BEAM Festival is a high-tech music weekender, a playground of homemade instruments and sonic installations, where you can listen to, watch and learn how to create your own physically living electronic music. BEAM was devised by Artistic Director Sarah Nicolls to explore the potential physicality of electronic music. The focus on electronic music being created LIVE is explored through a programme of performances, demonstrations, installations and workshops. BEAM brings together a global audience of artists, researchers, DiY electronics builders and enthusiasts, from beginners to veterans.

BEAM Festival took place from 22 – 24 June 2012 and featured an incredible programme of artists from around the globe. Highlights included the night-long BEAM sleepover performance by Jana Winderen, 8-channel performance of V’Oct by Julie Wilson-Bokowiec, a world premier collaboration between Bruno Zamborlin and Ed Handley of Plaid and the BEAM Symposium with keynote speech by inventor of the Reactable Sergi Jorda. The full festival programme and information on all the artists who appeared at BEAM 2012 can be found here

You can see more of BEAM 2012 in this short film, shot and edited by Alan Sennett, and check out photos from the weekend on Brunel University’s Flickr.