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Project proposal for a permanent installation in public space
At a number of locations (the actual number depends on many factors such as budget, permissions, etc.) boxes are mounted which contain a device that can play excerpts of the Oral History Archive on demand. The locations are selected according to the content of the story told. For example, a story about dock workers is played near the entrance to the eastern docks (near Ocean Village), a story of a Northam resident from the 1930s is played in Northam. The box/device is contained in a weather proof metal case and containes a mini-computer with harddisk and a speaker. The playback is activated either by a sensing device that can recognize people being present, a simple switch or via mobile phone. The technicalities of this still need to be worked out. The easiest solution would be activation via bluetooth enabled mobile phone. The box would automatically recognize the presence of a bluetooth enabled mobile phone and send a list of recorded material to the phone. The owner of the phone could then select which story to listen too. However, only a minority of the population at this point in time owns bluetooth enabled phones which are still at the upper price range of what is currently available. The work should be in principle available to all people so that it seems feasible to consider also a simple analogue switching device.
The rationale of the project is to give citizens back the social heritage of the city by making excerpts of the oral history archive available in the public sphere. Southamptons Oral History Archive is almost unique in Europe. At the same time it seems that the modern day population in great parts has lost the connection with the port and the sea which was the source of the cities wealth and through various factors, such as trade, emigration and immigration shaped the current composition of its citizenry. The work would be of interest to citizens and visitors alike. It could be advertised in Soton's touristic brochures and a Oral History Trail Map could be produced and distributed as leaflet. The same map could be on the internet and made clickable/interactive. People from all over the world could 'visit' Southampton virtually on the net and click on the locations to listen to web streams of the stories.
Alternative Version: Instead of spreading the Oral History Trail all over the city it could be concentrated in one area, for instance starting at the Civic Centre and continueing through the surrounding parks; there would be a box every hundred meters or so. In this case the stories being told at each station would not be related to the location but follow another rationale, for instance a chronologic history. Another option would be to use Mayflower park because it is the only public area near to the sea.
Oral