Biography
Shaun Davies is a sound artist, curator and performer based in Manchester, UK.
The primary focuses of his work are sociological and psychological - social mobility, community, democracy, human interactions with performance/sound/space, inter-human relationships and phenomena, interpretation, and inclusivity – a desire to create works that encourage democratisation of participation, regardless of musical background, training, and experience. Shaun sets up environments which invite participants to deeply explore the sonic potential of an object or instrument, in some cases forming intimate relationships with objects previously unfamiliar, and sharing these relationships and fndings in ensemble situations towards a collective ambition. His work also aims to champion and liberate the sonic potential of cheap, accessible objects as sound-making devices, both acoustically and electronically. His work matches these ambitions with connections to nature, deep listening, environmental sound, and intimate, transcendental experiences.
His work has been performed by Ensemble Mimitabu (Sweden), RTE ConTempo Quartet (Ireland), House of Bedlam, Vonnegut Collective, Psappha (UK) and various musicians/ensembles; has been featured by Kalv Festival (Sweden), nonclassical, New Music Manchester Festival, and RNCM (UK), and broadcast by BBC Radio 3 (UK).
Shaun is Artistic Director of KINETIC (www.kineticmanchester.co.uk), a curating/commissioning body programming and championing modern experimental arts. KINETIC creates memorable audience experiences exploring location, environment-performance-human relationships, and a whole range of concepts, exploring the potential of performance-sound-location-human relationships, using various spaces across Manchester. KINETIC is funded by Arts Council England and in February 2020 presented their first festival - [ I N T I M A T E ] in Salford.