Traditional Audio Bench – Cement Fields
It was really great for us to be able to use the Blackbox-av Solar Audio Bench to present some of the audio memories recorded for the Ebbsfleet Citizen Archive project in a public space, in a way that was both secure and weather resistant. Creating something like this from scratch would have been a significant challenge for us, so having a ready-to-use device was invaluable. It’s also incredibly user-friendly for the public and it can be left outside without supervision or frequent maintenance, being solar powered.
– Michaela Freeman, Curator / Project Manager at Cement Fields
The River Reflections Listening Bench is a project by Harun Morrison commissioned by Cement Fields as part of the Ebbsfleet Citizen Archive project. It features audio memories of working on the river by Tony Farnham, Jacqueline Byrne and Barry Dowe, and can be found at Chimney View Park in Northfleet, North Kent.
Ebbsfleet Citizen Archive is a community-led project capturing and preserving the varied stories and histories of the people and places of Ebbsfleet, Greenhithe, Swanscombe, and Northfleet. Co-created by artists, historians and residents, the archive brings local people together to explore Ebbsfleet’s unique historic and contemporary identity through objects, sounds, videos and photographs, collected by and from residents past, present and future.
Our Traditional Solar Audio Bench was put to good use for this project, providing audio without concerns for weather or the need for mains power. The engravings on the metal plating provide instructions, additional information, company logos and a scannable QR code for more information.
Now visitors to the park can sit in peace and enjoy the various oral histories at the simple touch of a button.
Photos by Sam Wainwright, Courtesy of Cement Fields.
