Exhibition

The Sounds from the Park exhibition uses oral histories and images from the Speakers’ Corner archive at Bishopsgate Institute to explore what Speakers’ Corner means to those who speak, heckle and listen there and how it has changed over time.

The exhibition is in two parts, part one explores the history and changing nature of Speakers’ Corner. Part two showcases eight intriguing individuals who have spoken, heckled or taken part in Speakers’ Corner over the years.

It was displayed at Bishopsgate Institute, during December 2013 – May 2014. It can now be viewed online here. An audio soundtrack to the exhibition can be downloaded here. The track numbers correspond to specific panels of the exhibition.

A free booklet accompanies the exhibition. Download a pdf here or read it online here.

An original artwork by Annette Fry The Film Strip  accompanied the exhibition. The Film Strip used scanned film negatives of Speakers’ Corner images (taken in 1964 by Moyra and Rodger Peralta) to create a translucent covering for the windows of Bishopsgate Kitchen. See a detail here. Annette Fry says

“These panels have been made in response to the photographs of Rodger and Moyra Peralta, and the stream of my own memories of the ’50s and ’60s, a journey to Speakers’ Corner on my fathers shoulder, flashes of images that come back through time.”

Annette Fry is an artist working with time, space and memory, using site specific installation, sound and video to evoke fleeting moments, and challenge our possible realities. She can be contacted by email here or on 0795 222 3518.

About the project

Sounds from the Park is a unique oral and visual history of Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park: the UK’s last great open air oratory site.

Read more about the project

Radio show

Our radio show can be listened to here.

Listen to the radio show