Friday 8 June 2018

Berlin Umbrella Launch June, 2018

The launch on June 3rd of Berlin Umbrella was a great success. 'Take a poem for a walk in the park,'  suggested  Sonja to passers by.  We had lots of takers,especially after  people started walking round the park and the banner on top of the umbrella streaming in the breeze intrigued more people and they came in search of us.

 Everyone said how moved they were by it. I was taken aback and thrilled to have this reaction. The combination of poetry and sound together listened to within an umbrella whilst walking through a park  had an arresting and magical effect.
Jane McKie lost in contemplation listening to the poetry/sound.



One participant,  my friend Janie,  came all the way from Scotland to Berlin to hear it. This is what she wrote afterwards:

'The Umbrellas in Viktoria Park in Berlin are a storming (!) success. They really bring Steph's beautiful words to life and Sonja has created a wonderful immersive soundtrack and the reading/voicing (there are multiple voices) feels intimate in a semipermeable as you stroll around the park - you are aware of sights and sounds from the park threading in and out of the soundtrack of water/percussion/voice. It makes you more acutely aware of both somehow. Many of the visitors commented on how moving the experience was and I also experienced it as an emotional as well as an aesthetic journey.'

And we had  some  unexpected reactions too!

Two further events  to come on Sundays 10th  and 17th June in Viktoria Park,  Kreuzberg,  Berlin 2 till 6.

Sonja Heyer and Stephanie Green





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