In Spring and Summer 2024, artists Rob St John and Tommy Perman invited local people to get involved in researching and recording a sound map of Nelson, Lancashire.

Through a series of walks and workshops with communities around Nelson, the pair helped map a variety of everyday sounds in the local area. They have recently released a podcast reflecting on the project, and the role of sound and listening in helping us make sense of change in contemporary places.

The podcast features Rob and Tommy, alongside Andy Abbott (lead artist, This is Nelson) and Shabaz Ahmed (Building Bridges project). Nelson Overheard was commissioned by the This is Nelson project.

Tune in via Rob’s website, Spotify, or Apple.

In a continuation of his recent residency with This is Nelson, artist Rob St John will be working with communities from Huncoat to Nelson in East Lancashire over the summer to create an audio portrait of the stretch, exploring how people relate to the Leeds Liverpool canal, and its connections to ongoing social and environmental shifts in the area.

Spending time along this Super Slow Way stretch of canal, Rob will invite people to join him for a variety of workshops including a Listening Book Club, Dawn Chorus Walks and Canal Transmissions which will be run from the SSW pop up space in Lomeshaye Park and the Exbury Egg now installed at Finsley Gate Wharf in Burnley.

The final content will be shared as part of the Drift broadcast weekend on a moveable barge radio station (August 31st) and a sound installation in Spring 2025.