Disasters and successes… and it’s only Tuesday!
I attended the “manhandling” training and successfully submitted my Project Proposal form on time and completed… only to find later on that aspects of my proposal for the TAKEOVER were not possible. WTF? I managed to achieve the feeling of despair just before bedtime. During a car crash tutorial the following day I discovered a problem solving ability that gave me two solutions to the problems that almost stopped my project going ahead… and Miranda’s restless energy facilitated some of the practicalities.
So, I have a slightly modified project for the TAKEOVER… if my proposal is successful.
I also had good fortune concerning the submission and acceptance for some of my photographic work to be displayed in the School of Art as part of a new student exhibition. I submitted three of my null island photos from last semester. Magically, I managed to get my pictures printed and delivered for framing before the deadline. It’s amazing what money can do! My gratitude goes to Chris Iliff and Phil Garrett for making it happen.

Project Proposal presentation
home from home – An exploratory journey of sonic discovery based on electromagnetic fields (EMF) and revealing the hidden sounds of Aberystwyth Arts Centre.
My project is a journey away from home. It encourages the public to explore electromagnetic fields (EMF) as a sound source within the Arts Centre, using treasure maps to pinpoint various locations in the building. Posters displaying QR codes will be positioned at different points and when scanned with a phone camera app, the QR codes open a website where the public can listen to audio compositions revealing the hidden EMF sounds from each individual location. The compositions will include EMF sounds recorded in the specified areas in the Arts Centre along with music based on the Arts Centre address.
Presenting my proposal to the group was virtually painless. I introduced my project and the different sections of the proposal form. I also talked about the sudden “sea change” or “slight modifications” to my project. I had intended to fix posters to the walls of the Arts Centre with “white tack” and to have an EMF Testing Station installed, but the information denying the use of such sticky stuff came late and in an attempt to simply my project I chose to use plastic display stands for the posters and I dispensed with the idea of a fixed location for EMF testing and decided I would offer the service in the guise of a roving reporter/roaming predator. I was also asked to produce bi-lingual designs for my QR code posters and for the Treasure map leaflet. Unfortunate, in that I’d already laminated the set of (english only) posters but fortunate, in that a friend printed my leaflets for me on his swanky printer with nice paper.

At the end of my presentation I handed out the QR posters and asked the audience to scan a poster with their phones and play the audio, all at once. I had wondered what it might sound like as a collective environmental sound imposition. It could have been better with a rehearsal, but it was a fine ending to my presentation, which illustrated my project succinctly and effectively.
Friday was “packing the van” day. I’m glad that I was involved… my extensive experience of putting equipment in vans came into play, and hopefully everything arrived at the Arts Centre intact and ready for storing before the TAKEOVER on Tuesday.