Lancashire Encounters, 2018: Winkley Square

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.

A series of films were made at Lancashire Encounters in Preston in between 21^st and 23^rd September 2018. The festival commissioned a full rhythmanalysis of its outdoor arts sites during the festival involving both quantitative and qualitative analysis. Multiple time-lapse cameras were used to cover 5 sites and parts of a parade, in addition the researcher conducted 'Vox-Pop' style interviews with audience members and made detailed observations.

This film focuses on Winkley Square, and particularly on performances of ‘Block’ by Motionhouse/NoFit State which opened the festival on Friday evening. Winkley Square had not been used previously by festivals in Preston and, according to the Council Officer responsible for programming, Block (The largest professional show at the festival) was used as a means of tempting people in. Although the performances were not as well attended as other documented iterations of the show, the organisers were happy with the effect.

'Vox-Pop' style interviews conducted by the researcher with audience members on a tricycle designed for the purpose have been edited and provide the soundtrack along with a soundscape created from recordings made during the weekend.