Celebrating the music pioneer Delia Derbyshire on Doctor Who's 60th anniversary
Today, 23 November 2023, marks 60 years since the first episode of Doctor Who was aired on the BBC. It is also the 10th Delia Derbyshire Day, an annual celebration of her work and influence on music, with events taking place across the UK.
We hope these Doctor Who 60th anniversary activities will further inspire and educate people of all ages to understand and interact with electronic music and its heritage.
Caro C, Delia Derbyshire Day project manager
A musical influence
During the 1960s, Delia Derbyshire (1937–2001) worked in the BBC Radiophonic Workshop – a dedicated space for developing sound effects for radio and television. It was here that Delia created her famous arrangement of the Doctor Who theme tune.
Her innovative work has influenced modern artists including The Chemical Brothers, Portishead, Hannah Peel, Nainita Desai and Cosey Fanni Tutti. Blur and Orbital have also reinterpreted her work.
Helen Featherstone, Director of England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, says: “Thanks to National Lottery players we are delighted to support these important projects to recognise the pioneering work of Delia Derbyshire. It is fantastic to know that people will learn about Delia's influence on today’s television, radio and music landscapes, and that these projects will inspire a new generation of electronic musicians.”
Three inspiring projects celebrating an icon
Doctor Who 60th anniversary
Women-led charity Delia Derbyshire Day is working on this project with school children in Manchester. They’re recording and documenting the musician’s work through intergenerational oral histories and sharing her legacy with a wider audience through public events.
School children took part in wobbulator workshops, creating sounds that were inspired by Delia's iconic Doctor Who theme tune.
Caro C, Delia Derbyshire Day project manager, says: “We hope these Doctor Who 60th anniversary activities will further inspire and educate people of all ages to understand and interact with electronic music and its heritage – we always hope to nurture future Delia's in the process!”
Delia Derbyshire Day was awarded a grant of £54,765. Discover more about this project.
Delia Derbyshire's connection to Cumbria
This project is exploring Delia’s life in Cumbria during the 1970s by working with young people from the area to uncover stories from those who knew her.
A celebratory festival with a Doctor Who theme will showcase Delia’s work with an exhibition, sound workshops and film screenings.
Green Croft Arts was awarded a grant of £46,093. Find out more about this project.
Deliaphonic
As part of this project, school children explored techniques used by Delia to make their own musical creations that were used in a performance at Coventry Cathedral.
A documentary was created about her life and work that included archival clips and footage from the school visits.
Tin Music and Arts was awarded £8,069 funding. Explore their project.
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