S+S (In)visible

Can I Ask You a Question? is a sound piece and experiential walk that uses sound as a vehicle to investigate the tensions currently existing along the Regent’s Canal at Kings Cross. Between 1820 and 1960, the canal's primary function was trade, transporting timber, coal and building materials from King's Cross to the major industrial cities of northern England. More recently, due to population growth, housing development, and industrial activities the canal’s usage has changed from a transport route to a promenade. Presently, it is intended to be a place of recreation and relaxation for human inhabitants as well as an ecosystem for birds, insects and amphibians. However, this new usage of Regent’s Canal has led to a decline in the canal's water quality, air, and noise pollution. Interested in exploring the repercussions of these changes, Red Group 3 (RG3) utilized a socio-political lens to study and document human and non-human interactions, and create a sound piece that encompassed the daily activities happening on the canal. By deploying methodologies that included interviewing current residents, examining perspectives of the canal from the surrounding area, and inspecting the environment’s ecology, the group was able to gain a better understanding of the forced agreements the canal’s visitors and inhabitants must adhere to. Through this process, RG3 was able to uncover the realities that exist in this human-made waterway: Concerns of safety and excitement around a growing commercial area were consistent among interviewees; visible pollution and a large bird populations seemingly have an undisturbed coexistence; and the ever-present sounds of the surrounding city remind us that the canal is part of a larger ecosystem many of us are incapable of changing, while also being complicit in its functionality. These discoveries leave us with complex questions such as: with the existence of such contradictions, can the canal be considered a place for coexistence or are these human and non-human interactions artificial and imposed by humans onto animals and their ecosystem? For the humans living on the canal, is their perspective driven by a yearning for economic opportunities and a safe place they can return to for safe dwelling? And what is the role of a visitor that engages with spaces such as Regent’s Canal? These constant questions bring tension to even the most peaceful moments. RG3’s Can I Ask You a Question? captures the sounds representing these simultaneous happenings and encourages listeners to contemplate their overt and covert existence.

Please listen to the following echoes with headphones. In order to access without locating the sites, please turn off autoplay. This soundscape weaves together a series of site-specific histories - from the coal and ice trade industries of the 18th Century, to the 1878 Beaconsfield Buildings, and present day. Using sound as a means of excavation, we aim to uproot these histories that run below our feet. It opens at the border of our assigned area, with the ghostly echoes of the Beaconsfield Buildings, which is now home to a space-age playground, part of Bingfield Park. As a space that heavily evolved with its community, this sound piece emphasises the power we hold to shift a place's identity. We then take you on a journey through the apex of the trade industry in the 18th Century. We give you this time to listen to the murmurations heard at the intersection of the ice trade market and thriving economy of this time. Just over 100 years later, London experiences its worst ever recorded tube fire at King’s Cross Station during the climax of 1990s rave culture. As we dive into this inferno, we ask you to consider the change that undergoes in the face of time. We return you to the sound of silence in the wake of destruction to ask you to consider where we stand in this present moment as we hear the echoes of our past.

This sound walk explores the evolving relationship between nature and industry in St. Pancras Basin and its surroundings, where human intervention and organic regeneration continuously reshape the environment. Through two interwoven sound pieces—A Moss and Metal Duet and Echoes of Origin—we invite you to experience the layered sonic histories of where you stand, from its industrial past to its contemporary landscape. As you listen, consider how the remnants of industry coexist with the living, regenerating world around them—how the traces of human production persist, adapt, and ultimately merge with non-human life. A Moss and Metal Duet Serving as a sonic exploration of the elemental forces present within St. Pancras Basin, this piece acts in tangible and speculative ways to listen and learn from the conversations between moss and metal, highlighting the contrast between the organic and inorganic—the naturally regenerative and the human-imposed. Moss, a naturally self-sustaining life form, produces its soft but active “popcorn-ing” sound simply by existing—consuming water, absorbing carbon dioxide, and filtering toxins from its environment. Metal, by contrast, remains silent until acted upon, requiring human interaction to produce sound. It stands as a marker of the industrial presence that has shaped this landscape from the Industrial Revolution to the present day, a lasting reminder of human intervention. Now, metal remains within the site, shifting from an instrument of industry to a structure that coexists with the organic world. Echoes of Origin Extending on this exploration, Echoes of Origin traces broader human intervention surrounding the site through historically-tied sounds. This piece guides you through the rhythm of steam trains and their turning wheels, to the clatter of loading coal and the unloading of grains at what once was a granary. These historical echoes are set against the persistent pulse of contemporary life at Central Saint Martins—where the mechanical voice of the campus gate machine, the hum of sewing machines, and the buzz of electric irons add new sonic textures to the site’s ongoing transformation. By immersing you in these interwoven soundscapes, we hope to reveal the shifting balance between human industry and organic resilience. We invite you to deepen your connection with your surroundings, exploring and reimagining the often-overlooked interactions between human interception and the non-human, but living, world. Credits: MA Arts & Science: Yilei Lu, Ke Ma, Kira Oliver, Xuequin Peng. MA Culture, Criticism and Curation: Ant Beltrán, Emily Pond, Rae Storey. MA Fine Art: Sasha Shevchenko, Evelyn Torkington, Marina Trani, Faye Van Andel, Yinqi Yuan.

An audio anthology of poems and stories inspired by the theme of "Secrets of the Trees" produced by walk · listen · create in association with the Urban Tree Festival. You can buy the illustrated printed anthology from the Urban Tree festival website: urbantreefestival.org/shop

Seven pairs of geolocated stories by NG Bristow, set between the British Museum and Smithfield Market. Available as a chapbook (pub Sampson Low).

Discover queer stories from LGBTQ+ people in your neighbourhood, from first dates to doctors appointments to nights out. Statements have been collected via the Queering Camden website (www.queeringcamden.com). A select few are kindly voice acted by: Sheenah Vickers https://www.spotlight.com/8615-4531-3598 Emma Rosier https://www.spotlight.com/3415-6754-6665 Ieuan Dolloway https://www.spotlight.com/0695-4506-1320 As statements are frequently submitted anonymously, the voice actors may not reflect the person who originally submitted the statement, but are intended as a tribute to the collective LGBTQ+ community of Camden. If you feel inspired by the map, please feel welcome to submit your own story via the website listed above, or follow us on Twitter and Instagram @QueeringCamden. This map is designed as part of the Forum+ LGBT History Month 2021 Celebrations, the full programme for which can be found at https://forumplus.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Camden_-Islington_LGBTHM21.pdf

Two hander - mystery of Alex Mann