encounters
our process is heavily dependent on chance encounters with other people; encounters which ultimately affect the creative materials of everyday life, such as dialogue, a sense of the other, and situations.
The Curlew Way: 2023 ongoing
The title refers to communities coming together through walking and talking about their relationships with the landscape and the plight of the endangered Curlew bird. Navigating Lancashire's ancient network of public footpaths, participants accompanied Dr William Titley as he retraced the Curlew's migration route across the county. There is a short 16-minute film on YouTube presenting footage from the 62 mile trek across Lancashire, UK. Annually the Curlew repeat the cycle of migration from its winter feeding grounds at Morecambe Bay (and other places) to its summer breeding grounds in higher parts of the county, such as The Forrest of Bowland and further east to the upland moorlands of Pennine Lancashire in Colne.
Time Machine: 2017 ongoing
Time Machine revolves around exploring social arts practice through the lens of a 1970s jukebox, reimagined as an interactive installation that captures and reflects personal memories associated with music. Drawing from our own experiences and observations, this encounter investigates the dynamics of community participation and the ephemeral nature of relational encounters in art. By inviting participants to share memories triggered by specific songs, we intended to create a collective experience, fostering a sense of belonging and community. This collective experience highlights the significance of those personal interactions, often overlooked in traditional art practices.
The sculpture acts as a medium to preserve and present these memories, allowing audience members to engage with it in a way that connects them to the past while keeping the contributors anonymous. This project raises questions about the ethics of participation in social art, the relationship between artist and community, and the possibility of every participant being represented in the final artwork. Through this process, we aimed to reveal the small, often forgotten moments that can lead to meaningful outcomes in socially engaged art.
an archive: 1979 Ongoing
David's journey into the world of music began in 1979 when he acquired his first vinyl record from Woolworths. This personal connection to popular culture has blossomed into an archive of around 800 singles and LPs from that significant year, a time that holds a special place in UK history. From disco to punk and 2-Tone to heavy metal, each record is a testament to the rich and diverse popular culture of that era, creating an ever-growing archive that commands awe-inspiring reverence and respect. As more opportunities arise, more playlists are made from the 1979 archive and played on the decks in venues across the land.
in-Situ: 2012 ongoing
An embedded community arts organisation with a mission statement for making art a part of everyday life, In-Situ, founded by artists Paul Hartley, Dr Kerry Morrison, and Dr William Titley, applies a code of ethics comprising of a set of key principles and underpins its approach to working with people, place and environment. As an organisation, it aims to bring people closer through social encounters and connections to the place and the community. In-Situ, embedded in the heart of the community, aims to build on the participants' local knowledge, and as co-participants, everyone involved (including the artists) shares personal stories of contemporary living.
Lancashire to Lahore: 2010 ongoing
This archive is a celebration of diversity, inviting two groups of strangers from different countries to exchange handmade postcards. Each postcard is a unique interpretation of its creator's country, crafted using a rich tapestry of creative techniques. From painting and drawing to etching, collage, photography, digital imaging, laser etching, and embroidery. What started as a humble exchange between Lahore, Pakistan, and England, UK, has blossomed into a global initiative. With contributions pouring in from Europe, Mexico, and the USA, the Lancashire to Lahore Archive now houses over 400 handmade postcards, a testament to the success and growth of our project.
the lost artist: 2004 ongoing
This encounter with new technology revolves around the theme of displacement and the complex emotions associated with leaving one life behind. It explores David's personal narrative, who has been rendered invisible due to circumstances that led to his disappearance. His experiences are conveyed through various mediums, including confessional animation, which allows for a raw and unfiltered expression of emotions, phone messages, which capture the immediacy and intimacy of communication, and faxes, a medium that symbolizes his attempt to reach out from a distance. These mediums enable David to communicate his feelings of loss and the continued search for identity. Existing online, offers David a temporary home to reflect, rest, and create. It provides a safe space for him to explore his personal narrative and the themes of displacement and identity. The aim is to delve deeper into the concepts of home, stability, and belonging, exploring a new different space to generate new encounters that capture the essence of these themes. As David grapples with the rumours surrounding his absence and the unsettling relationship with William, he seeks to reclaim his narrative and articulate his experiences of virtual displacement. By turning these personal struggles into a broader commentary on the notions of identity and the search for sanctuary, the encounter aims to inspire change. It resonates with others who have faced similar issues of loss and instability, ultimately about finding a place to rest and create, laying down roots to foster a more profound understanding of belonging in a world where physical and virtual spaces can often divide us.
Objects from this archive have been exhibited in the UK, France, Luxembourg, Poland and Germany.
[birdsong]: 2018-2019
'[birdsong]' is a film that records our long term and intimate engagement with people, place and environment. The encounter was initiated by asking people what they could remember about an old film called 'Whistle Down The Wind' starring Hayley Mills in 1961, which was filmed around Pendle Hill in Lancashire, UK and involved many local school children. This new film follows over 60 members of the Lancashire community as they remember old scenes and imagine new ones, while revealing the ‘majestic’ presence and power of Pendle Hill and the surrounding countryside, and revealing contemporary social issues in the process. Dr William Titley explained that at one stage of the project we ‘... put a call out on social media for people to turn up at the foot of Pendle Hill in their Wellies to be in a film.’ We were ‘really surprised when 27 people and a dog turned up including Diane Poole who starred in the original film as Hayley Mills’ sister (Nan)… she just turned up in her wellies, it was a beautiful moment’. Diane’s experience of the original film is merged with footage of the walk up Pendle as a voice-over in the new film. This new film explores local areas of outstanding natural beauty as people walk and talk in different places and then come together for a walk up Pendle Hill: ending up in a shed on an allotment in Colne to discuss contemporary interpretations of the original film and the emergence of social issues. This new artwork, produced entirely without a budget is a testament to the presence of community spirit and caring in a world that appears to not care.
Gentlemen's Wardrobe: 2016
The Gentlemen's Wardrobe encounters were influenced by Grant Kester’s model for a dialogical aesthetic. The project allowed us to apply our learning through reflective diary entries, revealing the impact of social relations and collective creativity. We discovered our roles as vulnerable participants, experiencing what Kester termed transformative moments through social interactions. Although the commission involved designing a shed, it became clear that the men needed a supportive presence to talk to and our reguar encounters evolved alongside the produciton of an interactive sculpture made from two antique gentlemen's wardrobes. Men who cared were Alan, Marc, Mick, Davied and Pi (the Jack Russell).
moving through Landscapes: 2013
The Harris Museum and Art Gallery in Preston. Dr. William Titley, in a feat of endurance, conquered 26.3 miles of the building's stairways. His journey through the permanent collections on different floors was not just a physical feat, but an unexpected exploration of the connection between art and running. Dr. Titley's revelation that the top floor exhibition of landscape paintings induced a sense of relaxation akin to his experiences as a fell-runner in the Lancashire Pennines, is a surprising testament to this unique connection.
LAhore - Chandigarh: 2012
This archive holds two hundred photographs that explore various aspects of two Punjabi cities, Lahore, Pakistan and Chandigarh in India. One hundred images from each city were captured while navigating different neighbourhoods and encountering local culture, architecture, and everyday life. The encounters capture the essence of the two cultural capital cities, the people, and their history through vivid observations. It reflects our curiosity and desire to engage with the environment, highlighting the challenges and joys of exploring new places. The archive of 200 x A3 C-Type prints, an authentic portrayal of urban life in that region, has been exhibited in the UK, Pakistan, India and the USA, with communities encouraged to help curate the photographs.
pipeline: 2011
The 'Something in the Pipeline' collaboration was a unique encounter that combined a gallery exhibition with an outdoor performance. Artists Jason Minsky and Dr William Titley undertook a challenging journey from Haweswater in Cumbria to Heaton Park in Manchester, retracing a historical pipeline route that supplies water to the city. The encounter involved a multi-faceted research program examining the pipeline's history, including the lost village of Mardale Green, which was submerged to create Haweswater. Minksy and Titley gathered maps, drawings, and other historical documentation throughout their journey, presenting their findings in the Cube Gallery in Manchester, which served as their base camp. A central feature of the encounter at Cube Gallery was a model of the Haweswater Reservoir made from Kendal Mint Cake, connecting the encounters with the region's heritage. They secured support from local companies to provide equipment as they ran and cycled the 100-mile route. The feat of endurance culminated in an encounter where the model village was flooded in the gallery, symbolizing the flow of water and the creation of a new product born from their journey: a mixture of water carried from Haweswater and Kendal Mint Cake. The encounter captures the physical challenge of the artists' expedition. It reflects on the ecological and political implications of water sourcing for the city. They used technology and social media throughout the encounter to keep the audience engaged and informed about their progress, fostering a sense of connection and involvement.
me and my place: 2008
An encounter exploring the role of walking, talking, portraiture and a sense of place was installed at the Market Square, Charter Walk, Burnley. We presented a collection of photographs and an audio commentary created by the Burnley community. The encounter culminated in intimate interviews with the people of Southwest Burnley. It identifies locations of personal significance through memories, walking and storytelling, inviting the audience to become an integral part of the project.
tidal properties: 2006
This encounter brought Demolition Street and Waterside together to merge with Maryport in Cumbria. Using digital technology, we used the houses from Demolition Street and the history of Waterside to create a new lost village in the harbour walls of the Cumbrian fishing village. To share this imaginary village, we performed in public places as a property developer. We raffled off the houses to local residents in a bid to start conversations about regeneration strategies, making them an integral part of our collective effort. These homes, which can only be accessed when the tide is out, have been raffled off at locations up and down the country. This performative encounter has been placed in Cumbria, Lancashire and London.
Demolition Street: 2004 - 2017
Led by Dr William Titley, we began recording our encounters with the residents of Bright Street in Colne to document the impact of a national government regeneration strategy to demolish their homes (Housing Market Renewal Initiative, HMRI). The HMRI programme was a controversial regeneration scheme, which included the demolition, refurbishment and new buildings of many streets across the north of England between 2002 and 2011. It aimed to reinvigorate a failing housing market. The remaining few residents of the street included our younger brother and his wife. As the residents came to terms with a predetermined future, we interviewed them over a cup of tea in their homes and documented our conversations using a video recorder (fly-on-the-wall style). We explained to each participant that our involvement was not likely to halt the demolition strategy and at best might help to show others how life on the street had been affected by the HMRI government initiative. Unsure of how (or if) this material might be exhibited, we focused on documenting as much as possible of the situation: using digital video, printmaking, photography and collecting found objects from the empty properties. Objects from this archive have been exhibited in the UK, Pakistan, and Russia.
Pavilion: 2002 - 2004
Under the leadership of David Titley, Pavilion showcased the encounters of 10 visual artists from the UK, Europe, and East Asia. This international collaboration unfolded in ten unique encounters with a refurbished bedsit space, and its inhabitants in East Lancashire, UK. A significant part of this series was the '24-hour encounters' challenge, a testament to the artists' dedication, where they spent the night at the bedsit gallery, creating art for an exclusive showcase the following evening. Pavilion sparked a wave of interest within the local community and on TV. The encounters, held both within the space and in the public realm, served as a bridge, bringing contemporary arts to the heart of East Lancashire. This initiative not only exposed the community to new artistic experiences but also fostered a sense of pride and connection to the Pavilion's efforts.
Encounters were provided by Boris Born, Ken Byers, Mike Chavez-Dawson, Hasan Dhaimish, Ana Dumitriu, Linda Erliz, Paul Harker, Geoff Parr, and Naoko Takahashi.
sorry i'm lost: 2002 - 2003
As children, we would capture wild pigeons and raise them like racing pigeons to mimic our wealthier neighbours. Later in life, we revisited that culture and documented a series of 12 performative encounters with various places captured on video, each exploring notions of home and ideas of displacement. Our exploration took us from Lancashire and London in the UK to Coney Island and The Bronx in New York City, a global journey that delved into the idea of changing places, movement through places and identity and displacement. During the performances we collaborated with pest control officers and Pigeon Fanciers to ensure the health of the feral birds.
Waterside: 1998 - 2004
Led by David Titley, this series of encounters brought to life a forgotten hamlet called Waterside, Colne, Lancashire, often called ‘Wapping’, demolished during the 1930s ‘Slum Clearance Act’. We embarked on a journey to resurrect its history. In one encounter, we created a new map using old maps (courtesy of Colne Public Library) and computer imaging techniques, showing the positions of the lost houses in today’s landscape. We then painted the ‘full-scale’ house shapes onto the grassed areas using the same method as marking out a sports field. This mapping the landscape took two days to complete and sparked much interest from the public; their memories of the village were published in the local press for many weeks after the event. The performance attracted a lot of attention from the local press and created quite a stir among the residents of Colne. People asked many questions; ‘are you going to build on the land?’ or ‘Is it some sort of game for the children to play on?’ they enquired.