Speaker

Martyn Ware – Musician, Composer, Record Producer, Soundscape Designer

Founder of The Human League, Heaven 17, British Electric Foundation. 40-year career as record producer. Founder of Illustrious and 3D soundscape designer/composer.

Born in 1956 in Sheffield, UK. After leaving school worked in computers for 3 years, in 1977 formed The Human League. Formed production company/label British Electric Foundation in 1980 and  formed Heaven 17 the same year.

Martyn has written, performed and produced two Human League, five BEF and nine Heaven 17 studio albums. As record producer and artist has featured on recordings totaling over 50 million sales worldwide  – producing Tina Turner, Terence Trent D’Arby, Chaka Khan, Erasure, Marc Almond and Mavis Staples, etc.

Founded Illustrious Co. Ltd. with Vince Clarke in 2000 to exploit the creative and commercial possibilities of their unique three-dimensional sound technology practice in collaboration with fine artists, the performing arts and corporate clients around the world. He also lectures extensively on music production, technology, and creativity at universities and colleges across the world. He has just been appointed the first ambassador for the international arts organizMemebation In Place Of War, and is a board member and trustee for the charity Street Sports Hope in Sierra Leone. Martyn is proud to be a supporter of artist’s rights, and is also a proud socialist and international activist, helping to fight oppression and injustice worldwide.

You can find Martyn on Twitter and Facebook

Martyn is being interviewed by John Robb for our Conversations in Creativity event taking place on the evening of Thursday 17 May at the Blackburn Cathedral.

Booking is essential, tickets via Eventbrite.

Martyn is also…

  • Principal of Tileyard Education, London
  • Visiting Professor and Honorary Doctor of Science at Queen Mary College, University of London
  • Member of Advisory Council for the Johnny Carson Centre for Emerging Media Arts, University of Nebraska
  • Member of the Advisory Board for Queen Mary College, University of London, Doctoral Training Centre in Digital Music & Media for the Creative Economy, and the FAST advisory board (music interaction research)
  • Ambassador for In Place Of War
  • Practitioner In Residence at Central St Martins School, UAL
  • Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts
  • Founder member of World Building Institute (a US based organization promoting future development of immersive design).
  • Visiting lecturer at the Royal College of Art
  • Visiting lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Design
  • Fellow of the Academy of Urbanism
  • Voting member of BAFTA, ex board member of BAFTA Interactive
  • Ex board member Arts Council England Interdiscipinary Task Forc
  • Patron of the Sensoria Festival, Sheffield
  • Patron of Small Venues Network
  • Board Trustee of Street Sports Hope charity
  • Member of the Writer’s Guild of America
  • Ex- board member of Featured Artists Coalition
  • Member of the Editorial Advisory Board for Versita – open-source publishers