Penarth Height’s Project – Session 1

Week 1: 8^th May-

Introductions:

• Go around circle and say your name and your favourite sound, this could be anything at all, from the sound of your front door to the sound of birds tweeting.

Some examples of the sounds which were mentioned during the introductions are: Cars, computer games & Mum’s Voice.

This exercise really got the group thinking about sounds as opposed to music. It also got them to consider the sounds we hear everyday and may not always notice.

Starter:

Hand out drums to everyone.

• Everyone bang the drum as hard as possible
• As quietly as possible
• Tap your drum (demonstrate)
• Rub the skin on the drum.

Simon says with the drum:

• Bang Loudly
• Bang quietly
• Tap the drum
• Rub the drum

I improvised during this part of the session and used hand actions to signal the group when to change from playing loudly to quietly. I then pointed at individuals when it was their turn to have a drum solo.

This part of the session took less time then I had anticipated so I improvised again by teaching the group 2 simple drum beats and getting them to change between the 2 beats, I then got the group to play the 1 beat while each individual got to play a drum solo of their choice.

This worked very well and showed me that the group has got good rhythm and can hold a beat. All the group got involved and seemed to really enjoy the task.

I did get feedback from the group after the drumming that it had tired them out, I need to bare this in mind next time and make sure that the drumming session is perhaps slightly shorter.

Main Task

• Listening task: Listen for 1 minute to the sounds around us in the classroom. What did everyone hear?
• Does anyone have any favourite sounds they like in the classroom?
• What would make a good noise in the classroom? Explore sounds around us.
• Ensure everyone has a sound they can make in the classroom
• Go around and listen to individual sounds (record on handheld recorder)

Again everyone really got involved in this task, and showed a great interest in the recording equipment. Everyone listened and was very quiet when asked which was great.

Everyone suggested sounds to record and went around the classroom making sounds, some of the sounds we recorded were, Wheelchairs moving along the floor, doors closing, laughter and voices.

Homework: To bring in something small from home that they like the sound of eg, spoon, pen, pot.

 

I’m really happy with how the first session went and got some good feedback from the teachers, careers and from Emma who is running the project.

Things which I need to work on for the next session are, to make sure that the class are quiet and listening before I begin explaining a task. To ensure that I do run through tasks to quickly, take time to ensure the class understand the task they are being asked to do, explain everything thoroughly, go into detail about the equipment we will use eg. names of drums or recording equipment.

Billybanks Estate Research

I am currently taking part in a new community arts project taking place in Penarth, South Wales.

It is all to do with a renovation project taking place on a old council estate, Billybanks, and preserving the memories of what it used to be. The estate is currently being knocked down and new luxury houses and apartments are being built at the newly named Penarth Heights.

The Billy-banks Estate

Built in the 1960’s the Billybanks Estate won awards for its award winning architecture of its time. It was built on the hills overlooking Penarth docks which were still open at the time. The Billybanks Estate is often associated with being a rough area and a ‘failed social housing project’ however from my research it has become clear to me that the Billybanks Estate had a great sense of community within it and many fond memories were created there and this must be preserved in some way.

I found many fond memories being reminisced on the I grew up in Penarth Billy-Banks Facebook group. I found many memories that included Chitty Hill, which was often, rolleed down, ran down, skated down and often it seemed ended in some minor injurys. The Venture Group and Play Scheme were also mentioned.

What struck me most from all the things I read, watch and heard most people that lived on Billy-banks have said that they miss the sense of community that was created, the feeling of safety that they had there and that if they could have the old Billy-banks back they would move back there.

    

However Billy-Banks did become renowned for being a derelict housing estate for many years and went on to become number 8 in Britain’s Eye Sores and became site renowned for arson attacks.

A video of someone going around the derelict Billy-Banks Housing Estate. The man on this video is slightly annoying but the things he films are worth a watch.

Penarth Heights

Crest Nicholson, housing developers, are currently renovating what was Billybanks in to the newly named Penarth Heights, with luxury houses and apartments all over looking Cardiff and Penarth Bay.

“Replace the Billybanks with a high quality range of new homes” – Penarth Times, Thurs 15th March 2012.

Billybanks/Penarth Heights is currently undergoing its make over and it in a strange state of inbetween at one end of the estate you have the luxury new homes and at the other end you have the last Billybanks tower still looming in the background, waiting for demolishment at the end of April. It really does feel like a rags to riches story.

Penarth Heights is however trying to reach the same goals that the Billybanks estate set out to all those years ago. It is hoping to give Penarth a new lease of life, it will boost the local housing market and pump money back into the local community. And its not completely out with the old, the concrete from the knocked down Billybanks Estates are being recycled to be used again in the new buildings. So Billybanks will still live on in some shape or form.

What i will be doing over the next few months is working along side a school for disabled children to develop some sort of musical memorial for Billybanks.  So keep checking back for more news and updates!

 

Sources:

http://www.urbexforums.co.uk/showthread.php/3871-The-Billy-Banks-Estate-Penarth-04-09

http://www.guardian.co.uk/cardiff/2010/sep/02/penarth-heights-designs-revealed-for-billybanks-eyesore-estate

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/03/24/graffiti-covered-and-soulless-derelict-welsh-flats-are-named-one-of-uk-s-worst-eyesores-91466-26096371/