RITES OF PASSAGE

In April 1997 acclaimed visual artist Nigel Code joined forces with DJ Ambiessence and successfully applied to Exeter Arts Council to fund the Rites of Passage project on behalf of the St David’s Ambience Society. Rites of Passage is a series of arresting images produced in charcoal and black conte crayon, for which Ambiessence produced an accompanying soundtrack. The mix was released on cassette tape, with thumbnail versions of Nigel’s art on the cover and presented twice live: firstly as one the last ever events to take place in the old Exeter & Devon Arts Centre before it was refurbished to become Exeter Phoenix and again above Barts Tavern, the Exeter pub which once hosted an array of alternative events. On both nights Nigel projected high quality slides of the Rites of Passage images whilst Ambiessence mixed a live soundtrack using two vinyl and two CD decks. The results were suitably intense evenings and at the Arts Centre event a group of foreign exchange students who were being shown round the building recoiled in shock when they poked their heads into the room in which the the Rites were being performed!