Barnsley 2017 (Time-lapse paths)

This time-lapse film is part of my doctoral research into contemporary UK outdoor arts. I use time-lapse videography to document the durational relationships between space, audience and performance.

This film was made at an event to mark the re-opening of Barnsley indoor market in 2017. The camera was sited on a 5^th storey walkway above the square outside of the market where most of the events took place. The space is a busy thoroughfare between the town centre and major transport hubs as well as being a popular commercial space. Most of the performances were ‘walkabout’ acts which moved through the space performing vignettes to small groups of people although on occasion they gathered larger crowds. The companies performing included: Musical Ruth; Urban Astronaut; Artizani and Mr Wilson’s Second Liners.

In this version of the film an echo effect has been added to the footage which creates visual echoes of the images lasting around 5 seconds. Where no movement occurs (as with the building or people standing still) this effect is imperceptible as the echoes are overlaid on top of each other but where a person is moving it draws attention to the paths they take, acting like a tracer bullet. The information revealed by this post-human perspective can be useful in identifying rhythms.