Charlotte Baskerville

Thesis

Thesis

Placemaking through composition: A creative exploration of identity, heritage and shared musical experience.

• Supervisor: Stef Conner

I aim to explore how composition can contribute to placemaking by examining two main questions: 1) How can composition facilitate creative place-making and what are the benefits? 2) How can a feedback loop involving a dialogue between composer and community be developed to inform the compositional process? I will engage with a number of strands within the local community including: primary and secondary school pupils, local professional and community choirs, and dementia groups. In each setting I will design and employ a multi-stranded practice-led methodology, including: workshops, interviews, recordings and surveys. In the creation of this portfolio of compositions and accompanying commentary, I will create music by studying a location’s musical heritage whilst working closely with local groups to build community and facilitate identity formation through shared musical experience. A sense of place will inform composition as communities take ownership of their musical heritage through the shared creation and performance of new music.