Open Bridges includes a series of workshops hosted by creative writers Lou Duffy-Howard, Christina Lewis and Russ Litten who are working with schools, prisons and community venues to explore freedom and the impact of withholding freedom considering notions of East and West, left and right, separation and connection, difference and similarity.
One of our favourite schools, Withernsea High, was the destination for our next workshop. Creative writer Christina Lewis and I spent the morning with Miss Collins’ class to explore the concept of freedom and the impact of freedom denied to so many people in the world today. We started off by playing a game to demonstrate the idea that the only way to truly understand something is to experience it. You’ve got to taste it – describing and guessing our favourite and worst foods: Like little jellies? Slimy little balls? Slippy? Mushy and smelly? Grown ups have it with Champagne?…Caviar! (Yes, lots of fun imagining… but is it really like eating caviar?)
After a discussion about famous people from Hull, the class told us about William Wilberforce and human rights before we played Vote with your Feet – Who thinks we live in a free world? Who loves coming to school? Who keeps their bedroom tidy? Who’s carers/parents tidy up after them? So, who thinks slavery is wrong? Lots of voting with the feet and great discussion led to some super creative writing and drawing.
Thanks to our workshop photographer Piotr Korczynski who took photographs of the session. Click on an image to enlarge the photo and scroll through…
Here is the work the class produced at the workshop. Click on an image to see the full picture and scroll through…
Thank you to Miss Collins and the fabulous class – Phoebe, Molly, Sam, Olivia, Charlie, Adam, Abigail, MacKenzie, Ethan, Shkira, Megan, Keiran, Ella, Kurt, Libby, Tia, Trinity, Abbie, Ruby, Harriet, Liam, Finley, Jessica, Joseph and Kallum – for welcoming us to join in for the morning, for brilliant teamwork and fantastic discussion.
Lou Duffy-Howard
Open Bridges: The river journey and the bridges
Open Bridges – Hull City of Culture 2017 to be split in two: The River Hull runs directly through the centre of the city defining East and West Hull and the culture of the city. On September 22nd Open Bridges will signify the vital role bridges play in everyday life with a new musique concrète commission, a river journey and the mustering of historic vessels. For the first time in Hull’s history the city will be momentarily split in two, denying the freedom of movement east or west across the River Hull.
There will be a documentary film of the river journey.
As the river journey ends the music begins
John Stead’s Open Bridges live premiere performance by will be diffused in octophonic sound featuring found sounds recorded from Hull bridges movements and operations. The programme includes rare performances of music concrete work by pioneers of electronic, electroacoustic and acousmatic music – Jean-Claude Risset’s “Elementa” and Francis Dhomont’s “Cycle du Son”.
Tickets for the music premiere on Friday 22nd September at Hull Stage@The Dock, Queen Street, Hull. HU1 1UU, doors 7.30 pm, £10 available from Hull Box Office.
Open Bridges is an independent Hull based project by Duffy-Howard Music in partnership with HCC Streetscene Services taking place during the City of Culture Freedom Season.