Following their work for XMTR last year, which listened in to the micro repeated rituals of everyday life, Stellaria brings in the macro rituals of annual bird migration. Over three sessions you will gather recordings and devise a collective live performance that pays attention to small, repeated actions and how they interact with seasonal timescales.
Meadowpippets and monuments: dawn listening and bird migration recording at ancient, species-rich Hastings Castle
Composition and choreography: recording small actions and devising a collective piece
Playback and performance: live performance incorporating repeated sounds and movements in multiple combinations.
This first session is the chance to observe and record a special migration of birds over Hastings, happening specifically on this day at this time. Lucinda Guy and Alice Armstrong will be on hand to guide you through some deep listening to tune into this unique setting. They will show you how to use specialist field recording equipment to record both the sounds from above as well as the magic of the experience of gathering, observing and listening.
You could see and hear Meadow Pipits, Swallows and House Martins and potentially Hobby, Kestrel, Grey Heron, Great Spotted Woodpecker, White Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Tree Pipit, Linnet, Goldfinch, Chaffinch and Siskin.
They will be just passing overhead. They all make distinctive flight calls as they go. Bird specialists Tom Emson and David Campbell. will guide us through what we see and hear as the migration passes.
Stellaria Media are based in South Devon and within two community radio stations, Soundart Radio (Totnes) and Skylark (Dartmoor). Their background as artists means they are always exploring, listening, responding and creating together with communities.
David Campbell runs Wildstarts Nature Ltd, a local birding tour company, and is the editor of Birdwatch magazine. He was been birding since he was seven years old and lives in Hastings near West Hill.
Tom Emson is a local bird watching enthusiast and can be found on the West Hill most mornings with his camera pointing skywards.
OPEN TO FESTIVAL PASS HOLDERS
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