It Takes a City has had a long fuse. It was first sparked over 15 years ago by a story I was told by Paul Duncombe, who was looking after the Belgrade Theatre on the night of the 12th of March 2008, when much of Coventry City Centre was evacuated, due to an unexploded 50kg WW2 German bomb, discovered by workers excavating the site behind the theatre that was to become Belgrade Plaza.
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Adele Mary Reed reflects on her recent Hatching residency at The Nest.
There is nowhere like a nest to knuckle down and nourish yourself. Contained, safe, with wise guardians popping in and out. A trail of breadcrumbs lead me there, meandering path through years, motherhood, lockdowns, urban redevelopment, relationships, travel, wildflowers.
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n:u reflects on their recent Nest Residency, which followed on from – and built on – their time as a MAIA fellow and residency at Yard.
During my residency with Talking Birds i reflected on my practice, and my sense of direction. 5 years ago my first contract in the UK was with Talking Birds for a residency. It was remote from home, due to COVID-19 lockdown. This time again, as an ode to that time i did the residency remote. i started walking a lot around Birmingham more than i had done across 4 years living here. Walking supports my digestive processes and i had a lot to digest.
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Chloe Deakin reflects on her creative Residency with Talking Birds
I was very nervous as apart from being in drama A-level I have always been on the ‘other’ side of the arts, acting more as a facilitator/producer/filmmaker capturing/enabling others rather than expanding on my own practice.
My residency focused on exploring the themes of worldbuilding and capitalism through sculpture and writing—or so I thought! Quickly, the themes expanded to sculpture and theatre, as I needed to develop the presentation of the themes, and my processes more than the themes themselves.
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Gayatri Pasricha reflects on her Hatching Residency
The range of reactions to the messiness of a miscarriage and other fertility issues, especially from those around me, left me a little confused and a little scarred. I was asked not to discuss my pregnancy for the first three months and then the miscarriage, then not speak of the miscarriage later as why delve on the negative, my poor dog was blamed for pulling me during his walk, tennis, everything I ate.
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Prashant Kansara reflects on a Talking Birds Hatching residency…
My residency at Talking Birds took place earlier this year over five super sunny summer days in July. Three months have passed since that time and I’m surprised at how much the experience impacted the way I work now.
I’d learned of this residency programme the previous summer during one of the Nestival of Ideas talks and was keen to apply when the chance came around. When I heard that my proposal was accepted I was delighted yet still a bit apprehensive since I’d never done a residency before. However, soon after starting I realised that it was pretty much what it said on the tin: time and space to develop my creative idea in a supportive and stress-free environment.
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Holly Clark reflects on a Nest Residency exploring our relationship with reality TV.
During lockdown, some learnt to play an instrument, others started a new craft, I binged watched reality TV. The more I watched the more I discovered, each coming with new appeals and new ethical issues. I knew the ethics and practices on these shows were dubious, there’s been deaths connected to them, yet I and many, many others still watched.
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Ania Bas reflects on her Talking Birds residency
I arrived at The Nest with the beginnings of an idea that I wanted to explore in a new and slower way. Parenthood and precarious living gives me less time to meander and not-know when it comes to art and writing. These days in precious minutes that I can dedicate to my practice I launch myself into working on half-formed material with its final look somewhat predetermined. That way of working definitely brings results but it also makes me less adventurous as I tend to opt for safe options and stick to a way of working that I’m already familiar with.
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In London last week, Janet spent time finding green – exploring community gardens, parks, and places where people are reclaiming the city and making space for nature. Her photo essay begins on Monday with a cup of tea in the Onion Garden…
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Hannah Adereti reflects on their Talking Birds Residency, organised in partnership with MAIA
Do I know how to be with myself?
Honour all forms of creativity that emerge?
Should I always hone in or should I see what plains of the wild west of my imagination has to offer?
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Jaz Morrison reflects on her Nest Residency in association with MAIA
I haven’t been on many residencies, so I wasn’t sure what to expect during my time at the Nest. I remember asking if Talking Birds had any expectations of me, despite reading that this was about using the time as I felt best. The commute was surprisingly long – around 90 minutes from door to door – but it allowed me time to read books I’d put off, and the walk from the station familiarised me with the city centre. I even ran into an old colleague in my final week.
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This spring Talking Birds has been working with colleagues at the University of Warwick on the ‘AI in the Street‘ project, which is researching communities’ perspectives on, and feelings about, the AI-enabling infrastructure that lines our streets. The project aims to add citizen-voices into discussions about future infrastructure installation and invisible data gathering projects, whilst questioning how open and responsible the current processes are. The project has collaborative teams working in London, Cambridge, Edinburgh and Coventry, with the site of the Coventry Observatory being the Holyhead Road – which marks the border between Lower Coundon and Spon End.
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