Noise of the Past in the ESRC Festival of Social Science
Article
The award winning film Unravelling, produced by the ‘Noise of the Past project’ (AHRC), from Goldsmiths’ Sociology Methods Lab, will be screened and discussed in a number of community venues across the UK (2-9 Nov 2013), as a part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science.
Noise of the Past - Past Events
Noise of the Past plenary session for the IVSA conference
(inc. screenings & Q+A) + drinks reception
Mon 8 July 5-6.30pm
Ian Gulland Lecture Theatre, Goldsmiths
Kuldip Powar, Francis Silkstone, Sanjay Sharma and Nirmal Puwar
Noise of the Past : A Poestic Journey of War, Memory and Dialogue through Two Inter-related Works
In this evening plenary session the group involved in the Noise of the Past project (principally funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council) will present two commissions produced from a creative 'call-and-response' method to cast a different light on war, memory and the art of dialogue. The project brought together a curatorial sociological direction with composition film and space as modes of collaborative and public exchange, hinged on call-and-response.
Unravelling (2008, 17 mins), directed by Kuldip Powar, was produced from of a unique film-making process,creatively working with poetry, archive materials, visual artand music.Internationally acclaimed Nitin Sawhney composed a newscore in response to an original inter-generational poetic dialogue inUrdu between Sawarn Singh, a WWII Indian soldier who fought for the British in Burma, the Middle East and Africa, before moving to the UK,and his grandson, Kuldip Powar. Through poetic motifs a sensory experience emerges, both evocative and haunting, inviting us to explore our own ambivalences towards collective and personal stories of war.
Post-Colonial War Requiem (2008) also drew upon the inter-generational poetic dialogue as the source of inspiration for Francis Silkstone,who produced a new composition performed with moving musicians.Benjamin Britten's original 'War Requiem' inaugurated the newly-built Coventry Cathedral in 1962, offering Remembrance without militarism.
Though consciously inclusive, it did not reference the contributions of the (former) colonies.
Noise of the Past is a methods lab initiative.
(inc. screenings & Q+A) + drinks reception
Mon 8 July 5-6.30pm
Ian Gulland Lecture Theatre, Goldsmiths
Kuldip Powar, Francis Silkstone, Sanjay Sharma and Nirmal Puwar
Noise of the Past : A Poestic Journey of War, Memory and Dialogue through Two Inter-related Works
In this evening plenary session the group involved in the Noise of the Past project (principally funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council) will present two commissions produced from a creative 'call-and-response' method to cast a different light on war, memory and the art of dialogue. The project brought together a curatorial sociological direction with composition film and space as modes of collaborative and public exchange, hinged on call-and-response.
Unravelling (2008, 17 mins), directed by Kuldip Powar, was produced from of a unique film-making process,creatively working with poetry, archive materials, visual artand music.Internationally acclaimed Nitin Sawhney composed a newscore in response to an original inter-generational poetic dialogue inUrdu between Sawarn Singh, a WWII Indian soldier who fought for the British in Burma, the Middle East and Africa, before moving to the UK,and his grandson, Kuldip Powar. Through poetic motifs a sensory experience emerges, both evocative and haunting, inviting us to explore our own ambivalences towards collective and personal stories of war.
Post-Colonial War Requiem (2008) also drew upon the inter-generational poetic dialogue as the source of inspiration for Francis Silkstone,who produced a new composition performed with moving musicians.Benjamin Britten's original 'War Requiem' inaugurated the newly-built Coventry Cathedral in 1962, offering Remembrance without militarism.
Though consciously inclusive, it did not reference the contributions of the (former) colonies.
Noise of the Past is a methods lab initiative.
Noise of the Past screenings of 'Unravelling'
Unravelling (2008, 17 mins) is the result of a unique film-making process, creatively working with poetry, archive materials, visual art and music. Internationally acclaimed Nitin Sawhney composed a new score in response to an original inter-generational poetic dialogue in Urdu between Sawarn Singh, a WWII Indian soldier who fought for the British in Burma, the Middle East and Africa, before moving to the UK, and his grandson, Kuldip Powar. Working with this haunting score Powar directed an evocative and searching film. Produced by Noise of the Past (AHRC) screening.
Unravelling at the Black Screen Heritage Conference (31 July 2009), Imperial War Museum, London. Download the black_heritage_flyer [pdf].
Unravelling screened at RIBA in London at the Visuality/Materiality Conference.
Unravelling. Saturday 8 November 2008, Coventry Cathedral
Unravelling screened from 11–23 November 2008, The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum,Jordan Well, Coventry, CV1 5QP. www.theherbert.org
Performance of Post-Colonial War Requiem – composed by Francis Silkstone
Saturday 8 November 2008, Coventry Cathedral
A Special Opening by Martin Bell - OBE, UNICEF Ambassador, former war reporter & independent politician. Chaired by Prof. Carolyn Steedman (University of Warwick).
Noise of the Past presented two new related commissions produced from a creative call-and-response method to cast a different light on war and the art of dialogue.
Francis Silkstone has also taken the inter-generational poetic dialogue as the source of inspiration for Post-Colonial War Requiem, a new score to be performed in interaction with the phenomenal space of Coventry Cathedral. Benjamin Britten's original War Requiem inaugurated the newly-built Cathedral in 1962, offering Remembrance without militarism. Though consciously inclusive, it did not reference the contributions of the (now former) colonies.
Coventry Cathedral, Priory St, CV1 5AB
www.coventrycathedral.org.uk
Pre-Launch Conference: War, Sound & Post-Coloniality
Saturday 8 November 2008
St Mary's Guildhall, Bayley Lane, Coventry, CV1 5RR
Programme
1.00pm Registration; Tea & Coffee
1.30pm Welcome and Plenary
Alessandro Portelli (University of Rome) - So much depends on a red bus: war memory and bombardments as metaphor .
Author of The Battle of Valle Giulia: Oral History and the Art of Dialogue; The Text & Voice; The Order Has Been Carried Out; The Death of Luigi Trastulli and Other Stories; Form and Meaning in Oral History.
2.30pm
Working Between ‘Then’ and ‘Now’
Prabhjot Parmar (Royal Holloway, Univ. of London) – “Defending Land Unknown to Them:” Indian Soldiers and the Great War .
Co-author of When your voice tastes like home.
Les Back (Goldsmiths, Univ. of London) – “Trust your senses?” sound, alterity and racism's nervous system.
Author of The Art of Listening, New Ethnicities & Urban Culture; co-editor of Auditory Cultures Reader & Out of Whiteness.
Chair: Shirin Rai (Warwick University). Author of The Gender Politics of Development, Gender & Political Economy of Development; Chinese Politics & Society, Resistance & Reaction.
3.30pm Coffee & Tea Break
3.45pm Noise of the Past Discussion
Kuldip Powar, director of Unravelling (2008)
Francis Silkstone (Goldsmiths), composer of Post-Colonial War Requiem
Discussants:
Gen Doy (De Montfort University), author of Black Visual Culture, and Picturing the Self & Drapery: classicism and barbarism in visual culture.
Said Adrus (University of East London), Visual artist: Pavilion Series; Next We Change Earth, New Art Exchange.
5.00 – 6.30pm Canapés & Drinks (Crypt)
7.00 – 9.30pm
Noise of the Past Premier in the Coventry Cathedral
Opening by Martin Bell, Unicef Ambassador, former war reporter & MP
Screening of Unravelling (17 mins), written and directed by Kuldip Powar to an original score by Nitin Sawhney
Performance of Post-Colonial War Requiem, composed by Francis Silkstone.
Reception with Food & Drinks
Noise of the Past is a creative engagement with post-colonial histories of war, principally funded by the AHRC.
Supported by: Coventry Peace Month, Goldsmiths, Brunel University, Arts Council England, Punjabi Foods, LCACE.
Project Directors:
Dr Nirmal Puwar - Goldsmiths, University of London; n.puwar@gold.ac.uk
Dr Sanjay Sharma - Brunel University; sanjay.sharma@brunel.ac.uk
Unravelling (2008, 17 mins) is the result of a unique film-making process, creatively working with poetry, archive materials, visual art and music. Internationally acclaimed Nitin Sawhney composed a new score in response to an original inter-generational poetic dialogue in Urdu between Sawarn Singh, a WWII Indian soldier who fought for the British in Burma, the Middle East and Africa, before moving to the UK, and his grandson, Kuldip Powar. Working with this haunting score Powar directed an evocative and searching film. Produced by Noise of the Past (AHRC) screening.
Unravelling at the Black Screen Heritage Conference (31 July 2009), Imperial War Museum, London. Download the black_heritage_flyer [pdf].
Unravelling screened at RIBA in London at the Visuality/Materiality Conference.
Unravelling. Saturday 8 November 2008, Coventry Cathedral
Unravelling screened from 11–23 November 2008, The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum,Jordan Well, Coventry, CV1 5QP. www.theherbert.org
Performance of Post-Colonial War Requiem – composed by Francis Silkstone
Saturday 8 November 2008, Coventry Cathedral
A Special Opening by Martin Bell - OBE, UNICEF Ambassador, former war reporter & independent politician. Chaired by Prof. Carolyn Steedman (University of Warwick).
Noise of the Past presented two new related commissions produced from a creative call-and-response method to cast a different light on war and the art of dialogue.
Francis Silkstone has also taken the inter-generational poetic dialogue as the source of inspiration for Post-Colonial War Requiem, a new score to be performed in interaction with the phenomenal space of Coventry Cathedral. Benjamin Britten's original War Requiem inaugurated the newly-built Cathedral in 1962, offering Remembrance without militarism. Though consciously inclusive, it did not reference the contributions of the (now former) colonies.
Coventry Cathedral, Priory St, CV1 5AB
www.coventrycathedral.org.uk
Pre-Launch Conference: War, Sound & Post-Coloniality
Saturday 8 November 2008
St Mary's Guildhall, Bayley Lane, Coventry, CV1 5RR
Programme
1.00pm Registration; Tea & Coffee
1.30pm Welcome and Plenary
Alessandro Portelli (University of Rome) - So much depends on a red bus: war memory and bombardments as metaphor .
Author of The Battle of Valle Giulia: Oral History and the Art of Dialogue; The Text & Voice; The Order Has Been Carried Out; The Death of Luigi Trastulli and Other Stories; Form and Meaning in Oral History.
2.30pm
Working Between ‘Then’ and ‘Now’
Prabhjot Parmar (Royal Holloway, Univ. of London) – “Defending Land Unknown to Them:” Indian Soldiers and the Great War .
Co-author of When your voice tastes like home.
Les Back (Goldsmiths, Univ. of London) – “Trust your senses?” sound, alterity and racism's nervous system.
Author of The Art of Listening, New Ethnicities & Urban Culture; co-editor of Auditory Cultures Reader & Out of Whiteness.
Chair: Shirin Rai (Warwick University). Author of The Gender Politics of Development, Gender & Political Economy of Development; Chinese Politics & Society, Resistance & Reaction.
3.30pm Coffee & Tea Break
3.45pm Noise of the Past Discussion
Kuldip Powar, director of Unravelling (2008)
Francis Silkstone (Goldsmiths), composer of Post-Colonial War Requiem
Discussants:
Gen Doy (De Montfort University), author of Black Visual Culture, and Picturing the Self & Drapery: classicism and barbarism in visual culture.
Said Adrus (University of East London), Visual artist: Pavilion Series; Next We Change Earth, New Art Exchange.
5.00 – 6.30pm Canapés & Drinks (Crypt)
7.00 – 9.30pm
Noise of the Past Premier in the Coventry Cathedral
Opening by Martin Bell, Unicef Ambassador, former war reporter & MP
Screening of Unravelling (17 mins), written and directed by Kuldip Powar to an original score by Nitin Sawhney
Performance of Post-Colonial War Requiem, composed by Francis Silkstone.
Reception with Food & Drinks
Noise of the Past is a creative engagement with post-colonial histories of war, principally funded by the AHRC.
Supported by: Coventry Peace Month, Goldsmiths, Brunel University, Arts Council England, Punjabi Foods, LCACE.
Project Directors:
Dr Nirmal Puwar - Goldsmiths, University of London; n.puwar@gold.ac.uk
Dr Sanjay Sharma - Brunel University; sanjay.sharma@brunel.ac.uk
NOISE OF THE PAST' at the Southbank Centre, London - Friday 29th October 2010, 5pm, Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall.
Organised by Taking Part. Free Entry.
'Noise of the Past' - a poetic journey of war, memory and dialogue through two inter-related works.
Introduction by Nirmal Puwar, Co-Director of Methods Lab, Goldsmiths, University of London.
Post-colonial War Requiem (excerpt from live performance) - Composed by Francis Silkstone, AHRC Fellow, Dept of Music, Goldsmiths, University of London.
Unravelling (screening) - Directed by Kuldip Powar (Poet/Screenwriter), with original score by Nitin Sawhney.
Q&A with Kuldip Powar, Francis Silkstone, Nirmal Puwar & Sanjay Sharma Noise of the Past project (principally funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council) presents two commissions produced from a creative 'call-and-response' method to cast a different light on war, memory and the art of dialogue. Project Directors: Dr Nirmal Puwar (Goldsmiths, Univ. of London) & Dr Sanjay Sharma (Brunel University).
Unravelling (2008, 17 mins) is the result of a unique film-making process, creatively working with poetry, archive materials, visual art and music. Internationally acclaimed Nitin Sawhney composed a new score in response to an original inter-generational poetic dialogue in Urdu between Sawarn Singh, a WWII Indian soldier who fought for the British in Burma, the Middle East and Africa, before moving to the UK, and his grandson, Kuldip Powar. Through poetic motifs a sensory experience emerges, both evocative and haunting, inviting us to explore our own ambivalences towards collective and personal stories of war.
Post-Colonial War Requiem (2008) also drew upon the inter-generational poetic dialogue as the source of inspiration for Francis Silkstone, who produced a new composition performed with moving musicians. Benjamin Britten's original 'War Requiem' inaugurated the newly-built Coventry Cathedral in 1962, offering Remembrance without militarism. Though consciously inclusive, it did not reference the contributions of the (former) colonies.
'Noise of the Past' - a poetic journey of war, memory and dialogue through two inter-related works.
Introduction by Nirmal Puwar, Co-Director of Methods Lab, Goldsmiths, University of London.
Post-colonial War Requiem (excerpt from live performance) - Composed by Francis Silkstone, AHRC Fellow, Dept of Music, Goldsmiths, University of London.
Unravelling (screening) - Directed by Kuldip Powar (Poet/Screenwriter), with original score by Nitin Sawhney.
Q&A with Kuldip Powar, Francis Silkstone, Nirmal Puwar & Sanjay Sharma Noise of the Past project (principally funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council) presents two commissions produced from a creative 'call-and-response' method to cast a different light on war, memory and the art of dialogue. Project Directors: Dr Nirmal Puwar (Goldsmiths, Univ. of London) & Dr Sanjay Sharma (Brunel University).
Unravelling (2008, 17 mins) is the result of a unique film-making process, creatively working with poetry, archive materials, visual art and music. Internationally acclaimed Nitin Sawhney composed a new score in response to an original inter-generational poetic dialogue in Urdu between Sawarn Singh, a WWII Indian soldier who fought for the British in Burma, the Middle East and Africa, before moving to the UK, and his grandson, Kuldip Powar. Through poetic motifs a sensory experience emerges, both evocative and haunting, inviting us to explore our own ambivalences towards collective and personal stories of war.
Post-Colonial War Requiem (2008) also drew upon the inter-generational poetic dialogue as the source of inspiration for Francis Silkstone, who produced a new composition performed with moving musicians. Benjamin Britten's original 'War Requiem' inaugurated the newly-built Coventry Cathedral in 1962, offering Remembrance without militarism. Though consciously inclusive, it did not reference the contributions of the (former) colonies.
