The Listening Loom was created to be a place for quiet listening. While you weave, you could listen to the stories of identity left by the people before you. However, after testing it, the loom became more of a communal place for doing and communicating. People wanted to contribute and be a collective part of the activity the loom offered.
Through doing, people became more willing to share their stories and experiences about identity and relationships to the city. The Listening Loom can be used and adapted as an architectural tool to afford people a sense of belonging and ownership towards something that they might have contributed to both individually and communally.
Communal weaving on the Listening Loom at the Making Week exhibition.
The Listening Loom set up as a space for audio recording stories.
The Listening Loom in use as a recording space.
A visitor writing her story to add to the Listening Loom
People making additions to the Listening Loom
A visitor writing her story to add to the Listening Loom
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I am originally from suburban Copenhagen in Denmark and moved to London in 1997 (second time – for time in 1988 when I stayed for 5 years). I feel at home in my own home, in the pub, in parks such as Regents Park and next to the River Thames.
In London suburbia where I now live, I feel at home in the local high street and in the green areas close to my house.
Originally, the emphasis was on meeting colleagues and friends after work, going to the pubs and for a meal. I still do that but more combined with theatre, musicals and exhibitions.
I do consider myself to be a Londoner; although I now live in zone 6, it is still inside M25.
I have connections with Danes and Poles (my wife is originally from Poland). Other nationalities include English, Scottish, Irish, Italian, Bulgarian, Rumanian, Thai, Vietnamese, South African, German – plus many more as London is very cosmopolitan.
Originally, I came to London for the work experience during the building boom in the nineteen eighties.
My personal relationship with London was at first work and that has now changed to a more cultural orientated approach with work closer to or from home and London being a place to go the see friend, eat out and attend exhibitions, west end theatres etc.
I have learned that many people come to London when they are young for the experience as they find London very exciting with it’s wide range of cultural influences from all over the world.
From then some settle in and others decide to go back to their home country.
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A transcript of a story collected at Shift Happen, a collective exhibition of CSM MArch Students
