Soundpaths: Boggart Hole Clough

Today Heaton Park is the largest urban park in the UK, covering over 600 acres. Grade II listed by the English Heritage Register of Parks, the park contains a number of features including, a golf course, boating lake, animal farm, ornamental gardens, woodlands, adventure playground and bowling greens. In 1772 Sir Thomas Egerton commissioned James Wyatt to design a home for his family. Heaton Hall was completed in 1789. James Wyatt also designed some of the other buildings around the park. Sir Thomas later employed William Emes to landscape the park. The estate remained in the Egerton family until 1902 when the 5th Earl of Wilton decided to sell the hall and park. Manchester Corporation bought the estate for £230,000 and provided a number of public facilities. During WWI the park was used as a training ground for the Manchester Pals battalions and the hall became a military hospital. During WWII the Royal Air Force used the park to train aircrew and a barrage balloon was placed there. The park was restored in a partnership between the Heritage Lottery Fund and Manchester City Council. This recreated some of the original Emes landscape around the Hall and restored four of the Wyatt buildings. The sound walk can follow all of the stops; or you can customise the walk to visit the locations of your choice. You can even make a stop at one of the 4 cafés in the park; located at the stables, the boathouse, Heaton Park garden centre and Heaton Park golf centre. The audio clips for this sound walk are from the Manchester Oral Histories collection (UAP007) held at Archives+, Manchester Central Library and from Manchester Studies collection (UAP008) held at Tameside Local Studies and Archives Centre, Ashton.

An immersive playground of tortured guitars and words and phrases which were collected in response to a sound installation.

**MANCHESTER - ANCOATS** **START AT CUTTING ROOM SQUARE OUTSIDE RUDY’s PIZZA** Welcome to Monuments by Jonnie Riordan. Part of the Walk This Play series by ThickSkin, commissioned by Step Up MCR, supported with Lottery Funding by Arts Council England. Featuring stories and voices from the communities of Ancoats, Clayton, Beswick & Openshaw. Celebrating the monuments big and small, the people that built the buildings from the ground up and that keep the beating heart of the area alive. *I am cobbles. I am red brick and stone. I am cotton mills. I am the water racing through the canals, connecting Manchester to the rest of the world. I am communities that care. Looking for a connection.* Monuments guides you around the Ancoats cobbles, old and new, asking you not to overlook the buildings and the communities that make the area unique. Cast Narrator - Julie Hesmondhalgh Creative team Writer & Director – Jonnie Riordan Composer & Sound Designer - Pete Malkin Assistant Sound Designer - Raffaela Pancucci Community Engagement Co-ordinator - Ailbhe Treacy Executive Producer - Laura Mallows Producer - Max Emmerson For more help or to share your feedback, please email admin@thickskintheatre.co.uk to get in touch with the Walk This Play Team. The pandemic has been a challenging time for the sector. Against the odds, ThickSkin has continued to make work and employ freelance artists through innovative projects. If you can make a donation, no matter how big or small, your donation will help us to keep going. Additional information: Keep your GPS and wifi enabled. Follow the instructions given by the narrator. The route is circular and will start and end in Cutting Room Square. When you start the walk, you will see your current position as a blue dot on the map. If the app asks you about location settings, select ‘allowed all the time’ to improve GPS. If the sound disappears, just check on your map to find your route again. The walk will last around 45 minutes (depending on your speed) with some inclines, but no steps. The walk will wait for you and can be enjoyed at your own pace. As this is an audio experience, D/deaf audiences can choose to use the in-app captions. Visually impaired audiences may need a walking companion for safety with crossing roads. Walk This Play experiences are suitable for ages 12+ Welcome to MONUMENTS.

A palindromic walk by the canal.

This sound walk guides you through Kersal Wetlands, a stunning outdoor space created as part of a £10 million flood protection scheme. This site was once home to the Manchester Racecourse, which attracted up to 70,000 people but closed in 1962. Now, it is a fabulous new home for birds, wildlife and nature, with views of the Manchester skyline, the woodlands of Kersal Dale and the shimmering River Irwell. As you walk along the cycle paths and footpaths, you will hear the sounds of nature, such as the chirping of birds, the buzzing of insects and the rustling of leaves. You will also encounter ten hectares of wildflower habitat, where you can admire the colourful blooms and the diversity of plants. Some of the flowers you may see include ox-eye daisy, red clover, common knapweed and yellow rattle. This sound walk begins on the left bank of the River Irwell, just past the entrance at Grandstand Avenue. This walk takes approximately 25 - 35 minutes to complete. Please keep to the designated paths and keep dogs under control in the wetlands area, especially during the bird nesting season from mid March to June. Thank you for joining us and have a wonderful day.

A walk around BIMM (Bank Chambers).

IDEAL START AT BIMM INSTITUTE ENTRANCE (FAULKNER STREET) You are an audionaut fresh out of Audionaut Academy. In your hand you have your cybernetic audio interface. This displays your location, objectives, and PDA. You are on a pilgrimage to find the Essence of Authenticity, which is hidden somewhere in Manchester 2077. Mandy, the city's integrated AI, will be your guide. Which way will you walk?