The attached might be of interest to OHN members …

WALKING WORKSHOP: Walking as Method and Practice

Thursday the 11th June, 2009
Cardiff University

A one day workshop is taking place in Cardiff University on Thursday the 11th June. The aim of this workshop is to provide a forum for the sharing of ideas and approaches across disciplinary boundaries, regarding walking as research method and practice. Building on previous ‘walking’ events this event will encourage an interdisciplinary exchange of knowledge, debate and discussion on methodological developments around mobility, in relation to place making practices and to understandings of everyday experiences through embodied, multi-sensory research experiences.

Ideas and practice in the arts are increasingly and usefully being drawn upon to develop understandings of place, space and practice, and we can see the beginnings of much cross fertilization of ideas. This event will capitalize on this interest, creating a forum for the exchange of knowledges by including inputs from those in the social sciences with expertise in walking as research method, and from those in the arts with expertise in walking as art practice.

The day is structured to facilitate knowledge transfer and discussion, with five speakers sharing their knowledge and ideas on walking as a method and as art practice. The discussions that follow each session will be led by another expert in the field. The speakers are Jennie Middleton, John Wylie, Simon Pope and Tom Hall and Rob Smith, with Jon Anderson and Mike Fedeski as discussants. As part of the workshop, there will also be a soundwalk around Cardiff at lunchtime, organized by the artist Jennie Savage, allowing participants to experience some of the theory in practice. There will be a question and answer session after the soundwalk.

There is a small fee of £25 to cover the costs of this event which includes lunch, refreshments and the soundwalk.

We are also interested in providing a showcase for other walking related research and practice, as a way of promoting discussion and awareness of different projects. We hope to facilitate this by having posters on display, and would encourage those attending to bring along a poster of their work.

Spaces are limited to 30. If you would like to attend, please email Kate Moles at molesk@cf.ac.uk as soon as possible to secure your place.

Please circulate this information to anyone who you think might be interested in the event.