An exciting immersive audio experience has been created for this year’s Freedom Festival.
Hull Maritime is delighted to announce a new collaboration with our partners at Freedom Festival Arts Trust, with generous support from Arts Council England.
Freedom Festival associate artists, The Broken Orchestra, have crafted an innovative new audio experience entitled “Fair Winds & Following Seas,” designed to offer an immersive, spatial audio adventure through the streets of Hull.
This experience also features spoken word by the acclaimed writer and poet Vicky Foster and delves deep into Hull’s rich maritime heritage. Utilising spatial audio atmospheres and a mix of words and freshly composed music, Fair Winds and Following Seas creates a vivid tapestry that guides listeners through the historical treasures of Hull’s Old Town and beyond.
The project is set to premiere at Hull’s Freedom Festival 2024, providing festival-goers with a unique opportunity to engage with the city’s past, present and future in a compelling, modern format.
The phrase ‘Fair Winds & Following Seas’ is a nautical term wishing good weather and safe travels, and encapsulates the spirit of the project, offering listeners a heartfelt send-off as they embark on their exploration of Hull’s maritime history.
Councillor Mike Ross, Leader of Hull City Council, said: “We are incredibly proud to present ‘Fair Winds & Following Seas’ as part of this year’s Freedom Festival. This project not only highlights the artistic talents of The Broken Orchestra but also serves as a bridge connecting our vibrant maritime history with the contemporary cultural landscape.”
Pat Dooner, from The Broken Orchestra, said: “As Hull based artists we feel incredibly privileged to be able to create a piece of work with such a close connection to our city. We hope that the enjoyment that has been contained within the months of its creation will seep into the experience for the listener. This is not a history walk but will make you think about the past, present and future of our city, its strengths, its better days and what is yet to come.”
Vicky Foster, whose evocative spoken word brings the tour to life, shared, “Hull’s maritime heritage is a rich tapestry of stories waiting to be told. This project allows us to bring these stories to the forefront in a way that is both engaging and accessible to all.”
Running between Thursday 29 August and Sunday 1 September, this brand new audio walk, you can don your headphones and immerse yourself in the atmospheric music of The Broken Orchestra paired with spatial audio atmospheres recorded in real time and the words of poet Vicky Foster, as you’re guided on a journey around the historic old town. The spatial audio experience will inspire and connect you to a city built on deep cultural roots, traditional resilient identity, influential trade and a proud working class ethos. Download the Freedom Festival app and take yourself on the walk, or book onto our guided walk!
This journey is designed for people to access and enjoy in their own time during the festival. Visit www.thebrokenorchestra.com/fairwinds for more info and to download the app and begin your walk.
If you feel you may need a little more support in downloading and setting up your device then Freedom Festival is also offering a number of guided walks:
Thursday 29 Aug – Sunday 1 Sep 11:00 – 19:00 (self-guided)
Friday 30 Aug 17:30 (guided walk)
Saturday 31 Aug 13:00, 16:00 (guided walks)
Sunday 1 Sep 13:00, 16:00 (guided walks)
Book you guided walk here https://tickets.freedomfestival.co.uk/en/buyingflow/tickets/14285
Hull Maritime is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the rich maritime history of Hull. Through innovative projects and collaborations, we aim to bring the city’s seafaring legacy to life for future generations.
