Event contact Alison Honnor

Esther Johnson (Reader Media Arts) will present work created as Co-Investigator of an AHRC Connected Communities innovation project, The Un-Sociable Bench, and other urban micro-territories of encounter and intimidation. This research project aimed to look at the in/exclusiveness of everyday urban realm design with a focus on benches as a resource for sociability and respite.

As part of this project, Johnson created the film Alone Together, the Social Life of Benches, which illuminates the thoughts and memories of frequent users of two public spaces in London: General Gordon Square, Woolwich and St Helier Open Space, Sutton.

Revolving around the micro-space of the humble bench, the experiential capacity of film is used to highlight themes such as the feeling of being in a space, the rhythm and flow of visitors to a place, and the importance of design for everyday street furniture.

The film acts like a stranger who joins you on a bench to ‘watch the world go by’, and to break the ice by starting a conversation with their fellow bench user.

http://blanchepictures.com/alone-together/

This project was supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council Connected Communities Programme 2015.

Outputs include

• Alone Together, the Social Life of Benches – 18’ film and packaged DVD and film booklet
• Benches for everyone, Solitude in public, sociability for free – The Young Foundation research report
• Manifesto for the Good Bench