Ret-uk - Untitled Travels

New volcanoes and earthquakes gallery at the natural history museum! Only got a quick look today at work but looked interesting and as if it might be quite holistic in its approach (for want of a better word!)

Image taken from page 49 of 'Memories of the Great Metropolis: or London from the Tower to the Crystal Palace' by The British Library on Flickr.

From the British Library's newly released millions of images into the public domain! I had to do a CP search of course!

psychogeography? a starting point for my community audio trail and other such stuff...

So, I am poised to go; overloaded with to do lists and notes of threads of thoughts to follow. I am hoping that along with my excel workbook, that this blog will help me develop my thoughts and research.

First priority is to order some audio equipment. Having sought advice and watched this video: I have decided that the Tascam DR 40 is the one for me to try! I was toying with the Zoom hm4, which has a good reputation, however, it is a bit pricier and I don’t need the extra features it boasts.  We shall see how it goes! As well as asking for advice about recording equipment, I have asked advice about audio trails from the GEM (Group for Education in Museums) mailing list. I can recommend doing this to anyone who is looking for similar support. I received some very helpful advice and tips of trails to try out for myself. I am sure this will be an invaluable part of my research.

I have also approached a few people tentatively about being recorded for the audio trail that I want to make of Crystal Palace Park. I have received positive responses, which is great. I am though aware of the responsibility I feel towards recording and presenting this all properly. At the moment, my main aim is to record the oral history of the park at this point in time, which was inspired but my time with my friend’s daughter O, as well as talking with one of the park rangers. I am using ‘psychogeography’ as a starting point theory-wise. I am a beginner in this field, just as I am with recording oral history and creating an audio trail, which makes me slightly anxious, yet inspired to try and develop my skills and understanding. Luckily, a few other people have said they have never heard of the term and so at least I know I am not starting on a topic that everyone already knows everything about!

I am quite a nostalgic person myself and so I begin with an awareness of this fact! I’ve a great love of all things Crystal Palace, but am by no means an expert on the area. I love all things community minded and Crystal Palace is a place that thrives on community spirit. I also begin this project with a desire to explore the variety of options open when creating an audio trail. I have inevitably many questions! Is a trail a good way to help people engage in the park? Can I make an audio trail that locals (and perhaps visitors from further afield) will want to listen to?

Where my final project started in earnest. On this trip to Crystal Palace Park with O, I'd been tweeting (for my previous project) as one of the Crystal Palace sphinxes and O seemed to be intrigued and interested in this. She wanted to go to the park and try and translate the hieroglyphs. We ended up making a video about the out trip and basically O just enjoyed hanging out by the sphinxes. It was as if she was at home there and as if she had a connection with them because I did. We visited again a few weeks later and a similar thing happened. I felt inspired in the connection that O made with the area and in the film she made (by directing me) and definitely got me truly thinking about using media to create some form of trail for engaging people... and audio in the main....

On my way to the subway for the cloisters I walked through Harlem and these ppl protesting for Malcolm X's birthday and shutting down the shops on the street for the afternoon

A Couple of Sensory Stories

November 2016

Hi there again...

Fresh from my day of music and storytelling sessions I thought I would share a couple of stories with you. My version of the Gunpowder Plot Story, which we worked on for the past couple of weeks and and The Highwayman story that I created today.

The Gunpowder Plot story I have to say thanks to the people on Joanna Grace's Facebook page who shared their stories and ideas for Bonfire Night sensory storytelling. The Highway Man was a bit last minute today as needed to fill in with a story last minute. So I could call it my ten minute Highway Man story... gather what props you can and random props you have with you. I got most of the ideas from when Keith Park, Emmie Ward, Coralie Oddy and I did our Great North Wood Storytelling - The Highwaymen (and women) was one of our themes. But both were sort of creating the story around props I already had. Thanks Emmie for a few of those on display in the tweeted pic :)

The Gunpowder Plot

Now we gather around the fire and remember, remember the 5th of November! (fire on ipad and candle scent)

A long time ago In 1605, there was man called Guy Fawkes. (chime)

A long time ago In 1605, there was a King called James 1. King James was not very popular with Guy and and his friends. They were annoyed about the King and his government. (Wear crown and say ‘no we don’t like you!’ but can also say we don’t like you as King but we like you as .... say their name)

So, Guy Fawkes and his friends decided to have a plot, the gunpowder plot. They wanted to blow up the parliament. (Popping candy on hand/eat)

They filled 36 barrels with gunpowder! They planted them under the cellars of the Houses of Parliament - ready for a big explosion. (Cedar wood scent for barrels) (can emphasise the secret through quiet voice)

However, there was a traitor in the group! One of Guy Fawkes friends! He got worried about all the people who would get blown up. He sent a letter to his friend warning him! (Big Ben chimes on Big Mac)

So the police, the guards of parliament arrived – on their horses (clip clop) they went down the stairs (walking sound) and crept slowly (shhhh) and….. bang! The plot was rumbled! The plotters were arrested, tortured and executed. (Bang on the drum)

Now we sit and remember remember the 5th of November. We light a bonfire (fire on iPad and bonfire scent candle)

And sit and watch fireworks (fireworks torch and sounds or app)

Then go home for a nice cup of tea (have a cup of tea/tea break)

The Highwayman

It was Autumn in the woods and the leaves were gently falling

(leaves in a basket – can handle them or drop them on people/the floor)

The leaves were red, yellow, orange, green, brown

(say whatever colours you find – show the colours – can spread them between different people rather than person by person)

Animals were looking for food and the wind was rustling in the trees

(rainmaker or shaker or similar sound)

There was a damp smell in the wood - after the rain

(cedarwood or similar smell – it sounds a bit like the musty leaves, but you could also get musty leaves)

Then suddenly!! The sound of horses hooves

(clapping sticks/pieces of wood – we have some round slices of wood – we had enough for everyone to make the sound who wanted to - we also sung ‘Horsy Horsy don’t you stop because it is a favourite song of one of the people in the session)

It was a carriage with wheels going around!

(rolled hoop – saying ‘and the hoop rolled past….’ And gave a chance to push if people wanted – if not you can find anything that goes around as a visual stimuli)

There were rich people inside the carriage, enjoying looking at their jewels and money

(glass nuggets, money, or anything jewel like – we had a lot of baskets to hand so I handed a basket to everyone and then put the nuggets in each persons basket and encouraged them to look through them and be interested in them J)

But they didn’t know that someone was waiting for them! There was a swish of a cloak!

(piece of material – or a cloak if you have one – the material I grabbed was quite light so I swished it past people and over some people and gave the chance to feel)

And the brim of a hat

(feel a hat – I found a straw hat which was not really a highway man but did the job of being a hat)

The Highway Man was waiting and he said “Stand and Deliver! Your Money or Your Life!”

(encouraged people to repeat the words ‘stand and deliver’ and sung that bit of the song)

He took all their money and jewels

(one person had a cloth bag and asked people for their money and they tipped their nuggets into the bag)

Then he rode off

(clip clop sounds)

And the animals continued looking for food and the leaves rustled in the wind

(rainshaker again – or whatever you used)

I also added on a bit about the highway man sitting by a fire and had the fire app on the ipad and also the scent of a bonfire candle – but that might make it a bit too long)

I then did a bit of call and response with ‘The Highwayman’ poem.

And now just arrived at Brooklyn Museum..... Looking forward to looking around :)

#100happydays day Two. Happily and purposefully taking the long way home via two buses, with no time deadline. Particularly exciting to travel on the number 3 bus on it's diversion up gipsy Hill. Nice to have the view of a level higher than usual on that road :)

Our #museumhack guides at the American Museum of Natural History yesterday!

A bit of research for delivering learning activities related to the NHM London's exhibition...