New sound art offers open air culture to winter visitors
Willesden Jewish Cemetery, London’s latest outdoor heritage attraction, is offering a new sensory experience from Tuesday 8th December until the end of January. Visitors of all backgrounds can immerse themselves in an evocative soundscape as they explore 21 acres of tranquil memorial landscape thanks to the sound installation, Invisible City, produced by artists FOR NOW.
Listen to the trailer.
The sound art has been commissioned by the cemetery as part of the first BRENT BIENNIAL, a highlight of the Brent 2020 London Borough of Culture calendar. Visitors can walk the cemetery paths or find a bench in the heart of the site and lose themselves in a world of reminiscence and stories. As the experience is fully outdoors, it provides an ideal Tier 2 activity for individuals or socially distant groups of up to six.
FOR NOW’s Susanna Grant and Joey Morris who produced the 24-minute listening experience say they have been inspired by Italo Calvino’s novel “Invisible Cities” to build a sonic city, full of life and stories that will wash over the cemetery as the listener wanders its expanses. Invisible City transports you to a land of memory, as Arthur, the cemetery foreman, with a chorus of relatives and people from around Willesden, draw you in.
Talking about the site-specific creation, FOR NOW’s Joey Morris said:
“There are always so many layers held within landscapes. Memories from different generations within families recorded in the cemetery weave themes of community, home and the connections that hold us all together.”
FOR NOW’s Susanna Grant added:
“The cemetery is a remarkable gem waiting to be discovered in the heart of Willesden. The more time we spent there, the more we were captivated by the memories and stories that live in this enigmatic place.”
Hester Abrams, House of Life Project Leader at Willesden Jewish Cemetery, said.
“Invisible City adds a welcome layer of love and felt experience to the cemetery’s physical landscape. Everyone can relate to its themes. We really hope people from Brent and around London will follow their curiosity and come share in this enveloping experience. It really makes Willesden ‘London’s Place to Remember’.”
The audio art can be downloaded free of charge to any smartphone from a QR code on site. Visitors are asked to bring their own earphones.
The cemetery grounds are open Sunday to Thursday 8am to 4pm and Friday 8am to 3pm. The only days Invisible City will not be available are when the cemetery is closed (on Saturdays; from 25th to 28th December and on 1st January 2021). From Sunday 3rd January, those without smartphones will be able visit the reopened visitor centre during opening hours to borrow a sanitised headset and MP3 player.
Invisible City Credits
Created by FOR NOW
Susanna Grant
Joey Morris
Darren Hayman
Commissioned and produced by Hester Abrams, House of Life, United Synagogue
Voices
Derek Bloom
Rachel Davidson
Vicki Harris
Alex Harris
Isla Kaufmann
Nataliya Kharina
Arthur Mejuito
Jasmine Mejuito
Joseph Mejuito
Lily Mejuito
Daniel Walters
Georgia Walters
Simon Walters
Coordination by Vicky Proctor, House of Life, United Synagogue
PR by Think Communications
Cover design by Sarah Culross
Thanks to Brent 2020 London Borough of Culture and the Metroland Cultures Team
Lois Stonock, Titania Altius, Amanprit Sandhu
Invisible City is supported by grants from the Brent 2020 Culture Fund and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
