Kandice Holmes
Kandice Holmes is a multi-disciplinary artist and community organiser from London based in Lesvos. Her experimental folk project ‘Bells’, symbolises a desire for her music to act as a clarion call for those in power to enact justices, while also bringing people together around a hopeful sound.
She plans to release music under a Creative Commons licence, giving away copyright, to raise discussions around notions of private ownership and sharing resources for the common good, which also aligns with values of her faith; ‘having freely received, so freely give’. Instead, donations will be encouraged to directly support her work and resonant causes.
She currently sits on the advisory board of decentralised art and technology organisation Furtherfield and has launched her own projects with the V&A (Common Unity) and Tate Exchange while studying for an MA (Design for Cultural Commons). Later this year, she will pilot ‘Commons Songbook’ with refugees and her local community, which aims to increase social and economic resilience, combining research on the commons and physics of sound, to inform social innovation and harmony, aspects of which she used to co-design the Wayfinder Symphony, ‘Sounding Together’.
COMPOSITION
The WAY
This mini-series called The WAY, hints at my physical, spiritual and creative journey, leaving London at the start of my Wayfinder residency, with the destination unknown, yet trusting what felt like and would become a significant trip to Lesvos, Greece. Finding home.
Settling into the Island at the epicentre of Europe’s Refugee Crisis, was a stark awakening of the injustices and political complexities, spelt out in bold graffiti, declaring ‘No Borders’, ‘Human Rights Graveyard’ and ‘Welcome to Europe’.
I heard these themes echo in the Wayfinder conversations, bringing moments of anguish around migration and freedom of movement, which was also the catalyst for my own journey, to secure EU rights to freely move.
All three videos are improvised explorations of my new environment reflecting what I saw as the residency remit, to translate and give credence to feelings of fragility and unfamiliarity, which encouraged me to try new instruments; whistle, gong, goat bells and video’s shot from my window, with new technologies and methods to support ‘an improvised life’ - a philosophy adopted since my exhibition of desert photography.
At home, I began a lockdown routine, marking the time with ‘sunset/moonlit experiments’, which I felt aid in gaining perspective on the multi-layered crisis’ on dry land, in contrast to the natural world’s undisturbed rhythms. It also helped to process the tension between harmonious landscapes and the harrowing realities for residents of the camp, my neighbours on the Island.
This process of being remote and resourceful, led to developing the capacity required for our collaborative 24-minute symphony ‘Sounding Together’. I’m ever thankful for taking this unique Wayfinder journey, which on many levels expanded my field of view. I hope these imperfect capsules of time help you move through this moment. Surrendering to The WAY has led me to this Island to serve, be at peace with nature, myself and open up a path to redemption.
‘Take Flight’
‘Take Flight’ speaks to trusting the instinct and inspiration of the Holy Spirit to take a leap into the unknown. I hope the piece encourages the listener to increase trust, even in the midst of this time, to lean in and although borders may be closed, metaphorically, take flight.
‘Lament for the Lost’
During my Wayfinder residency, I collected many sea samples from the Aegean outside. The same waters precious life is lost. If those seeking refuge from war and all kinds of oppression survive the perilous journey, they land entwined in cruel realities, losing human rights. ‘Lament for the Lost’ is an ode to them all.
‘Quiet Waters’
The ‘Wayfinder’ theme resonated with my belief that we’re all on a journey through this life into the next. Even through utter chaos (2020), I’m thankful to feel guided with peace that passes my own understanding. ‘Quiet Waters’ is a reference to that spiritual knowledge, inspired by ancient songs called Psalms. Some may be familiar with Psalm 23, yet I invite you to hear it afresh, offering strength and direction towards a solid hope, peace and even joy despite the circumstance.
THE FINAL SYMPHONY
‘Sounding Together’
More from Kandice Holmes
Commons Songbook
A project in development is ‘Commons Songbook’, a sonic archive of a local community, self-organised and co-produced with embedded Commons principles of equity and co-management of this shared cultural resource. The process and outcome aims to increase social and economic resilience, exploring research on the physics, philosophy and power structures of music, to seek social harmony through sound.
Our pilot workshop with the V&A Museum was a live experiment demonstrating the possibilities of creating a coherent soundscape of rhythms with a group of strangers with little musical experience.