On Sept. 23, the BISC鈥檚 Academic Director, Dr. Christian Lloyd, provided the first in a new series of exclusive BISC mini-lectures. Entitled, Jimi Hendrix from Genius to Scenius: What a master musician can tell us about creativity in the COVID era, Dr. Lloyd explored some of Jimi Hendrix鈥檚 unusual collaborative methods, and asked what lessons this might teach us in this time of COVID-19.
As many will recall from their time at the BISC, Dr. Lloyd is a massive Hendrix fan and has been long researching the man and his music. Dr. Lloyd is something of an authority on Hendrix and was involved in the re-creation of Jimi Hendrix鈥檚 flat on Brook St, Mayfair. In 2016, Dr. Lloyd鈥檚 monograph Hendrix at Home: a Bluesman in Mayfair was published by Handel House. This book was followed up with several public lectures at that site and elsewhere in the UK. Dr. Lloyd is currently working on a longer book about Hendrix which delves into the circle of creatives in London who surrounded Hendrix, his manipulation of his public image and his complex identity. It will also consider Hendrix as a literary figure and look at his lyrics which have never been analysed fully despite the many books written about him. So, we thought, 鈥淲hat better opportunity to share the excitement of this new project than in a special lecture for BISC alumni?鈥
The event was a huge success, attracting a total of 133 registrants from around the world. We had Castle alumni register from Canada, the UK, USA, Germany, Portugal, Switzerland, Mexico and Trinidad, and a representative from almost every year that the BISC has existed! Feedback was tremendous, with a whopping 93% of respondents saying they were 鈥榮atisfied鈥 or 鈥榲ery satisfied鈥 by the Experience. (Shameless and deliberate Jimi Hendrix-related pun intended.)
For anyone that missed the live stream, you can now watch Dr. Lloyd鈥檚 lecture on the BISC website. x Recent grads should look out for a welcome and land acknowledgment by a familiar face at the start of the video - Nirosha Balakumar, BISC鈥18. She penned this powerful, thought-provoking statement herself, no doubt heavily inspired by her DEVS 100 studies and Matariki activities while studying at the BISC.
Thank you to everyone that responded with feedback on the event. The overwhelming response was that you would love to see more events with different locations around the Castle as the backdrop. Well, we hear you and will be announcing a follow-up event very soon on our social media channels!