Delia Derbyshire Day 2023

A jam-packed afternoon of activities to celebrate the life and work of the electronic music pioneer, best known for her arrangement of the series’ iconic theme tune.

As part of this year's Delia Derbyshire Day we've co-commissioned two artists (Alexis Maxwell and Joel Foster) who have combined their music and art to develop a creative response to Delia’s legacy. 

They'll premiere their work in the Henry Watson Music Library at 6pm, before chatting about their process and exploration of the Delia Derbyshire Archive which lives here in Manchester.

Transdisciplinary storyteller Alexis Maxwell says “We were really interested in the existential questions of what it means to be human because we felt like Doctor Who reflects a lot on that in its themes, and explores it through this fantastical lens.”

Composer, orchestrator, songwriter and performer Joel Foster adds that “One thing that was really striking was that Delia’s from the Midlands, but she had to adopt a received pronunciation voice to get along in the BBC. So you can see parallels there between filtering or distorting herself in ways that she would do with sound later on in her career. So things like that are working their way into the music.”

Whether you are a fan of Doctor Who, electronic music, love the history of TV or just want to hum the theme tune on loop – everyone is welcome to explore the life and works of Delia Derbyshire.

Practical info

The full event will take place between 4-7pm, with the Brighter Sound co-commission starting at 6pm.

Free to attend, no need to book.

Find out more about the full event schedule

Access

Manchester Central Library has level and ramped access with automatic doors at ground level and lifts which provides access to each floor. All exhibition areas, meeting rooms and public spaces are fully wheelchair accessible, and they have accessible toilets on every floor with a changing place on the lower ground floor.

There are accessible toilets on each floor of the library, all have step free access, handrails and are wide enough for users with wheelchairs.

Credits

This event is produced by Delia Derbyshire Day in partnership with Brighter Sound and Manchester Histories.

Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of DD Day 2023 Doctor Who 60th anniversary heritage project.