The Climate Chimes (2023- Ongoing), a speculative project published with Mona Casey for Schemarium
Whenever an oak comes into leaf the bells shall ring. Whenever a migrating bird has returned then the bells shall ring. Whenever there is a false autumn then the bells shall ring. Whenever the first snow falls then the bells shall ring. Whenever the first frost forms then the bells shall ring. Whenever the Earth tilts on its axis then the bells shall ring. Whenever the moon is full there then the bells shall ring. Whenever the moon is new then the bells shall ring.
The project consists of bells, to be installed in public centres in Birmingham that will ring every time a phenological event takes place over the course of a year. Each instance of a different phenomena a bell shall ring.
Working with Bell Ringers and the Cannon Missioner at Saint Phillips Cathedral Birmingham I would develop a seasonal language of bell ringing. The language builds on the cathedrals use of bells already, exploring the cross over between seasonal bell ringing as it exists in the church and a more speculative & phenologically tied seasonality. The bells rung by the bell ringers at to usher in a changing season, a different phenological phenomena, different meteorological events and different anthropogenic timescales for example, oak coming into leaf, cherry blossom flowering, conker season, the return to school terms, equinoxes and solstices, Swift,Nightjar and Cuckoo return, Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte returning.
The piece revolves around the idea of storying the seasons, the seasons become expanded through the performance itself and the bell draws awareness to a viewer. The idea being that the increasing appearance and ritual act of sounding the bell on the canal will become a way of not only communicating and documenting change for passers-by, but also build a new tradition. In turn this may build a new way of thinking through seasonal change and a heightened awareness for changes and events. There is also the scope to code a particular bell ring to a particular event so that these may become signals to those attuned over time to the ritual.
The data itself will be gathered and built on a blog / forum similar to bird watching groups the bell tolls will be dictated by sightings from the public and those observing the changes. This itself can be expanded into different social networks, targeting Twitter (X), Facebook and Instagram communities for example through a hashtag or an account specifically for phenological events happening in Birmingham. These bells will be secular in nature and draw upon the history of town criers exalting important events unfolding throughout the year.
There is also scope for this to involve pre-existing bell sites across Birmingham, such as St. Philips church, St. Martin’s, and the Bournville Carillon. This too could be extended through involvement with the IKON slow boat which would allow of the mobilisation of the work through seasonal noticing workshops.