UP Projects worked with artist, Emma Smith on Burble, a site-responsive performance inspired by the social spaces and sounds of Station Road in Edgware, North London.
Through its cafes, shops, community spaces and pavements, Station Road hosts continuous social interactions that unbeknown to us create a subconscious music of the street. In the greetings people give to one another across the counter and the social interactions of friends and communities meeting up, humans subconsciously create interlocking harmonies and musical patterns that bond us to one another.
The title, Burble, refers to the imitative rush of excited speech, and to the history of Edgware being located between several historic brooks who’s babbling waters are now replaced with the murmur of people. As synonym to “babble”, the title relates both to water and the voice while placing the syllable ‘urb’ at its centre in reference to the city space.
Over several months, Emma worked with over 300 local community groups, organisations, residents, businesses and customers who took part in various recording sessions to explore the musicality of every-day speech that occurs along the street. Local groups included students from Edgware Primary School, the staff at Edgware Library, local businesses and shop owners (Grodz Bakery, Yasmine Florist Flowers & Plants, Bibi Patisserie & Bakery, Funky Scissors, Isabella Florist, Edgware Music, and Home From Home).
The work brings together the music of voices resulting in a composed site-specific song cycle in 7 languages that was collaboratively workshopped with community singers and local performers from MDX University. The group worked collaboratively with Emma Smith to produce and develop the final score of the final work. The final performance was shown as a free public presentation on 23 November 2023 at Edgware Station, performed by Emma Smith and the performers from MDX University (Deepthi Raghu, Angad Singh, Anaya Cherukat, May Lin Pang and Jia Dong Ho).
This project is part of a wider programme of events that UP Projects are curating to celebrate 100 Years of Station Road, exploring the role creative practice can play in bringing communities together and activating the High Street.
The Edgware Centenary Programme is curated by UP Projects and commissioned by Barnet Council.
