Sounds for a Small Space (SfaSS) is a series of monthly events, with all types of different musicians from all over the country coming to Stroud to perform.

Founder Alex Caminada, a photographer and videographer by trade, explains how the event came to be.

He said: “I began SfaSS to provide an opportunity for artists and audiences to experience music in the beautiful and intimate setting of the Garden Pavilion.

“I had been looking for places to perform and found that it was difficult to find suitable venues. I approached the Museum in the Park and found that they were keen to provide the Garden Pavilion.”

Alex, who was born in the Netherlands but has now lived in the UK for over 40 years, is a keen musician and is especially interested in electronic music, a genre that often appears at Sounds for a Small Space.

“I became involved with electronic music in the late 90s when equipment made it more accessible to ‘home’ producers and artists,” he continued.

“The name (Sounds for a Small Space) stems from the genre of music – ambient, electronic, electroacoustic and experimental music often benefits from an intimate or small space.

“Before setting up Sounds for a Small Space, I performed in small rooms and was always taken by how this affected the intimacy and relationship between artist and audience.”

The Museum in the Park in Stratford Park in Stroud is home to a range of different exhibitions throughout the year, and Alex says the Garden Pavilion creates a special atmosphere for live music.

He said: “The simply shaped long building has sliding glass walls which open up to the garden in the summer, creating a wonderful connection between the indoor and outdoor spaces. Often the music performed inside is mixed with sound of birds singing outside.

“The unique space attracts artists from far and wide, all keen to experience the venue. Their response is inevitably one of delight and they’re pleased that the audience is so much part of the performance.”

Alex began the event in 2017, with this year set to be the third consecutive year of performances. He says that the support from audiences who enjoy the different experience has allowed the event to go from strength to strength.

“The audiences have been overwhelmingly positive in their response and social media has enabled the events to have a strong and growing following.

“Many return to each performance as they realise the diversity and quality of the performers. The audience have really appreciated the combination of cutting-edge experimentation with more traditional sounds, often hearing new styles of music for the first time.

“Some have even considered taking up producing music themselves, being inspired by what they’ve heard!”

Alex and other artists who have previously performed at Sounds for a Small Space will this month be appearing at the West Midlands Synth Network event in Birmingham, before events in Stroud kick off again in April.