On Saturday I went to see Friction Arts’ Iland Life at The Edge. Young people involved in the project performed, retelling elder immgrants’ stories of coming to Britain and their first impressions of their new Iland. Some of the stories were pretty dark and it was sometimes surprising to hear such young children tell them. It was a brilliant way of bringing people’s personal histories to life.
The boat they’ve used to show the journeys made, an interactive installation created by Pete Hadfield and Lee Griffiths, is great. A brightly painted half of a retired fishing boat with film images on screens in the portholes and more stories to hear through the old telephone handsets attached. A filtered film of the young people involved at work is projected onto the sail above. Sandra Hall says everyone who sees that boat loves and wants it. I can well believe it, it’s utterly charming.
The Iland Life exhibition has been extended due to the snow, you can see it at The Edge, Cheapside until Fri 13th Feb 1-6pm.
