For four days in October, the UK’s festival of film and music, Sensoria, will bring one-off live performances, live film soundtracks, rare cult film screenings and digital animation to venues across Sheffield.
The much-loved event is an annual celebration of the city’s boundless musical innovation and creative culture, having featured talents such as Jarvis Cocker, Bill Drummond, Richard Hawley, Forgemasters, Laurie Anderson, Nitin Sawhney and Christopher Eccleston, all set against the backdrop of unique and unconventional venues since its inception in 2008.
THIS YEARS HIGHLIGHTS:
BISHI
Artist, composer and producer BISHI will perform her original score for the VR experience Maya, The Birth of a Superhero with a string quartet, against a big-screen backdrop. BISHI is known for her trademark electric sitar, four-octave vocal range and celebrated use of groundbreaking technology in her live performances.
Date: Thursday, 3 October at 8pm.
Venue: The University of Sheffield Drama Studio
SHAOLIN INVINCIBLES
Reel Steel and Sensoria present a special screening of Cheng Hou’s 1977 head-spinning cult classic The Shaolin Invincibles (18+), accompanied by a new original live score by games soundtrack composer Chipzel. The film follows two sword-wielding sisters seeking revenge against the villains who murdered their family, battling kung-fu gorillas, guardians of the underworld and a host of outlandish assassins.
Date: Friday, 4 October at 7:45pm.
Venue: The University of Sheffield Drama Studio
GAZELLE TWIN
A haunting live performance by Gazelle Twin of her recent LP, Black Dog. The electronic music composer and producer transforms intense personal experiences and childhood memories into resonant songs, with a performance rooted in the theatrics of séances and the phenomena of ghosts.
Date: Saturday, 5 October at 8pm.
Venue: The University of Sheffield Drama Studio
BLOWN AWAY (CONCERTEENIES)
A live performance for children of author Rob Biddulph’s Blown Away by Concerteenies, award-winning producer of musical events and activities for young children. Full of fun actions and songs in a relaxed and friendly environment, this Sheffield premiere performance is the perfect introduction to music, animation and storytelling, ideal for 3 to 8-year-olds and their families.
Date: Sunday, 6 October at 11 am.
Venue: The Montgomery Theatre
SENSORIAPRO
Composers, filmmakers, music publishers, and more will gather at SensoriaPro, a day exploring the latest innovations in music and creative media. Open to all, the event includes a live scoring contest, challenging artists to score the trailer for Threads, the 1984 post-apocalyptic documentary-drama set in Sheffield. Special guests include Emmy-winning composer Nainita Desai and the creative team behind the forthcoming TV dramatisation of Bernadine Evaristo’s novel Mr Loverman.
Date: Friday, 4 October from 10 am-5:30 pm.
Venue: Showroom Cinema
SYNTHFEST UK
SynthFest UK joins Sensoria, offering a chance to see, play, and buy the biggest range of synthesizers in the UK. Over sixty companies will showcase their synths at an event that attracts visitors from across the UK, Europe, and beyond.
Date: Saturday, 5 October, 10 am-6:30 pm.
Venue: The Octagon Centre
The scope of events on offer is wide-ranging, and everyone is invited. We’ve featured a few of the best bits announced so far, but head to the website below for more announcements, including art and music installations in unusual spaces.
Tickets: www.sensoria.org.uk
Dates: 3-6 October 2024 at venues across Sheffield.
Socials: @sensoriafest
Feature image: BISHI by Luke Nugent for Temporal Shift
