Time to reveal your own stories about Falkirk's canals
A community-led immersive art project will help to launch the Canal Listening project at The Falkirk Wheel.
The new arts and research initiative has invited people from across the district and beyond to take part by sharing stories, memories and recordings of the Forth & Clyde and Union canals.
In collaboration with Scottish Canals, artist Andrew J Brooks is spearheading the Canal Listening project, an initiative designed to develop a community soundmap by documenting the ecological, social, and cultural life of the canals.
The sound gathering exercise will pull together voices, music, and environmental recordings from the area to reveal new perspectives about places shared by generations of people and the natural world.
Participants are invited to play an integral role in creating the project’s artworks by working alongside Andrew to collect recordings and create a cultural map of the waterways. Developing sound installations and public presentations will reflect personal experience and perspectives of the canals and of Falkirk.
Visitors can enjoy the project during two immersive installations, Dawning and Tunnel, hosted in the Visitor Centre at The Falkirk Wheel mext weekend, from Friday, July 3 to Monday, July 6.
The first installation, Dawning, combines film and audio recordings of the dawn chorus, captured on the Union Canal in Falkirk, and the second, Tunnel, takes visitors on a ten-minute journey through the Falkirk High Tunnel.
Andrew said: “I am eager to begin working with the communities around the canal.
“The sounds of the environment where we live hold so much cultural significance for us and can help us understand about ourselves and the world we share with our communities, both human and non-human.”
Ross McMillan, head of destinations at Scottish Canals added: “We’re celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Millennium Link project which re-opened and reconnected our Lowland Canals.
“This is such a timely moment to invite the community to share their stories and reflections about their canals.”
The Canal Listening project’s installations are open and free to the public at The Falkirk Wheel in the Blueprint Room to the left of the Visitor Centre entrance.
For more information or if you wish to contribute to the project contact Andrew by visit the Canal Listening website.