Voices of Worle
Verity collaborated with a group of older residents of Worle (an area just outside Weston-super-Mare) and filmmaker Adam Laity to create a series of portrait films.
Verity also composed an original choral song based on each ‘storyteller’, which were then performed by local community singers.
Voices of Worle was part of Terrestrial’s year of arts adventures in Weston.
This project began with a series of conversations. Each resident sat down with Verity to tell the story of their journey to Worle. The oral histories they recorded are rich with moving recollections and surprising details. Some of the group have a lifetime’s experience of the local landscape, while others have travelled far and wide and settled here more recently.
Verity is fascinated with voices. She encouraged each person to share their favourite songs and consider their memories of particular sounds – from bird song in the garden to the whispers of loved ones.
Adam Laity then worked with the group to create portrait films inspired by their personal stories.
Verity composed a new choral song for each person, which was then performed by a pop-up choir of local singers as part of Terrestrial’s festival celebrations.
