During the Summer and Autumn of 2023 I developed new pieces of work in response to 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 here (and below on this page), eventually accumulating in a Super 8 film which you can view below. Find out more about the process in my blog posts here and 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