During the Summer and Autumn of 2023 I developed new pieces of work in response to Coventry-based independent organisation Theatre Absolute’s series Project:Public, devising a set of provocations or prompts for exploring the internal and external in regards to the city and using various lens-based and conversational tools for thinking through ideas.

In answering the question ‘What are you currently thinking/obsessed about?’ I paid attention to the human instinct to be in the landscape, seeing life unfold and witnessing with authenticity and openness the city’s surprises, discomforts, and joy. I read and collected quotes, explored city planning documents, historical accounts of land use and created Polaroids in the public realm as a starting point for my enquiries.

The project evolved through a series of walking talking listening looking podcasts between myself and Theatre Absolute artistic directors and independent artists Julia Negus and Chris O’Connell published below, eventually accumulating in a Super 8 film which you can also view below. Find out more about the process in my blog post here and also in Theatre Absolute’s Project:Public Conversations series where I joined the wonderful Dr. Helen Wheatley to reflect upon the work – video at the end of this page.

Polaroids, Podcasts and Perambulation has been screened at the following events:
Walking Shorts, Leominster Community Centre, Leominster, UK – May, 2024
Living With Buildings VI, LTB Showrooms, Coventry, UK – August 2024
Royal Geographical Society with IBG conference, Imperial College, London – August 2024

05:46, Ektachrome 64T Super 8mm, digital scan, Polaroid 600

47:16, Audio file, conversation with Julia O’Connell, July 2023