  We always talk about what troubles us each year, and this year its the crushing affects of austerity. No work for artists. One sentence captures it all from 1 reluctant payer this year who'd given us £350 for 2 shows. "You've had enough!" Then other people of our age, with the difficulties inherent in a proper job; how many years to run before final salary pensions can be cashed in, eeking out redundancy pay outs, and the difficulty of managing 2nd and 3rd homes. We've laid down nothing there, only a life in sound; surely if we'd started a collection sooner we'd have pennies in the pot for next years marmalade!!
We ponder.......

January 2018. Part 2 Skirr ........7:04"

White Cane: Live Performance / Recording

Isabel Jones: Director / Choreographer of Live Audience 
Singer / Composer / Site Location Recordings, composition of spoken Voice Narratives and audio description 

Duncan Chapman: Composer / Live Long Cane Processing and Mixing. 

Mickel Smithen: Live Long Cane Performer / Audience Guide:

Takachi Kikuchi: Viola Spoken Narrative, recorded in conversation with Isabel 

Performed at De Montfort University International New Music Conference:  Bringing New Music to new Audiences Conference 2018

Salamanda Tandem White Cane @ DMU 23 Sep 2018

Corrosion  is an album of work commissioned by Salamanda Tandem: and co-composed by singer composer Isabel Jones and composer Duncan Chapman. 

Corrosion was originally a Commission from Opera North to Isabel Jones to explore the question 'What is opera?'

Libretto Tony Baker
Singer/Composer: Isabel Jones
Composer: Duncan Chapman

Includes small fragments of the original work
Singer: Moira Smiley:  
Singer: Jeremy Avis
Singer: Briony Jone
Singer: Noami Lines
Singer: Richard

Corrosion Salamanda Tandem. Opera North 2006

What is Dark Januarys......
well it happens in January! and now in its 20th year! 

A place for play, a location, an improvisation, a collection of thoughts, discarded sound files, field recordings, be together & organically grow a body of soundart work

The People
2022 onwards... The New Generation Dark Jans: 
Gwilym Jones, Paddy Fitton Jones, Robbie Fitton Jones, Blue Firth, Isabel Jones

2004 - 2019 The Original Dark Jans: Duncan Chapman, Isabel Jones 

Concept: Isabel Jones
Co-Produced by Salamanda Tandem

In the early years the annual gathering of two took place at Unstone Grange. Later when resources were scarce, we moved to our home studio in Nottingham, as a source for Dark Jans creativity. 

The January sessions are a process of re-generation, research, finding clarity, space, friendliness in a professional field of ever increasing complexity. An organic compositional process emerged which suited and the resulting works are composed collectively. Conversation is always a starting point, and a place: then working in isolation to collect material (sound, text, concepts, trawling through individual recordings made independently, preparing treatments, creating patches, sine waves etc) then composing the final track through playing together live, drawing materials together using various emerging computer software/individual live mixing, responding through improvisation, exploring the material in combination & juxtaposition, drawing on our roots as live acoustic musicians; horn, voice, viola, found objects, classical guitar, flugel horn, ekta....

History Behind Dark January's
In 1996 Isabel & Duncan, individually became part of a new collective music group: ‘Ensemble 8’: 8 band members included: Ray Lee, Biant Singh, Ben Dalgleash, Pete Shelton, Nikki Kate Hayes, Andrew Williams (e8 founder), Isabel Jones & Duncan Chapman. The first album produced was called: Ensemble 8.  By 2000 the ensemble had become a quartet of 4 musician/composers: Andrew Williams, Pete Shelton, Duncan Chapman & Isabel Jones who produced a new album called "Where Are We Now'. 

In 2002 ish, the band became rocky; the men faced eachother competitively in the arts/music industry, & it became impossible to continue the collaborative methodology that made E8 successful. 

In 2003 Isabel wrote….

“I've been away, then in-between a bit confused, I suppose the issues here are tricky, but rather than continue in limbo … can I make a last ditch attempt to get us together this January, as I can see we are slipping irrevocably apart. "Where Are We Now"

I know my proposed ‘8 January’s’ idea didn't exactly hit the mark, as Pete has pointed out ‘lets get tangible not live in false hope’, 
I continued: "for me 8 Dark January’s' are tangible. I've always been an optimist, lets remove all preconceptions: a band that gets together once a year to make a track?... it could be really cool. What about those visual artists we admire who stick to the same idea year & eventually they've photographed one particular tree for 20 years. Isn't our problem now something to do with expectations. This idea is a kind of acceptance that E8 pared down is still intrinsically interesting & worth having. 
How this could work? Dark January’s is easy to care take, a short punctuation in our lives, we’ve always made little documents, & those were interesting. In this way one starts to gather those materials / recordings or a series of snapshots that expose this falling apart phase: '8 dark January's' or 'E8 the Dark years' '8 tracks for 8 dark nights'. Could become a web site, an album, a new work eventually what ever or just a process for now. I could get excited about this kind of thing, it isn't really intense or complicated it’s just an essence, arising out of a need to make a mark once a year collectively" any thoughts? 
Is 
 
The band did break up. 

While the ‘8 Dark January's’, project long surpassed 8 years to become 16 and now 20! and still has a value. Initially prepared to call it a day, my family of 4 nephews, grown into accomplished musicians, have faith that Dark Jans is tangible and exciting. Let us continue!