Culture And Memory

Daphne Oram at 100: Pioneer of Electronic Sound and Music

This project celebrates the birth centenary of Daphne Oram, – pioneering electronic composer and founder of the BBC’s Radiophonic Workshop - whose huge body of work (composition, techniques, inventions) remains little known despite being a vital force in the development of electronic music. Oram’s influence as a role model for women is not to be underestimated. As the result of a widely circulated consultation survey gathering 60+ responses, and 5 interviews, we know that awareness of her work is extremely mixed - some (largely academics) being enthusiastic experts, whereas others struggle to pinpoint the name. This heritage project exists to bring Oram’s work to a larger, more diverse audience, at a time where the playing field for women and gender minority composers and music tech professionals remains distinctly unbalanced. In our consultation, the current environment was described as “intimidating”, “male-dominated” with gender-based discrimination an “almost everyday” occurrence.