Revisiting Priory Park
(Smith, 2008: 113)
Inspired by Blast Theory's 'Rider Spoke' we were intruiged as to how a place can hold many memories and how people can experience place differently.
In 'Rider Spoke' the participants are asked to cycle to a destination that they know and to record their personal memories/input on the site they have chosen.
Following the above advice we thought it would be best to get the locals opinion on the park itself.
So for the next 1 - 2 weeks we interviewed the Priory Park users.
The Questions:
Do you come here regularly?
Why do you come here?
What do you use the space for / what is it used for?
Has anything important happened here?
Do you have a special memory here?
Is there anything you feel is missing from this space?
How do we experience space?
What is our relationship to it?
By exploring our experience of space we can begin to understand how to use, embrace or subvert it.
As site-based performance creators we need to understand the Habitus of the place.
“The habitus provides the basis for explaining a society in relationship to structures. But there is a price to be paid for this explanation. In order to be able to assume that the basis has such a stability, it must be unverifiable, invisible” (Certeau, 1984: 58)
Revisiting the space allows us to gain an understanding of Priory Park and it uses and also by interviewing the users of Priory Park we could gain what the park users may want or need.
"A space exists when one takes into consideration vectors of direction, velocities, and time variables.
Thus space is composed of intersections of mobile elements.
It is in a sense actuated by the ensemble of movements deployed within it.
Space occurs as the effect produced by the operations that orient it, situate it, temporalize it, and make it function in a polyvalent unity of conflictual programs or contractual proximities. (Certeau, 1984: 117)
What did the people respond with?
Events.
Band Stand.
That Cafe.
It's taking far too long.
A Fayre.
Sun Loungers.
An icecream truck.
A rotating bar.
You won't get that in Chichester.
Icecream stand.
Remember leaving school, we came here.
Eat.
Eat.
Picnic.
Eat.
Picnic.
Last day of school.
A bar.
More entertainment.
Live music.
Big shiny gun.
I wish they wouldn't lock it at night.
There was a garden celebration here.
There was some bellydancing.
I had a scorpian on my hand.
Birds of Prey.
Canons.
Snakes.
Exotic.
It's nice to just chill out.
It's just funny.
Football.
Cricket.
No boys allowed.
Fayres.
Various events.
Lovely open space, lovely open park.
Cafe.
Icecream.
Shop.
Food.
Picnic.
The altered playground is a vast improvement for children.
The Guildhall, it used to be a monastry, it's wonderful.
If the Guildhall was open.
People watch.
Please don't leave litter.
Yorks Guildhall is open all the time and it would be nice if something like that was developed.
Flowerbeds.
A water fountain.
Walk around the wall.
Usually watch the cricket when it is on.
Running.
Walking through.
Massive easter egg hunt.
In the summer.
When it's hot.
You aren't allowed dogs in here are you?
Bowls.
Something else to watch.
More entertainment.
A little stage that people could book up and jam.
When it's sunny.
Sitting.
Rounders.
Recreational activities.
An adults playpark.
Bar.
More benches.
A space for people to play football so balls aren't flying everywhere.
A drunk guy.
Swimming pool.
McDonalds.
I've watched a school fight in here.
Mostly fights.
It's just a nice enviroment.
People having fun.
