Film
The Ponds (12A), shorts programme + Plymouth Sea Swim (for the brave)
PLYMOUTH SEA SWIM (Free)
Join us for a swim from Plymouth Hoe with some of Devon Wild Swimmers in the morning!
This is a free event, no need to sign up, just meet us for 10.30am down by the beach left of Tinside Lido on Plymouth Hoe.
As a reward for braving the cold waters, you'll be given a free hot drink and sweeties when you attend the film screening in the afternoon!
MATINEE SCREENING AT PLYMOUTH ARTS CINEMA, 2.30PM
Tickets from £4, full price £7. Book your tickets by clicking the link below.
THE PONDS
Dir. Patrick McLennan/Samuel Smith, UK, 2018, 74 mins.
In a world of flux and chaos, it is almost a shock to discover some experiences remain natural, unhurried and unchanged. In the middle of London lies Hampstead Heath, 320 hectares of forest and parkland plus three swimming ponds. People swim in them all year round, whatever the weather, just as they did in the time of Keats and Constable. Capturing the beauty of the English seasons, co-directors Patrick McLennan and Samuel Smith filmed the swimmers over 12 months as they laughed, sang, complained, ruminated, philosophised or simply sought respite from all that life threw at them.
SHORT FILMS PROGRAMME
We will also be screening a programme of short films about wild swimming. This programme will include archive footage from The Box on swimming in Plymouth in the 1920s, as well as the following films:
Chasing the Sublime
Dir. Amanda Bluglass, UK, 2018, 6 mins 40.
Why do we put ourselves into the path of discomfort and risk? What drives us to get too cold and too tired, to battle with fear, in the name of adventure? Follow the originators of The Outdoor Swimming Society, ‘swim twins’ Kate Rew and Kari Furre, in this hauntingly beautiful glimpse at the physicality of UK cold water swimming, as two friends set out to chase the sublime.
Immersive Orchestra: Plymphony No.1 in Sea
As part of the Plymouth Art Weekender and The Atlantic Project, Imperfect Orchestra collaborated with artist Shannon Leah Watson to devise and produce Immersive Orchestra. Performed on 30 September 2018, Immersive Orchestra was a live performance between wild swimmers and amateur musicians. Comprised of over 100 swimmers and 50 guitarists, the performance took place on a beautiful day on Plymouth Hoe, where the participants were surrounded by hundreds of onlookers and audience members.
The wild swimmers 'conducted' the performance of the Guitar Orchestra as their strokes in the water informed the pace of the music, and the number of swimmers effected playing dynamics. Plymphony No. 1 is a live score, composed by Chris Bailey and Tom Richardson of Imperfect Orchestra, and played by a 'Guitar Orchestra' of as many players as possible. The piece is a minimalist composition taking inspiration from wild swimming. It relies on rhythm, repetition, ebbs and flows, swells and calms, and open C tunings. This inspiration will be encapsulated in a range of musical motifs of different skill levels for collaborative playing.
The project was made possible with support and funding from Plymouth City Council, Plymouth Culture, Horizon Community Engagement Fund, Take A Part, Visual Arts Plymouth and The Box, Plymouth.
Video production by: Amber Thorpe and Dajain Daley
Join us for a swim from Plymouth Hoe with some of Devon Wild Swimmers in the morning!
This is a free event, no need to sign up, just meet us for 10.30am down by the beach left of Tinside Lido on Plymouth Hoe.
As a reward for braving the cold waters, you'll be given a free hot drink and sweeties when you attend the film screening in the afternoon!
MATINEE SCREENING AT PLYMOUTH ARTS CINEMA, 2.30PM
Tickets from £4, full price £7. Book your tickets by clicking the link below.
THE PONDS
Dir. Patrick McLennan/Samuel Smith, UK, 2018, 74 mins.
In a world of flux and chaos, it is almost a shock to discover some experiences remain natural, unhurried and unchanged. In the middle of London lies Hampstead Heath, 320 hectares of forest and parkland plus three swimming ponds. People swim in them all year round, whatever the weather, just as they did in the time of Keats and Constable. Capturing the beauty of the English seasons, co-directors Patrick McLennan and Samuel Smith filmed the swimmers over 12 months as they laughed, sang, complained, ruminated, philosophised or simply sought respite from all that life threw at them.
SHORT FILMS PROGRAMME
We will also be screening a programme of short films about wild swimming. This programme will include archive footage from The Box on swimming in Plymouth in the 1920s, as well as the following films:
Chasing the Sublime
Dir. Amanda Bluglass, UK, 2018, 6 mins 40.
Why do we put ourselves into the path of discomfort and risk? What drives us to get too cold and too tired, to battle with fear, in the name of adventure? Follow the originators of The Outdoor Swimming Society, ‘swim twins’ Kate Rew and Kari Furre, in this hauntingly beautiful glimpse at the physicality of UK cold water swimming, as two friends set out to chase the sublime.
Immersive Orchestra: Plymphony No.1 in Sea
As part of the Plymouth Art Weekender and The Atlantic Project, Imperfect Orchestra collaborated with artist Shannon Leah Watson to devise and produce Immersive Orchestra. Performed on 30 September 2018, Immersive Orchestra was a live performance between wild swimmers and amateur musicians. Comprised of over 100 swimmers and 50 guitarists, the performance took place on a beautiful day on Plymouth Hoe, where the participants were surrounded by hundreds of onlookers and audience members.
The wild swimmers 'conducted' the performance of the Guitar Orchestra as their strokes in the water informed the pace of the music, and the number of swimmers effected playing dynamics. Plymphony No. 1 is a live score, composed by Chris Bailey and Tom Richardson of Imperfect Orchestra, and played by a 'Guitar Orchestra' of as many players as possible. The piece is a minimalist composition taking inspiration from wild swimming. It relies on rhythm, repetition, ebbs and flows, swells and calms, and open C tunings. This inspiration will be encapsulated in a range of musical motifs of different skill levels for collaborative playing.
The project was made possible with support and funding from Plymouth City Council, Plymouth Culture, Horizon Community Engagement Fund, Take A Part, Visual Arts Plymouth and The Box, Plymouth.
Video production by: Amber Thorpe and Dajain Daley