Latest Posts by ret-uk - Page 6

psychogeography? a starting point for my community audio trail and other such stuff...

So, I am poised to go; overloaded with to do lists and notes of threads of thoughts to follow. I am hoping that along with my excel workbook, that this blog will help me develop my thoughts and research.

First priority is to order some audio equipment. Having sought advice and watched this video: I have decided that the Tascam DR 40 is the one for me to try! I was toying with the Zoom hm4, which has a good reputation, however, it is a bit pricier and I don’t need the extra features it boasts.  We shall see how it goes! As well as asking for advice about recording equipment, I have asked advice about audio trails from the GEM (Group for Education in Museums) mailing list. I can recommend doing this to anyone who is looking for similar support. I received some very helpful advice and tips of trails to try out for myself. I am sure this will be an invaluable part of my research.

I have also approached a few people tentatively about being recorded for the audio trail that I want to make of Crystal Palace Park. I have received positive responses, which is great. I am though aware of the responsibility I feel towards recording and presenting this all properly. At the moment, my main aim is to record the oral history of the park at this point in time, which was inspired but my time with my friend’s daughter O, as well as talking with one of the park rangers. I am using ‘psychogeography’ as a starting point theory-wise. I am a beginner in this field, just as I am with recording oral history and creating an audio trail, which makes me slightly anxious, yet inspired to try and develop my skills and understanding. Luckily, a few other people have said they have never heard of the term and so at least I know I am not starting on a topic that everyone already knows everything about!

I am quite a nostalgic person myself and so I begin with an awareness of this fact! I’ve a great love of all things Crystal Palace, but am by no means an expert on the area. I love all things community minded and Crystal Palace is a place that thrives on community spirit. I also begin this project with a desire to explore the variety of options open when creating an audio trail. I have inevitably many questions! Is a trail a good way to help people engage in the park? Can I make an audio trail that locals (and perhaps visitors from further afield) will want to listen to?

untitled travels, a set on Flickr.

I'll try and pick out some photos to mention in particular, but don't want to upload unending individual posts at this moment in time and overload you. This album may not mean much to you, but documents my travels so far... Mostly in London, starting and often retuning to Crystal Palace Park - as well as my overground and tram travels .... to the Museum of London and Morden Hall Park respectively.. Bognor Regis gets briefly into the mix as well as quite a lot of nature photos... You can see some themes of interest emerging - trees and duck/goslings!

Testing, testing

Am I causing more distractions for myself or creating something that will be of productive use for my final course project and of an interesting read for others? Only time will tell! Lets see if this posts to Twitter and or Facebook!

Overground Travels

Connections: Vienna, London, Overground, Montessori, Psychogeography...

Taking a step back in time, this is a journal type entry I wrote a week back:

Having lived in Vienna for five years I know the feeling of being away from familiar surroundings and a constant wonder of if your new home will ever feel like a real home. There are inevitably a variety of factors involved in how at home you feel: who is around you, what job you are doing, any familiar objects (such as in the home). However, we are all inevitably affected by place. It is the overall feeling. I feel it in my bones – apologies if I am stating what may seem as obvious to others, but there is something in the saying. Our bodies are good indicators of how we are experiencing life and for me, beyond doubt, an outward expression of those feelings inside.

When I am away from home – either having moved somewhere new (whether it is in London or abroad) I increasingly feel like what I witness in cats when they move; The slow wandering into the new environment to find my feet – to return back to my base. I often don’t feel at home in my flat or house until I have made connections with the outside environment – place and people included. I often prefer to wander rather than be in a new home. I have also increasingly appreciated the sense of a need for a home base. I love traveling, but have always felt that I want a home base. Something I have not found really and in some places it is easier than in others. Crystal Palace has a huge potential for me. I am trying to attach myself even more to this area for reasons and feelings of nostalgia in the knowledge that our family has roots in the area – in particular my grandma – and in many ways her lost stories here. I hope I can find them in the space. I also have my own past connections with having lived in West Norwood for years before moving away and back again.

I like to think about how we form links and connections with places…

As I start my journey on the overground on this day, I begin my book about psychogeography. The first pages talk of psychogeography being a tale of two cities / London and Paris - that’s ok and that’s good as I know I am in a significant place to start my research. If I can go to Paris to try out a trail/walk there, then that would be a bonus.

I am obsessed with connections and links and making sense of the world. I think making sense of the world is key to any form of learning and something that we are often trying to do throughout or lives, even when it is more subconscious – it is something that my experience of Montessori practice has taught me. It has always intrigued me and it seemed to make so much sense when first reading about her philosophy. It is again something that may seem obvious to us but for me it was the first time I had thought of education in that way. The philosophy is based on creating materials that make sense and help children to understand different elements and theories, which in turn help them and us with out greater understanding of the world. Montessori was also very much for her education helping towards creating world peace and I think that is a pretty noble thing. I will try and find some inspiring quotes in due course. I am intrigued to find out whether any of it will have any relevance to my project!! Same with psychogeography!

On my journey, I pass by scenery that even if I have passed through it a few times before, I have never really looked at. A lot reminds me of Vienna and definitely triggered my thoughts in that respect.

At the Museum of London, I notice all the wonderful books about London – I am sure that is something that has increased in recent years. So many of the most intriguing seem to be on titles such as: ‘Secret London’ – It feels like a recent phenomena to me – that we are trying to find those hidden parts of the city to feel like we have found something special and unique.

I am interested in the choice of obscure places to create a trail? They often seem a bit more obscure, also off the beaten track- something that I will have to go out of my way to try out. This will make a new experience for me in itself. From the brief overview that I have at the moment, it seems like people have made some trails as part of a process for people in areas of change – and are in fact – probably quite political. Psychogeography is set to have one root in an obscure cemetery, linked to the dissenter Defoe… I still need to read more…

I am wondering what does child development and psychology in general say about place and time? Any links?

Where my final project started in earnest. On this trip to Crystal Palace Park with O, I'd been tweeting (for my previous project) as one of the Crystal Palace sphinxes and O seemed to be intrigued and interested in this. She wanted to go to the park and try and translate the hieroglyphs. We ended up making a video about the out trip and basically O just enjoyed hanging out by the sphinxes. It was as if she was at home there and as if she had a connection with them because I did. We visited again a few weeks later and a similar thing happened. I felt inspired in the connection that O made with the area and in the film she made (by directing me) and definitely got me truly thinking about using media to create some form of trail for engaging people... and audio in the main....