heritage
our self-guided audio tours connect listeners to hidden sounds in the environment, bring historical soundscapes to life and explore our relationship with people, places and buildings.
Barrow Dock Tours
March 2023 to Sept 2024
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Working with Your Tour we developed two GPS located audio tours as part of an interactive Barrow Dock Museum app. The tours were created with members of the local community, drawing on local knowledge and expertise and using local studios to record the voiceovers. One tour playfully explored the channelside wildlife and local history while the other delved deeper into Barrow's rich industrial heritage. You can have a listen to examples below or use the links to download the explorer app for Mac or Android.
Mixenden Wild Walk and History Hike
April 2024
Working with the local community, we co-created a History Hike and Wild Walk around the Hebble Brook in Mixenden, Yorkshire, incorporating their feedback into the design of the audio trails. The production process included recording voiceovers with pupils from Ash Green Primary at the local Phoenix FM radio station, as well as combining forces with drama and music students at Calderdale College. Our sound designer Dan Rothberger then sensitvely supported the recorded scripts with sound design, including field recordings from the local area.
Where do we go from here?
January 2024
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We worked with Rank & File and the Museum of English Rural Life to capture personal stories of climate change and displacement from refugees, asylum seekers, and people who experience disability or mental health challenges. With simple, powerful storytelling, the pieces sit alongside artefacts in the museum that they felt some connection to.
Holy Brook Nook
April 2023
Commissioned by Nature Nurture this audio trail encourages local people to visit Holy Brook Nook, a run-down area of Reading that had previously been avoided because of crime and persistent drug use. The tour works alongside murals (pictured) conservation work, a play & learning space, walking programmes, community events and a community garden. Voice acting talent for the audio tour was sourced from local Progress Theatre and the development of the tour was co-created with the community.
Reading Old Cemetery
December 2022
Explore Reading Old Cemetery, a fine specimen of a Victorian garden cemetery, and find out about some of its permanent residents.
Inspired by Horrible Histories with voice overs from local budding and established performers and community volunteers the audio guide takes you on a tour around this beautiful, peaceful site. From people in workhouses to mansions and everyone in between, including headteachers, suffragists, sauce makers, football club directors, record-breaking motorcyclists and many more who are dying to tell their stories and share glimpses of Reading's past with you.
Heritage Audio Trails
June 2022
Each audio trail takes listeners on a journey of discovery. The walks bring hidden histories and stories to life, helping people to see their high street in a new light. Listeners can take a self-guided route, supported by an illustrated map created for each place. The walks will encourage people to slow down, pause and reflect, and experience their environment in a new way. Local artists have worked with communities to collect stories so that each walk is informed by and represents authentic local voices and experiences. These works connect listeners with the people, past and present, who have made their high street what it is today, transforming the everyday into something magical. Working with Sound UK to create two self-guided audio trails for Reading’s High Street Heritage Action Zone.
James and the Giant Peach
July 2019
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Working with young visitors to the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre in Great Missenden to record and produce a music-infused soundscape to accompany story excerpts and original illustrations from this famous tale. (July 2019)
A Reading of London Street
September 2021
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An audio-guided soundwalk commissioned by Historic England that guides the listener through Reading's historic London Street. The sound walk combines music, audio drama and outdoor museum spaces. At its heart is London Street’s community, and its narrative is interwoven throughout the piece. Listeners will be taken on a dream-like journey through time.
Whitley Oral History
October 2018 - September 2019
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A fascinating year-long project capturing and creating digital content for Whitley Community Museum, including aural history and interactive audio and video content. Central to my work was the reconstruction of historical soundscapes of the area based on interviews and archival material.
