X marks the spot
Well it did, when I was a child, and was encouraged to be more observant, through countless treasure hunt games. In the news, is the change of Twitter's brand from a blue bird to white cross on a black background. It may become like "The artist known as Prince" - all I know is that, of the social media platforms, Twitter or X as I suppose I should call it, was the one I found to be the most enjoyable and valuable to use. Not least as it enabled me to discover interesting walkers for my Talking Walking podcasts.
Earlier in July, I had the pleasure of interviewing Elena Biserna, who has authored a couple of huge compendia of sound walks and walking scores. As she was in Marseille, we had to resort to using Zoom as the means to conduct and record the interview. One of the walking artists who came up in conversation was Yoko Ono. I had not associated Yoko with walking, apart from a song she wrote and performed called "Walking on Thin Ice", sometime in the early 1980s. However Yoko was inspired by the Dada movement, and worked with Fluxus in New York in the early 1960s producing several walking art scores. One of which would be of keen interest to my colleague Babak, as it was encouraging people to draw a map to get lost. A case of the reverse of 'X marks the spot'.
What other treasures might one uncover beneath an X? Certainly we have uncovered a fair few through our regular monthly Walking Detective meet-ups - we have a a rough and ready Google spreadsheet that now has more than 100 entries, and as and when we have the time, following up these discoveries, getting in touch with other walking artists and uncovering long forgotten walking pieces or scores. Why not chip in your two-penneth worth of clues? It is a free, informal event, and the next is tomorrow evening at 7pm BST- you can book a spot from here.
We also want to pop in a reminder that we are just over two weeks from the deadline for our current writing competition, on the theme of "Walking A/way" - of which I might be doing from the platform that used to be called Twitter - however, I am sure you can find more interesting things to write about than turning your back on X. How to submit and more details on the competition are here. You could win the accolade of our Writer-in-residence, plus a whole bunch of other more tangible prizes. Our story Writer-in-residence and last year's winner, Cheryl Markosky, is contributing occasional blog pieces, you can read them here.
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New walking pieces
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A year of shared walks across future intertidal space in Wales and India, led by artist Alison Neighbour, inviting participants to consider the impermanence of land that we take for granted, and opening up local and global conversations. Keep reading
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Portland: a social documentary, locative-audio app experience that brings to life the grit, sounds, stories and people of the small town of Portland, New South Wales: formerly one of the largest cement manufacturing plants in Australia. Keep reading
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“A woman has just suddenly touched her chest, as if remembering that she’s here.”
Expanding on her popular Twitter account, Miranda Keeling invites you to join her as she stops to notice the small, magical moments of everyday life, in binaural sound. Keep reading
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Upcoming events
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2023-07-31 18:00 UTC
· Online
Can you help us grow the walk · listen · create archive, with details of walking pieces, and works about walking, that may have lain dormant for many years? We are... Keep reading
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From our network
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Kick your bare footprints before they’re drawn away by the current, before they vanish. Read my full Walk Listen Create writing blog here
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What could be better than walking beside the river on the Thames Path? Read my full Walk Listen Create walking blog here
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Things feel right just the way they are on my reassuring, everyday walk called The Chalk Walk. Read my full Walk Listen Create walking blog here
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People think I’m a serial killer because I don’t walk with a dog. Read my full Walk Listen Create blog here
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The BLKN Mobile Forum is one of SCUB’s key outcomes, implemented in several locations across the Balkans during the Ground Tour journey. Keep reading
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It’s a bit of a mash-up, but somehow it seems to work. You can get down and dirty with mud, bushes and wetlands one minute. And then the next, admire opulent Georg... Keep reading
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For August's Erratic we'll be taking a rock for a walk. Join us on Sunday 20th for a tour of Birmingham's geological curiosities and examples of "beached heritage" Keep reading
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Wander the world with us on September 29, and see things differently. Keep reading
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Il suffirait d’un presque rienD’un doux ralentissementD’une façon de dé-densifier l’espaceD’un geste minumentalD’une allure modesteD’une chaise posée làD’un arrêt s... Keep reading
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Stuff we found
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The Eye’s Walk Digital Festival is taking place on Syros, featuring 33 original artistic works. Source: Eye’s Walk | Syros | To July 30 | eKathimerini.com Keep reading
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How city design falls short to address the human experience of heat. Source: Why shade at bus stops and playgrounds is a challenge in summer heat – Vox Keep reading
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A small Lousiana town has banned biking and walking after 11 p.m., leaving some advocates concerned about government overreach. Source: Our America: To Combat Alleg... Keep reading
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East Neuk artist Philippa Mitchell is unveiling a collection of vibrant oil paintings depicting the 187 kilometre coastal path throughout the four seasons. Source: ... Keep reading
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Mall walking, commonly referred to as ‘mallercise,’ has become a familiar sight in Saudi Arabia’s malls as people take advantage of this safe and cost-free option t... Keep reading
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Forget personal bests, stopwatches and numbers on the scales. More and more people are taking up running to enjoy time in nature, chatting with friends and stress r... Keep reading
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This documentary about women who make an epic annual trek across a rocky mountain pass draws an intriguing contrast between the vast landscapes and intimate family ... Keep reading
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