Our Town was a major innovative community arts project enjoyed by over 10,000 people and involving over five hundred contributors that ran throughout the year 2000.
The project included:
· The music composition Our Town
· The exhibition Our Town, My Space
· The Our Town Print Publication.
Our Town captures a place and its people at the turn of the 21st century and is about human stories, connections, and dislocations.
Our Town is a composition of music, speech, and ambient sounds forming an integrated whole and where all elements are treated musically.
Not So Long Ago , Seperation, The Barman and Full Circle are available to listen to on my Portfolio Page and you may view a PDF of the transcript and accompanying notes here:
Our Town Transcript , Composer Notes and Credits
From infancy to old age, bankers and beekeepers, mothers and fathers, rich, poor, happy, angry, sad. Some tell of their passions, of those who have left an indelible mark on their lives, and others of their journey as it nears its end.
All the sounds you hear in Our Town were recorded in Basingstoke and Deane, Hampshire, England.
The Our Town, My Space exhibition provided a voice for over five hundred people, many never having expressed themselves publicly before. Visitors to the exhibition heard sounds, conversations and music collected from the people and place of Basingstoke, which forms the hour long 'audiotexs' Our Town.
As visitors to the Our Town, My Space exhibition traveled through the exhibition space, they came across a wide variety of visual media. Some people used paint to express how they felt about their space, some chose to represent their space in a concrete or representational way, others decided to exhibit an activity they did in their space.
Our Town was co-commissioned by The Willis Museum, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, and Central Studio Arts Centre. Our Town received a grant from The Millennium Festival Awards For All programme. Supported by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, Hampshire County Council, The Four Lanes Trust, Hampshire Museum's Trust, Southern Arts, The Automobile Association, The Basingstoke Press, NTL telecommunications, Sun Life of Canada Financial Services, Virgin, and Wiggins Teape.
'One of the pleasures and privileges of my Mayoral Year has been to be associated with the Our Town project. It is a wonderful project which has brought together so many members of our community.
I knew of the project in its early stages long before I became Mayor and I know how much is due to the enthusiasm and genius of its initiator and project developer Michael de Sousa with the able support of the Steering Committee.
The project has undoubtedly enhanced the community spirit of the Borough, and everyone of us should be grateful for such a gem to start off the Millennium.'
Lynden Jones, Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane, 1999-2000
| Mike de Sousa | Project Director, Composer, Curator, Exhibition Designer, Fundraiser, Administrator, Marketing and Promotion | |
| Sue Sharpe | Graphic Designer | |
| Hazel Hartgill | Exhibition Technician | |
| Tim Evans | Exhibition Technician | |
| Pat Bonifacio | Curatorial Consultant | |
| Izita Kerr | Exhibition Consultant | |
| Alan Williams | Exhibition Consultant | |
| Derek Bunyard | Exhibition Consultant |
| Felicity Brooker | Town Centre Manager | |
| Tim Evans | Curator, The Willis Museum | |
| Christopher Holland | Solicitor, Project Treasurer | |
| Rob Iliffe | Leisure Officer, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council | |
| Izita Kerr | Artist (Committee Member 1998-1999) | |
| Phil Pennington | Director Central Studio | |
| Mike de Sousa | Project Director | |
| Sue Sharpe | Graphic Designer |
Grant Assistance Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council |
Corporate Sponsors The Automobile Association |
Exhibition Venues The Anvil Central Studio |
Venue Personnel Christine Bradwell |
Chief Executive, The Anvil |
Bishop Challoner Roman Catholic Secondary School |
Merton County Infant School |
Barbara Applin |
Basingstoke Archaeological and Historical Society |
Audley's Wood Resource Service |
Festival Place Shopping Centre |
| Mike de Sousa | Composer and sound editor Piano, keyboards, guitars, percussion and sampler programmes vocals (Where I Want To Be) Interviews and recorded ambient sounds Studio recording, engineering and production |
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| Keith Marsden | Songwriter: Bring Us A Barrel | |
| The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra | Recorded at The Anvil, Basingstoke, Hampshire, England | |
| Erik Faithfull |
Northumbrian pipes, Uilleann pipes, wooden flute and tin whistle |
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| Rip Rippingdale | Lead Singer: Bring Us A Barrel | |
| Saint Michael's Church Choir | The Angel Gabriel (extract in Opening): C Edgar-Pettman/Sabine Baring, Organist and Director of Music: George G Hay |
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| Saint Michael's Church Bellringers | Extract in Full Circle | |
| All Saints Church Bellringers | Extract in Full Circle | |
| The Salvation Army Brass Band | Extracts in Full Circle | |
| The People of Basingstoke | Ambient sounds from public areas | |
| Sue Sharpe | CD Cover and graphic design | |
| Sound Recording Technology | High End Mastering and CD Manufacture | |
| Jack Cruttenden, Molly Gray, Sue Sharpe, Class 5H Kings Furlong Junior School |
CD Picture Credits |
Special thanks to my wife Janice and to those at May Place, Roman House, and Saint Michael's Hospice for their generosity of spirit, time and effort. Our Town would not have come about without the help of many members of the public who kindly contributed towards this work yet preferred not to be mentioned by name in the following credits.
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The Anvil |
Basingstoke Sports Centre |
Mayflower Morris Dancers |
The following list of contributors is in alphabetical order and as agreed, no reference is made to their occupation or interest group. Many others contributed but wished to remain anonymous.
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Mrs R L Allen |
Clive Grace |
Craig Newman |