Formative Blog Post

Sourcing ideas:

I initially made a post online asking for suggestions to commission. Suggestions included a soundscape of local festivals, an audio trail of Art in Romney Marsh, a nursing standard podcast and a soundscape of Indian culture. I particularly liked the idea of creating a more abstract soundscape-style feature because I felt it was something I had not had a chance to try, and would challenge my creativity.

Concept:

I decided to focus on a topic which holds a personal significance to me growing up in Cornwall. The Cornish Chough, a member of the crow family, is seen on Cornwall’s coat of arms. However, these birds left Cornwall gradually over a period of a century; but in 2001, a project to naturally recolonise the choughs began.

This soundscape will explore the importance of the chough in Cornish culture through tales, poetry, music and interviews.

Research:

When researching for this project, I was particularly inspired by ‘Skylarking’, an episode of the BBC Radio 3 programme ‘Between The Ears’ by Cathy FitzGerald. FitzGerald writes “This enchanting audio daydream transported me high above the mundanities of planet Earth.” I found the audio methods used to illustrate being in the air in this piece very inspiring, and definitely relevant to my project.

Another episode of ‘Between The Ears’ which I felt was relevant to my subject matter was ‘The Sheep of Art’: “From ancient times, the shepherd and the sheep they care for, have been the most consistent of rural sights – they appear in poetry, plays and painting, inaccurately, romanticised, and highly symbolic.” This feature combined a wide array of material such as Shakespeare, Greek idylls, interviews, etc.

Potential contributors:

I know many actors, storytellers, poets and musicians in Cornwall who will be able to contribute to this project. I also have contacts who were involved with the natural recolonisation project, who will be able to speak about their experiences and what the chough means to them.

Potential Commissioners:

The Cornwall Chough Project is a partnership between the RSPB, the National Trust and Natural England. I would like the project leader to be my commissioner, who I am currently in talks with. Failing that, the Cornish Culture Association or the Cornwall Bird Watching and Preservation Society may also be interested in commissioning the piece.

Production Schedule: