York to host commemorative First World War sound experience

The installation, orchestrated by Sound&Fury, shows how hospital staff at improvised wartime hospitals would screen Charlie Chaplin films to injured soldiers in an effort to boost morale.

Sound&Fury’s intimate, immersive and immensely powerful sound installation places audiences in the heart of a makeshift wartime hospital, where an unlikely therapy brings solace and comfort to those injured on the battlefield.

Some say that British soldiers in the trenches held up cardboard cut-outs of Charlie Chaplin’s tramp in the hope that the enemy would die laughing. But as the carnage of war set in, Chaplin’s image was put to a different use. To boost morale, medical staff at improvised hospitals near the front line arranged for Chaplin films to be shown for the bedridden, with the ward’s ceiling serving as the silver screen.

For one soldier on Charlie Ward, the flickering images, whirring projector and Chaplin’s perfect comic timing trigger complex emotions and memories. Cast from the trenches to childhood, from trauma to dreams, the hospital film show sets him on a journey into a personal no man’s land.

Using their distinctive style – total darkness, minimal lighting and immersive sound design – Sound&Fury’s extraordinary work returns for a much-anticipated encore after premiering to great critical acclaim during 14-18 NOW’s opening season in 2014.

Charlie Ward is a sound installation lasting around 15 minutes and presented to audiences of just 10 people at each performance.

Premiering to great reviews in 2014, the immersive art installation has been described as “hauntingly beautiful’ by The Telegraph and ‘genius’by The Times.

The installation is being shown as part of ‘York Remembers: Lifting the shadow of the First World War’, a remembrance project launched by City of York Council. The project will see over 70 events, projects and exhibitions hosted in the city this autumn.

Co-commissioned by 14 – 18 NOW WW1 Centenary Art Commissions and Fuel Theatre, the Charlie Ward sound installation will be on display at the York Army Museum 25 September – 4 October in honour of the centenary.

The sound installation is 15 minutes in duration and is presented to audiences of seven or less per performance.

Tickets can be booked here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/charlie-ward-tickets-49595298874.

Councillor Keith Aspden, executive member for economic development and community engagement, said: “The Charlie Ward installation allows us to experience memories from the First World War and invites the audience on this intimate and moving tale.”

“The installation is suitable for all ages and is a wonderful way to get people involved in the city-wide programme; York Remembers, which commemorates the centenary and those who fought throughout the War.”

Allison Freeman, activities officer at York Army Museum, said: ‘We are looking forward to hosting such a unique experience as Charlie Ward at the museum. This immersive and immensely powerful sound installation places audiences in the heart of a makeshift wartime hospital, where they can experience the story and memories of a WW1 soldier.’

Full details of the York Remembers programme are available at www.york.gov.uk/WW1Commemorations

Liberal Democrat’s call for voice of tenants to be reinstated

Liberal Democrat Councillors have called on the Council to support and restore the York Residents’ Federation, the voice for tenants and residents associations in the city, following a recent collapse of the Federation.

The York Residents’ Federation represents the interests of residents and tenants by promoting resident’s rights to be involved in developing policies on housing and other issues at the Council.

Up until this month, the Federation had operated for over 25 years, playing a huge role in providing local and detailed knowledge to Council departments and acting as a representative sounding board to be consulted on ideas and changes to Council policies.

Thanks to the effort of hard working volunteers, the Federation has made tangible changes to estates, which have ensured that residents of mixed tenures of can take pride in their own communities.

To ensure the Federation is reinstated, the Liberal Democrats have formally requested a scrutiny review to identify areas in which the Council can support greater tenant engagement.

Councillor Ann Reid, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Housing, commented:

Ann Reid

“The York Residents Federation has played a crucial role in ensuring resident’s aspirations are reflected in Council housing policies and therefore, we are naturally alarmed at the recent collapse of the Federation.”

“Liberal Democrats are committed to ensuring that the Federation is reinstated and that it is properly supported in representing tenants and residents.”

“I hope the scrutiny committee see the reasoning behind our request and act swiftly in identifying opportunities in which the Council can restore and strengthen tenant engagement.”

Bootham Park Hospital

The future of the 240-year-old former mental hospital is under the spotlight as Ministers consider its future.

The building was taken out of service 4 years ago when a catalogue of defects were found by quality inspectors. These included rat infested cellars and collapsing ceilings.

The hospital was ordered to be closed in September 2015 when it was declared “unfit for purpose” A modern replacement facility is being provided.

The events surrounding the closure were heavily criticised in a York Council report which concluded that NHS Property Services “significantly underestimated the logistic and practical challenges of upgrading a Grade I listed building where shortcomings had been identified over many years”

Running costs on a building of this age are huge. Energy and repair costs represent a constant drain on owners.

Now the local MP says the building should reopen as an NHS facility. She says “key workers in the health health sector” should be accommodated there.

Really? Offering valued employees pre-Victorian housing standards will move us forward in some way?There is only very limited scope to build on other brownfield sections of the site

No costings for the “plan” are offered much less any source of funding. We are assured though that the open space on the site will be retained as an additional public “park”.

Converting the listed building into residential accommodation would be very expensive even if it was in sound structure condition.

It isn’t.

Costs would be measured in tens of millions. If such funding is available, then it is desperately needed to provide modern buildings for our ailing NHS.

Bootham Park is a valuable part of the heritage of the City. It’s Listed status means that it can’t be demolished. Planners could ensure that the parkland surrounding it is respected (although, in recent years, urban green space conservation hasn’t been the strong point of the York Council).

It is by no means certain that the private sector would want to acquire the hospital. The high modernisation costs would be the same for them as would ongoing running costs. Grade 1 listing means that only very limited physical changes could be undertaken.

But all options should be put on the table.

In the end, if a different use for the building is found, and this produces a substantial capital receipt for health providers in York, then this could most effectively be invested in modern facilities for patients and staff in the NHS.

And the local MP should stop posturing. She is too quick to blame developers of “luxury homes”, student flats and hotels for every challenge that faces the City.

Indeed, we would be in a pickle if developers did not want to invest in York.

What’s on in York: Strata – Rock – Dust – Stars

York Art Gallery :

Fri 28 Sep – Thu 25 Nov :

10.00am – 5.00pm :

£7.50 or YMT Card Holder Free

This landmark exhibition showcasing ground-breaking moving image, new media and interactive artwork is coming to York this September, as part of York’s first Mediale.
The exhibition is inspired by William Smith’s geological map of 1815, which transformed the way in which we understand the world.
It will be the most ambitious and large scale media art exhibition York has ever hosted.

Curated by Mike Stubbs, Director of FACT, Liverpool, in partnership with York Museums Trust and York Mediale, the exhibition features works by artists Isaac Julien, Agnes Meyer Brandis, Semiconductor, Phil Coy, Liz Orton, David Jacques and Ryoichi Kurokawa.

For more information please visit our website.