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Thursday 29 May 2014

Tracking the walk

I have been using Viewranger to plot walks and I did this for the River Walk. I also set it to record social media posting live and gather in flickr posting later.

Here is a link to the social media track recorded.
http://my.viewranger.com/track/details/ODkwMjY4
and it looks like this, click on the icons to show images and text!


Friday 23 May 2014

First Walk

 

First Walk


We met at Saltford Brass Mill for a fascinating tour of the building and the working mill rediscovering why artists and poets were so inspred by the power of early machines. So close to the energy of nature the mill was breathing and pulsing with the water. No romanticising the hard work that went on here in what must have been appalling conditions, cold water under foot and the endless relentless pounding and tapping and clatter of the hammers. A truly ancient technology powering the beginnings of the industrial age. Looking forward to some great sounds from Ben.


Along the river, the tow path where once the barges were pulled up the river by horses and men. Now an idyllic river bank, decked with cow parsley the river marked out for fishing and boating. Stories of the Saltford Mile to be discovered. Then onto the old railway line. Reclaimed too for leisure. A cycle track now. The mainline across the field alive and whooshing with modern trains to London, Bristol and beyond.




Coming into Bath back on the tow path. A lock opens and the lazy water swirls in meeting its level, a barge continues up stream. We walk past the barely identifiable remains of Bath's industrial heritage. A bridge once connecting more brass mills and finally the slowly disappearing gasworks and the landscaped new ugliness.  Where once the cranes were made. Like coming in through the tradesmans entrance we surface briefly by the bus station disoriented the river almost out of site.

Along the Kennet and Avon Canal towpath through Sydney Gardens thinking of Venice to the Cleveland Pools. A sanctuary. Here to complete the cycle it rained. Perfectly.




So much more to tell.

Monday 19 May 2014

Recce Photos

Some shots from the recce in April


 
looking back up the river Avon towards Saltford


Saltford Weir with the Mill and marina in the background


The majestic river looking down towards the lock at in the Weston Cut












The view into Bath...the green path into Bath

Sunday 18 May 2014

Update and actions

River Walk installation how to get involved:
Check the route here:

this was my recce:
as you can see it has a live function and pics up on tweets and pics...I am exploring this functionality
The starting idea for this I believe is Robyn's and its is rich with potential.

As it stands now the plan is to fill a room in the Commons with sound and images drawn from the walk/inspired by the route.
This could be working from wildtrack sounds to something more constructed and mixed.
It is all about WATER...water power, water for leisure but also water as in tears and sweat, the work and wealth it has created....

Could we fill the entire space with the sound of the water wheel, the rush of the weir, the squirt of water through leaking lock gates and the calm drips and gentle plash of the disused lido....?
With images and text/voice to go with?

BUT time is short...to say the least.. we need to be making a definite commitment to do this by next Wednesday.
On Thursday or Friday next week  I'll take you on the walk and  as we walk we'll agree a turnaround time but I think this needs to be very short...within a couple of days.... so keep your ideas do-able. Just taking pics as you go/see what happens and record it is a perfectly reasonable goal!

If the walking art stuff interests you check this out:
This is the facebook page for the work have been doing primarily to date with carnival designer and textile artist Ali Pretty

First Briefing

Saltford Brass Mill to Bath River Walk Installation:

 An invitation to contribute. 22-25 May. 


The walk from a historic brass mill at Saltford along the river Avon to a derelict Georgian lido in Bath offers thought provoking sights and sounds.

Work and wealth.
Leisure and decay.
Flow and Still.

This is an invitation to creatives working in any medium to contribute to an installation based on this walk for a room in the new Commons building.
  • sonic artists who can record and work with sounds from along the walk to produce soundscapes. 
  • photographers who can gather and produce images from the route 
  • creative filmmakers who could record the great water wheel at Saltford and produce installation video 
  •  fine artists who could work in their chosen medium on ideas inspired by the route or motifs/objects and things found along the route
  •  performance writers/poets who could write and record words based on the walk • performers who could perform the walk 
  • digital artists who can bring a virtual life to the walk 

If you would like to contribute in any way contact
Richard White: r.white2(at)bathspa.ac.uk

Explore the walk and the key locations….. Arrangements will be made to access Saltford Brass Mill and the Clevedon Pools. Recording and asset gathering: Thursday 22 – Sunday 25 May.

All contributions complete by Thursday 29 May