This illustrated map of Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire was created in collaboration with people from the town between December 2023 and February 2024. As part of a commission from Fire and Water, Sowerby Bridge as part of their Glow Festival.
It features 10 audio recordings created with people during the Glow Festival weekend on 17 and 18 Februray 2024 as the culmination of a period of creative action research in the town, with the aim of collecting folk memories of local favourite places and ideas people have for underused spaces within and around the town.
Each track number 1-10 corresponds to a number on the map.
You can listen to each recording by clicking on each numbered link below :
1. Freda Davis- Mum's House
2. Sue And Pete Coe- Rushbearing Route
3. Jan Hines- Canal
4. Mick Foster- Wainhouse Tower Loop
5. Ian Pepper Mummers Play- Puzzle Hall Inn
6. Erica- Train Station Arrival
7. John Bromley and Andy Greaves- The Battle Of Sowerby Bridge
8. Andy Greaves- The Vaccary Wall
9. Donna, Chris, Polly and Connie- Hilltop Family House
10. Andrew Close- Memories Of The River
You can also listen to a full length recording of all tracks with musical accompniement by Andy Greaves, by following this link
There are three additional recordings included her as 1a, 2a and 7a, which were really interesting conversation that I felt were also really important to include here with Freda Davis, Sue and Pete Coe and John Bromley and Andy Greaves, respectively.
1a. Freda Davis - History Of The Moon Calender
2a. Sue And Pete Coe, The History Of The Ryburn Longswords And Ryburn Folk Club
7a. The Battle Of Sowerby Bridge Song History With Andy Greaves and John Bromley
Below are some images from the weekender at Glow, wherby I created an illustrated installation within Fire and Water as a space to record and capture stories whilst developing the map. These sessions developed out of earlier open to all sessions at Sowerby Bridge Library, whose staff where kind enough to provide space for this project and also help promote it too.
Images from initial library sessions.
Where the map began on paper with the request for people to add their favourite places to help begin the creation of the map with the input of a host of lovely local folks.
Originally commissioned by Sowerby Bridge Fire and Water as part of the Heritage High Street Action Zone Cultural Programme funded by Historic England and Arts Council England.
