A British obsession?
Over the years, musicians have worked out that walking can be inspirational. Beethoven, Mahler and Britten all used walking for inspiration; Tchaikovsky took a daily two hour walk after lunch, however, he would also take a brisk stroll each morning too, and was most put out if he hadn't gone for a walk. French composer, Erik Sartie walked six miles every day to work and back, and musical experts say you can hear his paces in his compositions.
We learnt this and so much more from a BBC Radio 4 programme broadcast before most were awake, but we cheated and listened to it on BBC Sounds. We were awake this morning however, to listen to Will Self's Point of View, that explored the Derive, as he invited us to get lost on foot.
Both these programmes got us thinking more about walking and why it continues to be so popular among Britons. The UK boasts more walking artists than any other country, more sound walk composers, more walking festivals, more charity walks, and we have a national charity with hundreds of thousands of ramblers, and campaigning groups vying for the media spotlight and the national and local government ears. There's a project to create a national walking network, linking up thousands of miles of 'rights of way', called "Slow Ways UK", and a campaign to expand the area of land on which one is allowed to roam, wild camp or swim in rivers and lakes.
This year, the South West Coast Path, Britain's most famous and most walked national trail celebrates its 50th anniversary - the UK's poet laureate Simon Armitage has written about it; Raynor Winn's 'Salt Path' was a national bestseller for more than 18 months; and our favourite book about it, is Mark Wallington's "500 mile walkies" - we would love to know, what is your favourite book or walking art intervention on the South West Coast Path?
For now, keep walking!
Co-founder of walk · listen · create
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2023-02-15 20:00
· Online
How can we use art to inspire words? Ekphrasis translates as ‘description’ in Greek and, today, an ekphrasis is used to mean a literary description of art. In effect, it is one artist responding to another, using a verbal response to visual representations. But beyond writing about what you see, it is about connecting ... Keep reading
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2023-02-26 11:45
· Sint-Veerleplein, Gent, België
As part of the annual Terminalia Festival of Psychogeography, Ienke Kastelein and Witold van Ratingen organize a participative walk in Ghent with choreographic and textual elements: a turning point, with a Janus Head handkerchief as props. Keep reading
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2023-02-27 19:00
· Online
We want to uncover the forgotten or not yet revealed walking compositions – will you help us in our detective work as we search through archives and make connections with walking artists, performers and writers across the globe? We recently posted an enquiry on the Walking Artist Network, asking walking artists to ‘fil... Keep reading
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2023-02-28 19:00
· 40 Bernard St, London WC1N 1LE, UK
This in-person course hosted by Open City Docs is for beginners looking to work creatively and develop their skills in field recording to produce their own soundscape composition. We will look at fundamental theoretical and conceptual debates in the area, the basics of field recording, acoustic ecology and soundwalking... Keep reading
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2023-03-01 23:00
· Philadelphia, PA, USA
What does it mean to walk an edge? Edges can be peripheral. Edges can be liminal. Edges can be edgy. Six writers will read selections from Ways of Walking and discuss the edges they have walked, both literal and metaphorical. Keep reading
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New walking pieces
“One Hundred Days of Walking” is a visualization of walking as listening, with 100 accordion books filled with watercolor landscapes, strung on 100 feet of braided cotton, hanging in space above the river that often guided my walking. Keep reading
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Poor Old Horse is a short walking film responding creatively to the site-specific custom of Hoodening in East Kent, UK. Keep reading
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Upcoming events
2023-02-15 20:00
· Online
How can we use art to inspire words? Ekphrasis translates as ‘description’ in Greek and, today, an ekphrasis is used to mean a literary description of art. In effec... Keep reading
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From our network
Day 1040 - Disastrous and 1.4 km drawing.Multiples and 8.0 km drawing. Keep reading
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“C.L.U.E. (color location ultimate experience) is a collaborative video, installation and performance work by artists A.L. Steiner + robbinschilds, with AJ Blandfor... Keep reading
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This blog is related to walks I have led in life and online which focus on the lives of Leith’s women. The next walk is to celebrate International Women’s Day on Sa... Keep reading
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Day 1038 - The History of Capitalism and 5.7 km drawing. Keep reading
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I’m delighted to share Leisure Tests is now on view at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport at Terminal 1 Gate C1. The series will be on view through Feb. 1, 2024, so n... Keep reading
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“Hurry up, children,” you say, rushing past me. You avoid eye contact at all costs. Part of me knows why; I am either despised or unseen. This is my lot. This is my... Keep reading
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Stuff we found
The Pittsfield-based walking tour company blends the mindful and narrative traditions of the Spanish Camino de Santiago with quintessential Berkshires sights Source... Keep reading
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A series of walking tours in Manchester show how neoliberal urban space systematically excludes anyone without money – and some unexpected ways to fight back agains... Keep reading
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