Sarah Angliss at the Institute of Creative Technologies (IOCT), De Montfort University, Leicester, UK on 10th April 2008. Supported by the Arts Council England.

Thinking beyond the screen and mouse

With live demos of Clara 2.0 (a theremin-playing robot doll) and other curiosities, Sarah explores her own approach to digital arts. Her work may use computers and embedded microprocessors – but Sarah aims to create interactive objects with a tactile and convincing quality that extend beyond the computer screen and mouse. Sewer pipes, car park technology and roboticised toys are just some of the items she’s appropriated over the last few years to create novel experiences. Sarah shows some of the thinking that goes into her work and reveals how she shamelessly mines ideas from cognitive science, stage magic, ancient music and other areas to come up with new ideas. She also briefly discusses her latest work, inspired by an Edwardian funfair illusion, that’s currently interesting researchers of human perception.

About Sarah:

Trained in electroacoustics, music and a little evolutionary robotics, Sarah Angliss specialises in creating original sound installations, exhibits and live performances that mix cutting-edge science with vintage sound technology and little known stories from the history of science. An experienced creator of one-off installations and exhibits, Sarah is also a regular performer, particularly known for her skills on the theremin and musical saw.
Sarah Angliss and Clara 2.0

Regularly featured in the national press, Sarah’s solo and collaborative work exploring infrasonic music, Category 4 diseases, cyborgs, extreme reverb, the uncanny valley, genetic privacy, evolutionary music, dogs in space, hurdy gurdies, Swinging London and a host of other topics has been seen and heard at venues throughout the UK. These include the Brighton Festival, Cheltenham Music and Science Festivals, Final Cut, the Eden Project, Edinburgh International Science Festival, Glasgow Science Centre, London Zoo, South Bank Centre, Science Museum, Soho Theatre, Southwold Pier and Winchester Festival of Art and Mind.

On Radio 4, Roger Highfield described Sarah’s electroacoustic cabaret act at Cheltenham as ‘the most surreal and memorable moment of the festival’. Two of her recent, interactive sound shows, Senster and The Haunt, were shortlisted as ‘standout shows’ of Brighton Festival 2006.