Animal Gaze

On 31 January 2009 artist Simon Persighetti and myself will be leading a couple of walks that explore the themes of the Animal Gaze exhibition. This large show considers the often paradoxical relationship between animals and humans. Full details of the walk here.

Review of Kings Place Performance

Nice review of our Kings Place performance here

" ‘Sound Walk’ was a collaboration between sound artists Tony Whitehead and Matthew Sansom, presented by the Society for the Promotion of New Music. Tony Whitehead had spent a day in and around Kings Cross, keeping a sound diary in which he wrote descriptions of the noises he heard, then honing these descriptions into a poem. Whitehead’s words were projected, verse by verse, onto a screen while we listened to Matthew Sansom’s composition – a soundscape constructed from recordings he had made of the ambient sounds of Kings Cross. This was serious, contemplative work which benefited from being presented in a concert hall: had I encountered it in a gallery or on a CD my attention span might not have been long enough to appreciate it, but sitting in a darkened room, concentrating on the patterns of sounds and words, it was fascinating how things were gradually revealed."

Score 6 response now online

Its online at Bill Drummond's The 17 website here

Kings Place Text

This text accompanied Mathew Sansom's field recording based composition performed at King's Place yesterday as part of a series of SPNM performances. One audience member described it as the "writing of a rural poet with culture shock"!

Programme note for Kings Place performance on 5 October

In a series of short simple texts accompanying a new work by composer Matthew Sansom, Tony will describe his personal impressions of the sounds of Kings Cross. These are based on a close listening to the area in a number of visits over the past few weeks. From footsteps and voices at St Pancras to robins and falling leaves in Argyle Square the descriptions hope to encourage others to consider their relationship to the often overlooked everyday sounds and silences that accompany our lives.

Response

My response to Score 6 of the 17 project here.

Dawn sit, Bellever Tor

Sat quietly at Bellever Tor for one hour just after dawn this morning, watching the driving southerly wind and rain, considering my respose to the 17 score (see previous post).

Bellever Tor, Dartmoor, Devon

Dawn, Friday 5 September 2008

As the sun rises I will clamber onto one of the low, flat granite blocks of Bellever Tor. The walk from Bellever Youth Hostel will take an hour, a gentle steady climb through coniferous plantation and heather moor. It may be misty with drizzle. Or the sky may be clear; the air cool, moist and still. I will sit. I will listen, in my head, to the sound of a choir consisting of precisely 17 people. I will remain seated, quietly listening, for one hour, and note what
happens. I will then have a cup of tea.

This will be my requested response to this score.

Kings Place Performance, 5 October 2008

Details of a performance at Kings Place, London on Sunday 5 October here. Commissioned by SPNM.

LiveArt Falmouth

Led a couple of soundwalks for LiveArt Falmouth yesterday. A huge programme of activity from artists, video, performance and so on, taking place around town. Particularly interesting, along the main street sound artist Tim Crowley had placed speakers high up in rooms above shops playing sounds recorded on the Seregheti. Some were obviously alien to the high street, but many blended in so much so that they didn't turn heads of the shoppers and tourists. Indeed, even the sounds of elephants didn't turn some heads!

Dartmoor Listening Retreat

Richard Povall from Aune Head Arts and myself last weekend ran our first Dartmoor `Listening Retreat'. We had nine enthusiastic participants from across the UK who braved the rain, mist and drizzle to spend time listening to, recording and composing from environmental sounds. The conversation was excellent throughout and I got the feeling that everyone went away having gained from the experience - I know I certainly did. We were also able to swap a wide range of experience, from how to put a podcast together to the basics of printing presses! For the weekend we set up a ning social network group which can be found here.

Live Art Falmouth 2008

I will be running a couple of town centre sound walks on 7 June 2008 at Live Art Falmouth this year. Live Art Falmouth is an annual, two-day festival of live art. It developed in direct response to a growing need from students and artists within the region for an open, experimental platform and critical dialogue for live and performative work.

Soundart Radio

... did a show with Richard Povall from Aune Head Arts on Dartington's Soundart Radio. Find the podcast here. Details of Soundart Radio here.

Creative use of sound course, 15 July 2008, Birmingham

I'll be running my next creative use of sound course at `The Centre of the Earth' in Birmingham on 15 July 2008. The course is aimed at countryside/environment staff with little or no knowledge of working with environmental sound and audio.

Details here

Listening retreat booking now

Aune Head Arts are now taking bookings for our listening retreat to be held in and around Bellever on Dartmoor 15-18 May. More details to follow, but here's a neat summary from the Aune Head website...

Join artists Richard Povall and Tony Whitehead for a four-day listening retreat on high Dartmoor at one of the most sonically breathtaking times of the year. Designed for artists wanting to build an appreciation of the sonic environment into their work, we will spend time out on the moor at all times of day and night learning to listen to this special place and it’s unique soundscape. Spend time in our digital studios, and produce your own sound compositions based on your creative responses.