Posts Tagged ‘Logistics’

Variable 4 Aldeburgh, Days 1+2

Here in Aldeburgh, the first couple of days of setup have been arduous but fun. Thanks to herculean efforts, we’ve now got speaker trenches dug, circuitous cable runs laid, an operational weather station, an ad hoc surround-sound mixing room with iOS remote controls, a networked outhouse via festooned CAT-5, some lightboxed signage and — imminently — a beautifully-printed artists book to mark and document the installation.

Equipment

We’re departing early tomorrow morning to spend a week’s residency at Aldeburgh, to install, develop and fine-tune the piece in situ. To assemble the requisite vanload of materials and equipment without losing the remnants of our sanity, we’ve created the longest kit list known to humankind. Behold.

equipment-list-500

RNLI Dungeness

With its exposed location and amplified speakers, Variable 4 is reliant on having a nearby source of power and shelter. We’re fortunate enough to have both of these things provided for us by RNLI Dungeness, who have been endlessly generous with their time and resources in the development of the project. It’s no exaggeration to say that the installation would not be possible without them in anything like its current form.

The station guards the busy Dover Strait between Folkestone and Rye Bay, in the latest of many incarnations since its inception in 1826. Founded just 2 years after the formation of the RNLI itself, the station’s history is documented in an e-book available on their website: The History of the Dungeness Lifeboats.

Anybody joining us at the weekend will undoubtedly meet several of the crew; they will also be on hand with tea and coffee, providing another vital public service!

Development trip, 7 May 2010

Updates to public transport info

IMPORTANT! For those intending to come down via public transport, please note that we have just corrected our travel information. Turns out that some previous details were out of date; many thanks to Liz Tucker for alerting us.

The recommended route from London is now the National Rail service to Ashford International (38 mins), followed by the 11 bus (timetable, PDF) to the Pilot Inn, which is a couple of minutes’ walk from the site. Do be aware before travelling that buses are relatively infrequent.

And don’t forget that we are also operating direct coaches from London Victoria, departing at 11am and returning at 6pm.

Development trip, 11 April 2010

A constructive Sunday on the coast, meeting the team from RNLI Dungeness – who are supporting Variable 4 with infrastructure and local know-how – and making some speculative field recordings.