Sarah Nicolls is a pianist and composer, inventor, academic and entrepreneur.  Her ‘Inside-Out Piano’ makes playing the whole piano, including the strings, easy and possible from one playing position, radically enlarging the possibilities at the piano by simply sending the strings vertically up from the keys. She is also challenging the engineering in the piano to endeavour to create the world’s first full-range, acoustic lightweight grand piano, working alongside world-leading structural engineers Atelier One and the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in Sheffield.
 
Sarah was an Innovate UK Women in Innovation Award Winner and is a Visiting Senior Research Fellow in Music and Engineering at King’s College, University of London.  Her PhD was in interactive electronic performance, combined with acoustic piano, using EMG muscle sensors and other controllers to expand the ‘performance environment’.  Now, supported by an Arts Council Develop Your Creative Practice grant, she is developing a new digital set up, so she can perform the Virtual Software Instrument she’ll be launching in May with Song Athletics.

Join us online on YouTube Live, or in the building on Friday 9th May 2025 at 1pm for the talk and to take part in the Q and A discussion afterwards. 
 

The Pervasive Media Studio is a partnership between the Watershed, University of the West of England and University of Bristol. The lunchtime talks are partly supported by MyWorld, a project led by the University of Bristol to support creative industries in the region. Watershed is supported by Arts Council England.

Address:

Watershed, 1 Canon's Rd, Bristol BS1 5TX

Directions:

The Lunchtime talks take place in the Pervasive Media Studio Event Space. To access the Studio, please go to the Main Watershed Box Office entrance and go upstairs to the Café Bar. Walk across the cafe bar, turn right and walk towards the double doors. Go through into the corridor and walk all the way down until you reach the Studio. A member of staff will sign you in, and check your ticket, if you have booked.

The Studio is wheelchair accessible, and the events space has a hearing loop. The last talk of every month is BSL interpreted. 

For more information on accessing the studio take a look here.

*Please note this is a hybrid event and will be live streamed so please be aware you will be in the live broadcast and recording when watching in the Studio.