Word Play
The project which was first aired in late 2008, involved the collection and recording of the faces and voices of 1500 people from the City. Recorded at specific project events the participants were engaged in conversation about the area and their life there. Audio and visual recording captured 4000 words from Dr Samuel Johnson’s first English Dictionary.
Johnson, a son of the city once quoted that the people of Lichfield spoke the best English. The piece duly paid homage to this claim, capturing the accent the phrasing of the local voice alongside the faces and variety of physiognomy of the people of the area. The first exhibit of the work was a one day event at the guildhall, where over 450 people attended. Wordplay was a major collaborative project involving four artists.
