Bethany Kay Hopkins
Sound Artist

Bethany Kay Hopkins has layered field recordings, site-responsive improvisations and overdubbed plectrum banjo in The Ground Is Ours which is for and from the canal in Perry Bar. The piece is an immersive audio experience to enjoy whilst on the towpath or to transport listeners there from elsewhere. Apart from the banjo, everything was recorded on-site, edited/manipulated by Bethany and co-produced with Hamish Campbell-Legg. The lyrics were found spray painted on a tunnel beneath the M6 by an unknown artist.

The Ground Is Ours celebrates and is inspired by the acoustics of canal bridges, flyovers and the natural and industrial sounds of the area. Bethany worked with the walking group at Saathi House , an organisation that is committed to supporting women to drive positive change in their lives, in their family's lives, and in the local communities. Together they walked, sang, played and prayed. The voices your hear peppered throughout are those of members of the walking group as well as Bethany herself.

sound

Interview with Artists Ming and Beth

 Dance

Chanelle Harris - Choreographer

Chanelle Harris, worked with young people from ACE Dance Company choreographing an atmospheric dance filmed underneath the M6 along the canal towpath.

The dance was filmed and edited by young people from Birmingham BFI Film Academy.

Film makers : Connie Bacharach, Emily Ford

Dance

Dancers : Keira Turner, Nina Lewis, Zachary Turner

 Photography

Ming De Nasty - Photographer

These pieces were inspired during my cycle rides along this stretch of canal. Observing the flora that flows alongside the towpath creating a green corridor and providing a home for all kinds of wildlife in an urban environment.

An area of calm against the background noise of the city.

Women have long been healers, herbalists and preparers of food, we once foraged and had a connection to the plants but city life has taken this away from us.

 Photography

 Alongside the canal path are an abundance of edible and medicinal plants, which are often overlooked. With care and guidance we can start using these again in our everyday lives.

These pieces can be used for plant identification and guidance with suggestions on using the plants for cooking or simple home medicinal remedies.

Women's groups from Saathi House joined MIng for delightful sessions exploring flora along the towpath and creating cyanotypes (instant printing process using the sun).

The sun did shine for the workshops! For many of the women it was the first time they had walked along a canal and one woman said …“ The has been one of the best days I’ve had …it was just wonderful being here”.

Workshop Cyanotype Images created by women from Saathi House

 VISUAL

Claire Witcomb - Artist and Maker

Claire is a visual artist who lives local to the canal and fully explored the towpath route across all the seasons. Inspired by her walks she photographed, drew, designed, produced (metal and mosaic) beautiful sculptures and wayfinders.  She worked with local-litter pickers who also produced drawings and metal etched work.

These sculptures with QR codes reveal the series of digital gems produced by other women artists from the team.  They will be installed in Phase 2 later in 2022 subject to planning permission. Find out more below in words, photos, film and designs. 

My inspiration is rooted in the walks I have made along that stretch of canal alone and with others… walks with other women, walks with my partner, walks with my mums dog. Walking through each and every season, the walks became somewhere to be in nature during lockdown. The sounds and patterns of water have inspired me to create artworks that reflect movement and flow. The movement and flow of water, wildlife and people.

The canal constantly changes and this fascinated me. From the duckweed that carpets the surface to the raindrops that cast ripples on the surface; the wind that moves it in ripples and waves; the opening and closing of locks where water, drips falls and gushes; reflections of sky, trees, bridges which create the illusion of underwater worlds  beyond our reach to the deepest winter where it is frozen solid trapping life in in freeze frame.

All these have inspired the forms, colours and patterns within each sculptural wayfinder.

 Visual

In my research I was also inspired by the history of the canals and canal paintings that are prevalent on the boats and objects in canal culture. My final artworks these colours, using them to capture patterns of movement I have observed through the seasons. 

I met up with a local litter-picking group and after introducing them to the canal walk  and running workshops in the Canal Hub Centre building, they produced a series of drawings based on the water movement. These designs have also been incorporated into my work. They also produced drawings on metal which you can see in the film below.

The canal constantly changes and this has fascinated me, from the duckweed that carpets the surface and makes it seem solid, as if you can walk upon it, to the rain drops that cast ripples on the surface, the wind that moves it in ripples and waves, the opening and closing locks where water drips, falls and gushes, reflections of sky, trees, bridges that create the illusion of underwater worlds beyond our reach, to the deepest winter where it is frozen solid, trapping life as if in freeze frame. All these moment and more have inspired the forms, colour and pattern within each artwork.

Info board to be installed on the route later in 2022.