Sounds From Another Town
Wednesday 16th September. 6pm.
Got a phonebox on your street? Anywhere in S-O-T.
“Phones have been a vital means of connectivity during this pandemic. The British phonebox is a simple scene; no cost of entry or exit, seemingly mundane and a familiar sight decorating street corners and towns. Although they are now diminishing in number, we intend to unite those that remain in chorus. Traveling through the connecting wires will be a series of sounds that have escorted isolated residents of Stoke-on-Trent through lockdown.”
Recommended Viewing: Headphones On. Eyes Closed. Isolated.
The Work:
As part of our CARE: R&D programme, artists Rachel Ferguson, Daniel Wiggins and Harry Jukes and producer Holly Norcop created a chorus of ringing phone boxes spanning the six towns of Stoke-On-Trent.
Sounds from Another Town features the voices of people in Stoke-on-Trent who remain isolated as the rest of the country resumes normality. For them, lockdown has lasted seven months and counting. The soundscape was the 'voice' of a phone box choir that sang out across the six towns on the evening of 16th of September and was created with the help of the Stoke-on-Trent Royal Voluntary Service Community Centre. Their befriending and companionship service links isolated older members of the community with volunteers. We would encourage anyone to offer their time to make these connections.
The below posters were used to recruit the volunteer team needed to deliver the public performance, 6pm Wednesday 16th September, 2020.
The Artists:
Rachel Ferguson
Rachel Ferguson is a multi-disciplinary contemporary artist from Manchester. Rachel was raised in a small 'New Town' outside of Liverpool and studied Fine Art at Manchester School of Art. Her work is a measurement of the 'spaces in-between'. The overlooked and unnecessary - 'How can we look through the dirty window without looking at the marks on it first?'.
Rachel responds to these questions through a number of mediums including drawing, sound, video & painting.
Harry Jukes
Harry Jukes is a freelance graphic designer, MC, and music producer, influential in the local music scene for his contribution to nights such as: Rejected by Management, Open Sound, Tough Break Records, Nexus Drum & Bass and SubFaction. Currently, Harry runs 1-1 mentoring and/or recording sessions in his music studio, while also expanding his knowledge with the creation of experimental sound.
Dan Wiggins
Dan Wiggins is a multidisciplinary artist with a preference for tangible forms. Working for the most part in film photography, he has recently been embracing sculpture & more conceptual ideas, often questioning themes of urban decay and restoration.