An enhanced discussion between Fermynwoods Director James Steventon and David Blyth. 

David Blyth is an artist and Course Leader in Contemporary Art Practice at Gray's School of Art, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen. His work is informed by the craft skills of taxidermy and draws upon narratives of folklore, shamanism and cultural memory. David's work will be in included in our upcoming exhibition The Howse Shal Be Preserved at Rockingham Castle starting 11 July 2021.

This episode of the Fermynwoods Podcast is supported by Arts Council England and by a grant from Localgiving and Postcode Places Trust, a grant-giving charity funded by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

More about this episode here: http://fermynwoods.org/fermynwoods-podcast-11---david-blyth/

Fermynwoods Podcast 11 - David Blyth

This episode of the Fermynwoods Contemporary Art Podcast features an original sonic essay by Maya Livio and JP Merz, followed by a discussion with Maya Livio.

Through the use of what Maya calls expanded nonfiction, she constructs a haunting and lyrical sonic essay containing a chorus of both human and non-human voices. The work draws attention to the biases and misclassifications within avian conservation datasets.

Here she has set a research-driven essay against sounds generated by an AI which was trained on specific datasets, particularly ones from the Cornell Library of Ornithology's Macaulay Library - the world’s largest and oldest scientific archive of wildlife recordings. By using machine learning to speculatively queer birdsong datasets, the work complicates datafied approaches to conserving what and who is left of our world.

Fermynwoods Podcast 16 - Maya Livio

This episode of the Fermynwoods Contemporary Art Podcast features a new audio essay, The forest will answer in the way you call to it, by Hanna Tuulikki, encouraging a conversation with the woods, exploring her Finnish heritage, and weaving together family stories, folklore and song. The piece reflects on how ideals of ecology, identity, and nationhood are constructed and entwined. The essay features audio extracts from her installation Under Forest Cover (Metsänpeiton Alla), commissioned for Helsinki Biennial 2021.

Fermynwoods Podcast 17 - Hanna Tuulikki

This episode of the Fermynwoods Contemporary Art Podcast with artist Tosca Terán draws from fungal mycelial communication research to create a soundscape which the artist herself describes as ‘perhaps a bit ominous with a dash of science fiction’.

Working with the bio-electrical activity of living mycelium, in Forest UnderSound = Ways of Knowing, Tosca reveals the ethereal fungi frequencies of the oyster mushroom, pleurotus ostreatus.

Threading control voltages throughout what Tosca affectionately refers to as a ‘Myco-Synth’ the mushroom becomes a conduit for pulsating waves, coursing through intricate patch cables to construct a mesmerizing drone.

Thanks to Spencer Graham for providing the field recording from Fermyn Woods that was interpolated into this work.

https://fermynwoods.org/fermynwoods-podcast-22-tosca-teran/

Fermynwoods Podcast 22 - Tosca Terán

The final episode of the Xylophobia season presents a radio play written by our podcast guest curators, SUBTERRA: Marie-Chantal Hamrock and Astrid Björklund.

Told through the voice of the Narrator, we are presented with an eccentric cast of characters living and contending with an ever diminished and hostile landscape, made up of old mines, towering blast furnaces, an inexplicable blackness which seems to spread insidiously, and a strange red substance that emanates from the earth.

Among the characters are an unnamed man who searches in desperation for 'that place' using an old ironstone amulet; Niko and Launo are two hardened characters who seem to have strayed from their community and traverse this landscape alone, speaking wistfully of old times; The Withered Arm is a disembodied human arm working as a barmaid in the Inn of Ill Omens with its ever decreasing customers sadly sipping from their worthy pints; The Strange Man seems to know something sinister no one else does and plays cruel tricks on those around him. And finally, the Fermyn is an ethereal character who cannot be described in words and has no discernible form but somehow seems to know more than anyone else about the nature of this dark world.

… All the while the narrator begins to lose her grip on reality and starts to question her very own existence...

Please note: This episode is binaural/atmospheric recording best listened to with headphones.

Fermynwoods Podcast 24 – Subterra

The first episode of our Love + Light season of the Fermynwoods Contemporary Art Podcast presents Of Immeasurable Consequence by Pale Blue Dot Collective.

Pale Blue Dot Collective (artists Louise Beer and John Hooper) spent four months in residence with Fermynwoods to create Of Immeasurable Consequence - originally an immersive photographic and sound based installation installed in All Saint Church, Aldwincle, from 24th March to 7th April 2024.

In this version of Of Immeasurable Consequence, which has been adapted to include parts of recorded conversation, Pale Blue Dot Collective examine our place within the universe, framing the impact of the climate emergency through the eyes of evolution and the immense time period it has taken for each form of life to arrive at this point.

Fermynwoods Podcast 25 – Pale Blue Dot Collective

This episode of the Fermynwoods Contemporary Art Podcast with David John Scarborough presents a new work, Dead Wood Burning – a musical tapestry grounded in the idea of Ubi Sunt – a rhetorical question asking where are those that have gone before us.

Deftly weaving together samples of music from Pete Seeger’s anti-war song ‘Where have all the flowers gone?’ to moments of David’s own music – this is a poetic exploration of ecological breakdown, the long lasting effects of folk tradition, and personal experiences of community, family, and fatherhood.

The episode concludes with an insightful discussion with the artist.

With thanks to Dean Howard and Tilly Robinson.

Backing vocals by Claire Lleshi
Electric and bass guitar by Isaac Robinson
Vocal dubbing by Tayler Fisher
Reading by Joshua Jones

Samples from:
‘Where Have All The Flowers Gone’ by Pete Seeger
‘Where Have All The Flowers Gone’ performed by Sybarite5
‘Slumber My Darling’ by Stephen C. Foster, performed a Charnwood Community Choir
Words from The Wanderer, The Lord of the Rings, Corita Kent, David G. Haskell and Robert Macfarlane

Fermynwoods Podcast 26 – David John Scarborough

Under the musical alias of Hussla D, Daniel Johnson has been a recognised figure in the Urban Music scene for the past 20 years, performing and working alongside national and international artists, musicians, promoters and other creatives. His unique journey into music has been driven by hard work and sheer dedication. Daniel uses his experiences to share tips and guidance to support young people's journeys into music production.

CE Academy students worked with Daniel to learn about song structure, breaking down the stems of a track into bass, melody, beat and lyrics, identifying verses, chorus, pre-chorus, bridge and intro, as well as gaining an understanding of bpm in order to ensure correct timings.

The students enjoyed writing their own tracks with Daniel, who worked expertly to support students to develop their creative thinking skills and an outlet for their thoughts, feelings and experiences - all whilst improving literacy and numeracy skills without students even realising!

When recording their subsequent tracks Daniel helped instil confidence in students to record their lyrics and project their voices with conviction, guiding them to intonate their lyrics to emphasise certain lines and phrases. Students also produced their own music video and album art to accompany the release of their tracks.

Team Alfie - Truth & Lies

This episode of the Fermynwoods Contemporary Art Podcast features a fragmentary and poetic discussion between Beccy Mccray and Jason Singh, facilitated by Marie-Chantal Hamrock, which melts together into a rich audio tapestry.

Beccy tells us about Intuition Maps - a co-created artwork set in the woodland of Irchester Country Park that leads visitors on a journey through the landscape prompting us to reflect on animal instincts in the context of climate change adaptation.

Jason shares insight into his I Bring my Body to This Place to Observe the Coming and Going of Life - a sound installation during the summer of 2016 which explored themes of home, separation and migration for both people and wildlife.

Through the lens of one another's work, themes emerge reflecting on nature, movement and our place in the world.

https://fermynwoods.org/fermynwoods-podcast-27-beccy-mccray-jason-singh/

Fermynwoods Podcast 27 – Beccy Mccray & Jason Singh

This episode of the Fermynwoods Contemporary Art Podcast features Tread softly because you tread on my dreams, by Irish artist and writer Sarah Long. While the title carries a tongue-in-cheek tone, much like Sarah’s broader body of work, it also captures a quietly sparkling sentiment of love, light, and the intertwining of bygone pasts and potential futures.

Through its poetic and fluid narrative, this work invites listeners into the inner world of Mary, an autofictional character navigating her dreams and strange visions. Sarah deftly weaves these visions with the rich tradition of the aisling, an Irish poetic genre where the nation appears to the poet in a dream in the form of a woman.

Mary’s dreams offer a critique of inherited language and storytelling systems, while highlighting themes and motifs that reverberate throughout Irish culture such as the impact of colonialism, Celtic mythology and an affinity with the land.

Following the presentation of the work, Sarah engages in a fascinating discussion about her creative practice, inspirations, and the broader themes she explores in her work.

Sarah Long is an Irish artist and writer whose practice spans painting, text and performance. Sarah focuses on suppressed female archetypes, nationhood and myth, and positions the body in the tradition of landscape to contest the historical male gaze. She’s interested in embodying the patriarchal Mother Ireland literary figure, particularly Mother Ireland’s ability to house contrasting visions, and probes the potential for expanded thinking around the construct of the female condition. Her debut novella W/w was published by Bloomers in 2024. This autofiction work follows the trials and triumphs of an aspiring artist and writer and repositions the female figure away from cultural symbols and towards cultural makers. Her work was selected for Periodical Review 14, organised by Pallas Projects/Studios, Dublin (2024). Upcoming solo shows include South Tipperary Arts Centre (2025).

Fermynwoods Podcast 28 – Sarah Long

This episode of the Fermynwoods Contemporary Art Podcast presents Ear for the Other – a sonic exploration of the importance of being receptive to, sensing, and feeling for ‘the other’, by Scottish artist Adrienne Murray.

The other is felt in all things outside of the realms of self: within and around space, in the things which space contains, and in the voice and dreams of others.

Adrienne writes that in opening yourself up to the other by simply being present and embodied within your environment, a more intuitive empathy for the vitality and poetry which surrounds us can be experienced.

Responding to the fragile relationship between immateriality and physical connection in the age of the digital, Adrienne hopes to provide respite from the numb and disconnected states of being brought on by the experience of being repeatedly exposed to vast amounts of information online.

Ear for the Other is followed by an enlightening conversation about her work.

https://fermynwoods.org/fermynwoods-podcast-29-adrienne-murray/

https://soundcloud.com/percussionunbound

Fermynwoods Podcast 29 – Adrienne Murray

In this episode of the Fermynwoods Contemporary Art Podcast we hear from a trinity of voices - artist Tobias Zehntner, composer George Turvey, and curate Chad Chadwick - discussing place, community, spirituality and creation in relation to Tobias' Halo installation, shown at the Grade I listed Anglo Saxon, All Saints Church, Earls Barton in April 2025.

Originally commissioned in the Abbaye de la Cambre, Belgium, Halo features a suspended light installation that creates a moving interplay of light and shadow that illuminates the church’s architecture and forms halos above the audience.

Woven into these conversations are 6 new pieces of music composed by George in response to the artwork, portraying the arrival of light, new beginnings, and the recurring circle of notes in the music mimicking the hypnotic swinging of the installation. These compositions originally accompanied the work for the Halo launch event in All Saints, Earls Barton.

Chad broadens the discussion with fascinating insights into the nature of play as a spiritual discipline.

https://fermynwoods.org/fermynwoods-podcast-30-halo/

Fermynwoods Podcast 30 - Tobias Zehntner, George Turvey & Chad Chadwick

An interview with Seven Sisters Group and BBC Northampton's Martin Borley discussing our new commission The Twelfth Player - a unique tour around Northampton Town Football Clubs Sixfields Stadium.

The Twelfth Player - BBC Northampton

BBC Northampton's John Griff features our new commission, The Twelfth Player, a unique tour around Northampton Town Football Clubs Sixfields Stadium

The Twelfth Player - John Griff - BBC Northampton

Our immersive tour of Northampton Town Football Club, The Twelfth Player, was featured Talk Sport.

The Twelfth Player was an audio-visual performance at Sixfields Stadium – taking place in the real world and on screen – blending site-specific performance and handheld video technology, to move audiences seamlessly between brilliantly observed characters, placing them right in the heart of the action.

2015/16 was arguably the most dramatic and euphoric Season in the Cobblers’ long and colourful history. In the dark days of November, the Club was deep in trouble. Staff and players were not getting paid, and Administration was a very real possibility. But through the dedication of their extraordinary fans – the team’s twelfth player – they made an amazing recovery, welcoming a remarkable takeover, bouncing back into League 1 and winning the Club’s first League title for 29 years.

The Twelfth Player was a unique collaboration between Fermynwoods Contemporary Art, Royal & Derngate and Northampton Town Football Club. Throughout the summer, audiences had a special opportunity to go behind the scenes on a 45 minute walking tour around Sixfields Stadium itself and through the past seventy years of the Club’s history, viewing the passionate world of football through the eyes of three generations of a family of Cobblers supporters.

The Twelfth Player feature on Talk Sport

This episode of the Fermynwoods Podcast is an audio essay by writer and curator Amy Lay-Pettifer addressing our current state of collective pause. The audio work encapsulates her experience of curating Pleasure Garden, an exhibition meant to open early May 2020 at Deene Park and includes discussion with and contributions by Pleasure Garden artists Alice Channer and Bethan Lloyd Worthington, as well as interjections by artist Harriet Plewis.

Images, references and a transcript for this podcast are available at 
http://fermynwoods.org/fermynwoods-podcast-episode-2/

Fermynwoods Podcast 2 - Amy Lay-Pettifer, Alice Channer, Bethan Lloyd Worthington

Artist, writer and researcher Leyla Pillai takes us on a guided tour of a fictionalised truth in episode three of the Fermynwoods Podcast. Building on episode two's exploration of Pleasure Garden, this new audio work is rooted in the imagined space of Deene Park and begins a contemplation and lure into its external grounds. A stream of consciousness style of spoken word, considering the garden as an acoustic sound mirror.

An accompanying text and images by Leyla are available at our website here: http://fermynwoods.org/fermynwoods-podcast-episode-3---leyla-pillai/

You can listen to the archives of Who'sThat Girl w/ Leyla Pillai here: https://www.nts.live/shows/whos-that-girl

Fermynwoods Podcast 3 - Leyla Pillai

The fourth instalment of our podcast is an original sound work in response to our Triple Harvest callout by London-based artist, collaborator and researcher Anja Borowicz.

Before transitioning to art, Anja studied industrial engineering - an experience which instilled an enduring affinity for industrial landscapes, diagrammatic instructions and thinking across taxonomies. This made her response to our Corby steel industry heritage films particularly insightful. Her work "extracted : crashed : smelted" finds the music and humanity in the sounds of an industry populated by large metal monsters. 

More from Anja Borowicz on this sound piece at http://fermynwoods.org/fermynwoods-podcast-episode-4-anja-borowicz/

To watch the seven films made by artists as part of our Triple Harvest project visit http://fermynwoods.org/triple-harvest-films

Fermynwoods Podcast 4 - Anja Borowicz

For our fifth episode of the Fermynwoods Podcast, we focus on our Alternative Provision programme with students from The CE Academy. Artist and musician Rebecca Lee has created her sound piece You Can Hear The Wind entirely from recordings made by students.

Rebecca Lee is a musician and sound practitioner producing performance, sound works, projects and publications with a particular focus on music and narrative and collaboration. She often works long term in relation to specific site and places, draws on written forms and uses improvisation, scores and DIY approaches to combine period and contemporary materials and processes. She moves between public off-site or project-based work, traditional arts venues and DIY music spaces. Rebecca performs as Bredbeddle, makes improvised music with Marie Thompson and is part of Primary Music group.

More on this episode at our website here: http://fermynwoods.org/fermynwoods-podcast-episode-5-rebecca-lee/

Rebecca Lee's website: http://www.rebeccalee.info/
And her SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/rebeccarecordssounds

Fermynwoods Podcast 5 - Rebecca Lee

For the final episode of our first podcast season, host and Assistant Director at Fermynwoods Jessica Harby talks with artist Geoff Diego Litherland about his new album of music. Since 2016, Geoff's practice developed from painting landscape to cultivating it. He grew a field of flax, harvested and spun the fibres, and then learned to weave his own uniquely textured linen canvases. This year, he turned those weaving patterns into sound loops to produce the basis of music, now available on his album Woven / Ground. Listening to the music, which runs throughout this episode, is listening not only to his paintings, but to the entire journey from cultivated dirt to finished work of art.

http://fermynwoods.org/fermynwoods-podcast-7---geoff-diego-litherland/

Woven / Ground

Fermynwoods Podcast 7 - Geoff Diego Litherland

Fermynwoods Contemporary Art is an educational charity and arts organisation that supports life through art. We commission innovative and meaningful ways for visual artists to engage with audiences, in public spaces across Northamptonshire and online.

Our podcast is an audio gallery space and extension of our programme, featuring original sound art, artist discussions, and audio essays.

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