OUTFOX: NightGarden Festival, Manchester

If you go down to the woods today, something magical will be waiting for you... The Other Folk of Chorlton Woods is an augmented reality trail through Chorlton Ees featuring artworks by Hannah Mosley and poems by Jessica Symons. Come and meet the characters of UK folklore, from the gentle Dun Cow to the deadly Jenny Greenteeth, and let the poems and illustrations accompany you as you walk through the Other Folk's world.

Way Down to Pomona - an Augmented Reality Soundwalk An immersive re-imagining of Pomona Island’s history through field recordings, composed electroacoustic music, oral histories and archival material (with thanks to Greater Manchester County Record Office) that are unveiled as the site is explored by the listener based on their GPS data. Suspended between the Bridgewater Canal and the River Irwell, this concrete island bountiful with flora and fauna exists in a strange limbo between its industrial past and inevitable destruction and development. This area has an extremely rich history which will soon be forgotten as the land is gentrified. In the 1800s Pomona Island was a place of leisure, with the name Pomona originating from the Roman goddess of fruit trees, gardens and orchards; promoted to the locals as a way of enjoying the countryside without the need for a train ticket. The land was home to Pomona Palace, the biggest hall of its kind in the country, fit with a 100 ft clock tower, that could host 30,000 people for dances, concerts and political rallies. The Palace’s gardens included a variety of entertainment, including a hedge maze, flying swings, archery, zoological and botanical gardens, and hosted events such as dog racing, circus shows and other forms of public entertainment. On the 22nd June 1887, there was an explosion at a nearby chemical’s factory that damaged the Palace significantly, leading to its closure the following year. Pomona’s next lease of life was as a bustling dockland for the Manchester Ship Canal, up until its closure in the 1970s. For the past 40 years or so Pomona has been left to its own devices and has become an urban oasis of rare wildlife and flora. However, in recent years landowners PEEL development group have begun the destruction of the space so it doesn’t get listed as a place of ecological importance and to prepare it for its imminent development and gentrification.

Inspired by the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal we have paired Salford / Greater Manchester artists with European artists to create a Sound Walk along the route of the old canal. The canal begins at the River Irwell at Middlewood Locks and then disappears from sight until near Agecroft Cemetery.

'**Landscapes shimmer when they gather rhythms shared across varied forms of life' (Tsing et al. 2017)** This sound walk guides you through Peel Park, opening up its past ecologies and present growth through sound and song to bring you into a closer relationship with the trees, plants and wild, weedy beings that live here, and the shimmering rhythms happening between them. **Please note that the text makes reference to flooding and climate change**. The route is step-free and suitable for wheelchair users and those with limited mobility, but does include some invitations to leave the paths and travel over more grassy and uneven ground. A transcript of the spoken text is available [here](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b1_CJNVzKSfGqOKWnsMUf95kMi7m_9rX/view?usp=sharing) and if you have any other access needs or queries, please drop us a line at wildingthesmartcity@gmail.com. We'd be very happy to help. The walk takes between 60 and 75 minutes to complete, depending on how much meandering you choose to do. Please download it to your phone before you come to the starting point, which is just above Peel Park and behind the Salford Museum and Art Gallery (see instructions below). It is designed to be experienced through headphones, so make sure you bring yours with you and allow Echoes to use your location to trigger the sounds. The walk begins at the middle of three benches which are located above Peel Park and behind the Salford Museum and Art Gallery. From the middle of the park, head towards the flower beds and then up the stairs directly behind them or up the ramp to the right of the flowerbeds, heading towards the back of the museum and art gallery. You’ll find the benches at the top of the stairs/ramp, overlooking the park. From the Salford Museum and Art Gallery, facing the front entrance, walk to your left and down the curving path, turning right after the car park to cross the road and reach the three benches above the park. These walks are part of a wider research project, so any feedback you have would be greatly appreciated. Please respond through [this online questionnaire](https://forms.office.com/e/EWgKpL1j7U) and get in touch at wildingthesmartcity@gmail.com if you would like to book a follow up interview to discuss your experience. **Credits:** Walk concept, text, vocals and digital sounds: Jo Scott. Guitar: Scott Millar.

This is Witch 'n' Monk's second GPS-guided release: a new way to experience music, made for disobedient minds. Something between a quest game, an interactive podcast and a sound walk. Part of their release called OUTFOX: a collection of new music on the theme of radical creativity.  To download Revolution click here: www.witchnmonk.com/revolution-gift