Visit the ning site for this retreat which is now live. To see an outline timetable for the retreat, go here. If you're interested in this course but missed it, we'll very likely be running it again next spring (2009). Email us if you want to be added to the mailing list, or if you want to pre-reserve a place. Also download our lovely (test!) podcast.
Tony Whitehead writes:
From 15-18 may this year artists Tony Whitehead and Richard Povall ran a listening retreat on Dartmoor in Devon. The course will run again in May 2009.
This is a residential course based in and around Bellever on the high moor.
The main purpose of the retreat is to give participants the space and opportunity to immerse themselves in the natural world and to celebrate its sounds, especially the many and varied voices of the animal world. In particular we'll spend time listening to and learning about bird song which is at its most intense in May.
We'll be out on the moor, both by day and night, and on one of the days we'll take time to experience the dawn chorus.
Alongside the time we'll spend listening, you will also have the opportunity to record what you hear and use these recordings as the basis for further work using Aune Head Arts on site digital studios at Bellever.
These are equipped with Macs running a variety of audio editing and processing software, and Genlec monitoring with the possibility of 5.1 surround sound mixing. If necessary, we'll be on hand to guide you through making the most of these, whether you are completely new to this technology or not.
We will also consider other ways of recording our impressions of Dartmoor's unique soundscape through text and image.
The whole course is designed for artists or environmental workers who want to build an appreciation of the sounds of the natural world into what they do.
And for people who simply want to stop, listen and let the sounds be themselves.
Tony Whitehead is a sound artist with a particular interest in the art of listening. He has run numerous courses and seminars on listening with a range of organisations including Goldsmiths, University of London, Dartington College of Arts, Exeter University School of Education, Aberdeen University, Environment Trainers Network and NESTA. He has also been involved for a number of years with the UK based Sonic Arts Network and is a workshop leader for their award winning Sonic Postcards project. When he's not doing all that, he works as an education officer for the RSPB.
For more info:http://www.tonywhitehead.org. To visit the ning site for the 2008 retreat, go here.
Richard Povall is a Director of Aune Head Arts and a composer. More
information: http://www.auneheadarts.org.uk/dartmoor/people.html and http://www.halfangel.ie/
Details
Cost: £395pp (partners not participating in the retreat can book at £95pp). A £100 deposit is payable on booking (see below for more details). AHA members receive a £20 discount (excluding partner bookings). There are no other concessions. Some bursaries may become available, so if you are a professional artist or student undertaking fulltime study, please email us.
Where: Bellever Youth Hostel, Postbridge, Dartmoor.
Dates: We will begin at 3pm on Thursday, May 15th, and be finished by 4pm on Sunday, May 18th.
Getting there: we can arrange transportation from Exeter St. David's railway station, as long as we have prior notice. It is also possible to fly into Exeter Airport, but you must find your own way to Exeter St. David's (by bus) where we will pick you up by prior arrangement. If you must fly, consider offsetting your carbon emissions (although we think this is not a solution to the significant environmental impact of flying). If you're driving, get directions here. There is parking available at the hostel, with overflow parking nearby.
About: the accommodation is hostel-style, and you will be sharing a room. If you come with a partner, you may share with your partner (single beds). If you wish to be in a room on your own, you can pay a supplement of £50, but there is a limited number of such places available.) Prices include all accommodation, food, tuition fees, and equipment use. There will be a very small additional cost for the materials you use. All food is cooked on the premises, and much of it is sourced locally - Bellever is known for its food, and Hostel Manager Garry Hayman is a trained chef. More information here about the hostel facilities.
Numbers: participant numbers are strictly limited to 12, so that the group is not too large and too disruptive to the places we will visit. We will book places in the order we receive them, and we cannot hold a place until we have received your deposit. See Booking below for more information. There is also a limit on the number of partners we can accommodate, so please book early if you are planning to come with your partner or family.
Where: Bellever Youth Hostel is located on high Dartmoor, on the edge of Bellever Forest, and near Postbridge village (famous for its 13thC clapper bridge, one of the largest remaining clapper bridges). This is one of the most beautiful and wild parts of Dartmoor, with lots to visit nearby and within easy reach. Partners can spend the day out and about, while we get on with the business.
More: Tony Whitehead is a sound artist with a particular interest in the art of listening. He has run numerous courses and seminars on listening for a range of organisations including Goldsmiths, Univesity of London, Dartington College of Arts, Exeter University School of Education, Aberdeen University and Environment Trainers Network. He has also been involved for a number of years with the UK based Sonic Arts Network and is a workshop leader for their award winning Sonic Postcards project. For more info: www.popokatea.co.uk Richard Povall is a Director of Aune Head Arts and a composer. More information here.
Booking: Online booking will be available from March 2009.
