After a bit of emailing back and forth, we got permission to record at the Guelph Farmer’s Market. I did up some information sheets and borrowed extra equipment. In general I think of sound recording, like any other artform done in public, as an experiment into interaction, but this time I felt anxiety to ensure people recording and being recorded felt safe and secure and ethical. It reminded me of many site-specific art projects I have seen and participated in, the choices you make about how to frame an authorise the activities. Do you ask permission or not? Do you let people know what is happening or let them ask? Do you frame the work for audiences, or let it stand alone mixing in with daily practice in the space? How much do you let people’s concerns about privacy, offence, interruptions, noise, use of puclic space, safety etc. affect or change or shape the way you make your art? In this case, with people new to recording and a site which is partly public, partly commercial, I chose to ask permission (the vendors were informed we were coming) and frame the recording process as much as possible for anyone that seemed concerned through information sheets etc. Ironically, only three people came to record, and we really weren’t even a ripple in the busy market, but the thinking work was important and will shape future field recording sessions. We may do further sessions in this space as some people couldn’t make it and were interested in recording there another day.
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ICASP is a Major Collaborative Research Initiative, based at the University of Guelph, sponsored by the SSHRC
