James Mabbett (Studio Napoleon iiird) is a composer, musician, producer and sound artist based in Holmfirth. For his project for South Pennines Park, he worked with residents of Riverside, Laurel Court, Huddersfield and Healthy Minds in Calderdale.

James talks about his projects:

Working with two groups – Residents of Riverside, Laurel Court, Huddersfield and a group from Healthy Minds, Calderdale –  I created sound based compositions for specific locations within the South Pennine Park area. I used the experiences, thoughts, feelings and sound recordings made by the groups to create compositions which can be accessed and enjoyed with in their intended locations. 

Residents of Laurel Court decided to create a piece for a local, unmapped park/recreation area just off Primrose Street, Primrose Hill, Huddersfield. Health Minds, chose their allotment in Todmorden, where they meet every Tuesday. Interestingly both locations are places the group members use regularly, in close proximity to home. Both spaces provide peace and solitude, and act as meeting spaces for socialising as well as places for passing through, on route elsewhere. 

 

 

 

I provide participants means to explore, and to make discoveries independently. On this occasion, I provided handheld digital recorders and headphones, the intention being groups look for, and record sounds that best represented these chose locations.   

As a group we reviewed all recordings made and started the process of creating a soundscape to represent these spaces, adding instrumentation in the case of Laurel Court and poetry in the case of Healthy Minds. All compositions were then completed back at Studio Napoleon iiird. 

Listen to the soundscapes created here:

A fulfilling day with little disturbance – Napoleon the iiird with Healthy Minds Calderdale (featuring poem ‘Birds of the Lake’ by Lou Pendlebury) Listen here

Fix the park – Napoloeon iiird with Riverside  Listen here

 

Film & image credits: Studio Bokehgo

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