Composer and producer Morgan Hickinbotham has been named as the latest recipient of the UKARIA residency, which he will use to adapt an existing experimental soundscape for vocal ensemble Khyall.

Vatnajökull, Iceland. Photo courtesy of Morgan Hickinbotham

UKARIA is located in South Australia’s Mt Barker, just 30 minutes from Adelaide. The $20,000, 10-day residency, which is delivered by the Australia Council in partnership with UKARIA Cultural Centre, allows for the creation of new projects or the adaptation of existing works by musicians and composers with an emphasis on multidisciplinary collaboration.

“UKARIA provides a unique setting and state of the art facilities for music artists to create and collaborate. We can’t wait to experience this unique and ambitious new work by Morgan Hickinbotham, in collaboration with Melbourne-based vocal ensemble Khyall,” said Kirsty Rivers, the Australia Council Head of Music.

Hickinbotham’s project for the residency is drawn from a recent expedition across Vatnajökull, Iceland, which covers over eight percent of the country and is the largest glacier in Europe.

“While on the glacier, guided by scientists from the Icelandic Glaciological Society, I made sound recordings...