The Royal Academy of Arts Audio Project

The Royal Academy Audio Project

Overview

The Royal Academy Audio Project (RAAP) is an on-going practical research project, sponsored by The Contemporary Circle on behalf of the Royal Academy of Art Library.

Aims

The primary purpose of this project is to record a series of interviews with leading Royal Academicians, concentrating on their professional career, and their relationship with the Royal Academy of Art.
Many of the most influential artists of the 20th Century are now of an advanced age and whilst some have been interviewed in the past, many have not – certainly not in a considered and rigorous manner. This project will seek to address that before it is too late. The Library have identified upwards of seventy Royal Academicians that they believe should be included. It is anticipated that RAAP will look to record twelve subjects per year.

Outcomes

The bulk of the material is intended for archive within the Royal Academy of Art library as primary source material for researchers and academics.

1. The completely unedited recordings – the non-mediated audio texts.
2. The ‘Umm & Ah’ Edit – removal of the hesitations and repetitions of all interviews.
3. The 45 Minute Documentary – the mediated text intended as a potentially ‘commercial’ and ‘engaging’ output for educated but uninformed listeners (based on the BBC Reithian precept).
4. Transcription texts of all the interviews (post ‘Umm & Ah’ edit)

Production Breakdown

Interview 1: The artist in his/her studio or workspace
Interview 2: The artist in the sound studio at Royal Holloway
Interview 3: With another RA artist commenting upon the work of the subject.
Interview 4: A recorded conversation between the subject and the commenting artist.
The Radio Documentary – constructed from all the interviews

Personnel

Rhys Davies – Editor (archive) Producer & Studio Presenter (Documentary)
Dr Jean Wainwright – Researcher and Interviewer.

rhysdavies2012