Research Catalogue

Born in Adelaide, South Australia, Leah Barclay is a composer, sound artist and curator working at the intersection of art, science, technology and the environment. Her work has been commissioned, performed and exhibited to wide acclaim across Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA, Europe, India, China and Korea. Barclay creates complex sonic environments with a strong focus on the textural and timbral properties of sound. These works are realised through immersive performances and multi-sensory installations drawing on environmental field recordings, multi-channel sound diffusion, live performers and ephemeral projections.

Barclay’s dynamic work has resulted in numerous awards, including the Premier of Queensland’s inaugural National New Media Scholarship (2009), the Asialink Performing Artist Residency for South Korea (2009) and the HELM Award for Environmental Art (2010). She has received major grants from state and federal funding bodies to produce ambitious community projects and has directed and curated intercultural projects across Australia, India and Korea. In addition to her creative practice, she serves in an advisory capacity for a range of arts and environmental organisations, including Ear to the Earth (New York) and Noosa Biosphere (UNESCO). Barclay holds a First Class Honours degree in Composition from the Queensland Conservatorium and has studied with Stephen Leek, John Coulter, Gerardo Dirié, Kim Cunio and Alcides Lanza. Her practice based PhD has involved site-specific projects across the globe exploring the value of creative methodologies in ecological crisis and the agency of environmental electroacoustic music.

www.leahbarclay.com