Hidden rivers: writing and community spaces

Description of impact

Linking public art events in Bangor and Paris, the project aims to bring about:
- conceptual impact and influence on culture change and connectivity by using artistic practice to engage Bangor residents in active reimagination of their city, its past and its wider international connections
- improved cultural confidence, engagement and civic identity in Bangor, to be measured by engagement in cultural activities such as visiting Storiel
- relationships with beneficiaries not only in imparting knowledge but also in learning from different groups within Bangor and Paris about ways in which language and space interact.
- improved partnership with Storiel and Gwynedd County Council
- enhanced knowledge of how different communities relate to urban space
- a dialogue between historical and contemporary context of the two cities through poetry and visual art
- sharing of methodologies in collaborative art practice in urban space, particularly those analysed and developed in my previous research

Two lost rivers with connected histories, the Adda in Bangor and the Bièvre in Paris, will be the focus of performances and workshops that will explore the less visible aspects of the contemporary city. Both rivers were culverted and re-routed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century because of pollution. Poetry performances in Paris will offer an outsider's perspective on a little-known feature of the city, although the Bièvre has become an important cultural focus in localities through which it once ran. In Bangor, multimedia performance and interactive walks will raise public awareness of the Adda and the social and ecological questions it raises. Creative writing sessions will help to build confidence in local communities and encourage engagement with the Town Library and the new gallery space in Storiel, both on the Adda's path. Little-known archival material from Bangor University and research from Gwynedd Archaeological Trust will be brought to public attention in ways that will deepen and enrich awareness of the city at a time when it is undergoing extreme economic stress and social change. Texts and images inspired by the two rivers, including public response, will be brought together in an exhibition at Storiel.

Planned objectives:

Bangor
• Interviews with local people in Bangor reflecting on their relationship to the space around the river will build engagement into the evolution of the project. These will be recorded on video and incorporated into performances (with permission). Clips will be shown online to stimulate further discussion.
• An opportunity for the public to respond directly to places along the Adda on a sketch map set up in an empty shop will create visibility and awarness.
• Creative writing workshops in Bangor will encourage participation by groups who do not usually attend art events. Relevant groups will be identified in consultation with Lifelong Learning and Gwynedd County Council. Workshops will be integrated into existing networks to ensure participation of target groups. The aim will be to increase confidence and cultural participation in these groups, in collaboration with the partner organisation Storiel.
• A walk through Bangor, led by Ben Stammers and Zoë Skoulding, with members of the public, will reveal the path of the Adda, drawing attention to its history and ecology and enabling two-way sharing of information about the city. Participants will be invited via local newspapers and social media.
• A public event in the new Storiel (involving film, sound and text), will draw on the information gathered in previous activities and incorporating audience feedback and response.
Paris
• A reading and discussion at Les Récollets, Paris, featuring work carried out during my 2014 residency, will enable me to share methodologies and insights with other artists currently on the programme. Staff from the Mairie de Paris, the Institut Français and other cultural agencies will be invited to this event, with a view to future partnerships.
• A public multimedia performance of Teint will be held in Paris, featuring extracts from the Adda project and followed by a discussion of poetry and ecology. Other writers from Wales will be invited to take part in this event as a means of creating ongoing cultural connections.
• Poets from Paris with an interest in urban space will be invited to take part in the North Wales International Poetry Festival in order to sustain future connections between the two cities.
Paris and Bangor
• Text and image on the two rivers will be brought together for an exhibition in Storiel.
• A programme on the two rivers will be pitched to BBC Radio 4. It will use materials gathered during the project.

Impact status	Ongoing
Category of impact	Cultural, Societal
Impact level	Adoption