Kate Bush and her "Alternative Universe" in Sonia Gonzalez's documentary airing on Rai5

Rai5 delves into the figure of Kate Bush, one of the most brilliant performers and songwriters in popular music, in a documentary airing tonight, April 18, at 11:30 pm (streaming on RaiPlay). "L'universo alternativo di Kate Bush," directed by Sonia Gonzalez, explores the prodigious career of the former child prodigy, discovered at just 18 by David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, through her disarming metamorphoses and her key works, which have also captivated Gen Z thanks to the series "Stranger Things," which sent the immortal Running Up That Hill back up the charts 40 years after its first breakthrough.

Inspired precisely by that song, Kate Bush has recently launched a campaign in support of War Child, inviting a number of visual artists to create works inspired by the lyrics of Running Up That Hill. The initiative involves 52 artists, each asked to offer their own interpretation of the line: "If I only could, I'd make a deal with God," taken from the 1985 classic. The works will be auctioned off at the end of the month, with all proceeds going to War Child, the organization that provides aid to children caught up in conflicts around the world.

The project, titled “Sound and Vision” – a tribute to the song of the same name by David Bowie – was announced by Bush herself in a statement reported by the Guardian: “All wars leave terrible scars: shattered lives, broken families, life-changing wounds and traumas, losses on an immense scale – but it's always children who suffer the most, in a thousand different ways. Their past, present and future dissolve into fear and uncertainty”. Bush went on to add: “Now more than ever it's vital to support War Child and their invaluable work, providing immediate aid to children caught up in conflicts around the world, from Ukraine to Gaza, from Sudan to Syria. Projects like Sound and Vision show how art and music can join forces to bring real change to the lives of children affected by war”.

Among the best-known artists taking part in the collection are Maggi Hambling, with the piece “Midnight Wave”, and Peter Doig, author of two works titled “The Hill” and “Child of War”.

All the works from the Sound and Vision project will be auctioned online from October 28 to November 13, with starting bids set at £100 each.

The pieces will also be exhibited at the Iconic Images Gallery in Piccadilly, London, from November 4 to 8. The online auction will be accessible via the official Sound and Vision website.

Kate Bush has recently released digitally "The Best Of Other Sides," a new collection that will also arrive on CD and vinyl on October 31. The decision stems from strong demand by fans, who had long been unable to get hold of "The Other Sides," a 2018 box set that gathered B-sides and rarities as part of the project to remaster the entire catalogue.

That selection included, among others, the 12" mixes of tracks such as "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)," "The Big Sky," "Cloudbusting," "Hounds Of Love" and "Experiment IV." The tracklist also featured famous B-sides: "Walk Straight Down the Middle" (1989), "You Want Alchemy" (1993), "Be Kind to My Mistakes" (1989), "Under the Ivy" (1985), "Ne T'enfuis Pas" (1982) and "Lyra," written for the soundtrack of the film "The Golden Compass." Rounding out the picture were other tracks such as "Burning Bridge," "Un Baiser d'Enfant," "Home for Christmas" and "I'm Still Waiting."

At the time, "The Other Sides" reached number 18 on the UK charts, before becoming impossible to find on the market. Now, thanks to renewed enthusiasm from fans, Kate Bush is offering a condensed version in the form of a "Best Of," whose final tracklist will be announced shortly.

Kate Bush, who turned 67 last year, has also said she is ready to write new music. In one of her extremely rare interviews, speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, the British artist discussed her return to recording and the release of an animated film with a pacifist message, for which she wrote the story. "In recent years I've been busy doing a lot of archival work, redesigning our website, putting together a book of lyrics," she explained. "I'm eager to get back to working on a new album once I've finished all that. I have a lot of ideas and I can't wait to return to that creative space; it's been a long time."

The latest album of new material by the singer-songwriter behind "Wuthering Heights" and "Babooshka," titled "50 Words For Snow," dates back to 2011, preceded that same year by "Director's Cut," which featured reworkings of 11 tracks from the albums "The Sensual World" (1989) and "The Red Shoes" (1993).

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