About
I created a radio theatre project on 91.8FM- for Hayes FM Film & Media in the summer of 2012. It was important for it to coincide with the Olympic Games and Edinburgh Fringe to connect the local area in the London Borough of Hillingdon with two big international events. Following this project, I remembered that the radio station was located very close to the site where the global headquarters for HMV His Master's Voice - the forerunner of EMI Music- made its vinyl music records with factories all over the world.
When we used to drive past EMI in the car I noticed how it seemed to sit very naturally along Hayes town as a vast industrial landscape. It was intriguing with many different buildings that blended together and stretched a long way. At the time, I hadn't connected its wider significance though- as a catalyst that had created the entire music industry.
Hayes town preserves a carefully archived music library which contains valuable cultural memorabilia from EMI's curated sound collection in the EMI Group Archive Trust collection. This climate controlled facility stores some of the earliest recordings in recorded sound- from as early as the late 1800's and reflects its historic origins as a company which was given the Royal Seal as an emblem of approval. The collection by the EMI group also contains the first historic recordings of the King's speech recorded for the BBC.
Hayes town is important, because it also witnessed the invention of stereo sound which was all made possible by EMI engineer Alan Blumlien when he created a sound experiment called 'Trains from Hayes' to record trains travelling from Hayes and Harlington train station.
It became a huge vinyl record manufacturing plant- the size of a town within a town, employing most people from the area with its own fire service, social clubs, barber shop and radio station at its peak operating eleven vinyl presses to supply the global vinyl music market, as well as the manufacture of record players and technological appliances.
The factory still operates the UK's only major vinyl pressing plant at its last vinyl press. It is a factory where famous bands like the Beatles and other worldwide pop bands had their records pressed and shipped eventually to music fans all over the world thanks to this plant which employed many thousands of people.
The fact that EMI's vinyl factory is still making records today means that it not only supports an emerging record market for music fans keen to buy physical music it also coincided with Global Radio's media school for 14 to 19 year olds which opens at the EMI site from September 2016. The Central Research Laboratory has also been restarted as a hardware creative hub for inventors with technological ideas that will transform the world.
E-learning
See which ScreenSkills e-learning Alicia Rudd has completed to improve their skills and knowledge.
Experience
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Social media supporter
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Communications spokesperson
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Project Administrator
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Radio Production Assistant
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Contributing Writer
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Book Reviewer
Education and training
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Diploma Make up and SFX
Specialist training course in make-up for special effects in theatre, TV and film from a Pinewood studios freelance tutor.