Flip through virtually any periodical covering arts financing in the past few years, and the lead stories tell a deeply troubling story. Arts Council England noted that: "According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, there was a 20 percent reduction in spending by local authorities in England between 2009/10 and 2014/15." Boutique independent venues are shutting down at a worrying pace, and the meagre payouts from streaming platforms have squeezed musicians' capacity to earn a living purely from their craft. The result is a climate that hits regional scenes and non-mainstream acts especially hard. In response to these mounting pressures, a fresh initiative has been launched with the goal of championing bold, boundary-crossing music.
Outlands has built a nationwide experimental touring circuit designed to draw on existing infrastructure, broaden representation, and widen access to overlooked musical forms. For its opening phase, Outlands has assembled a coalition of music and visual arts bodies, creative producers, and grassroots venues spanning eight regions. Over a two-year stretch beginning in 2018, these collaborators will commission and route six entirely new productions across the country.
And the launch roster is nothing short of remarkable. The maiden Outlands tour pairs Matana Roberts with Kelly Jane Jones for a live creative partnership. Roberts, the Chicago-based saxophonist recognised chiefly for Coin Coin — her sprawling multi-album project in progress — has produced some of the most arresting music of the past decade. Jones, meanwhile, is a sound artist whose commissions have come from Tate Modern and the ICA in London, alongside residencies at Arnolfini in Bristol and Kunsthall Bergen in Norway. The prospect of these two joining forces is undeniably thrilling, and the contrast in their backgrounds mirrors precisely what Outlands is built upon.
Roberts herself perhaps captures the essence of Outlands most clearly: "At my artistic core, I am firmly dedicated to creating a unique and very personal experiential body of sound work that speaks to, and reminds people of all walks of life to reach, stand up, give voice, regardless of difference, created from mere labels of intellectual classification. In my ideal world the idea of 'difference', is an illusion designed only for the purpose of modern economic division and elitist intellectual hierarchy. Through my life's work, I stand creatively in defiance."
John Stevens of Qu Junktions in Bristol, one of the project's partner organisations, outlined what they are aiming to achieve: "The idea is that the tour will see them explore these meeting points almost in real time, their work together breathing and evolving over the course of the dates, starting with a three day residency at The Cube Cinema in Bristol that will serve as the jump-off for the collaboration."
Beyond backing artists and fresh work while fostering an inclusive atmosphere, the initiative also seeks to challenge London's cultural dominance by routing the tour through several regional locations, helping to correct the capital's outsized grip. Hedley Swain, Arts Council England's Area Director for the South East, commented: "Outlands is a great project that will do just that for experimental music whilst also establishing a stronger touring infrastructure for the genre outside of London, and so we're delighted to be able to support the De La Warr Pavilion and its partners through our National Lottery funded Strategic Touring Programme."
Additional tours are also slated for later this year, with Yunohana Variations: Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe (Lichens), Susie Ibarra & Yoshimio (Boredoms, OOIOO) in June, and Raster-Noton VS Drift in November.
Initiatives of this kind form the frontline defence against a narrow, monolithic culture and deserve every ounce of support. The organisers have made backing them easier by capping ticket prices across every show in an effort to ensure broad accessibility — tickets can be purchased here. With a bill that strong, who could possibly need any more persuading?
The 2018 Outlands tour dates are as follows:
Fri 4th May Bristol, Cube Cinema
Weds 9th May London, Ghost Notes
Thu 10th May Bexhill, De La Warr Pavilion
Fri 11th May Cambridge, St Barnabas Church
Sat 12th May Milton Keynes, MK Gallery
Thu 17th May Plymouth, The House, Plymouth University
Fri 18th May Birmingham, Centrala Gallery
Sat 19th May Salford, Manchester, The Portico
Sun 20th May Bradford, Fuse Gallery
Tour commissioned by Outlands, produced by Qu Junktions and supported by Arts Council England and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
