Missorts, my permanent public soundwork for Bristol, is part of the inaugural Bristol Art Weekender which runs from 2-5 May 2014 — the May Day bank holiday weekend. Here‘s the blurb about the event:

For the first time in Bristol art organisations and artists have come together to stage a weekend celebration of art across this city. From 2-5 May you’ll have the chance to discover exhibitions by leading and emerging artists, go behind the scenes at over 70 artists studios, explore new artworks in unexpected locations and attend one-off events.

Missorts was inspired by Bristol’s radical literary heritage, and is set in Redcliffe, an area that lies to the west of Bristol Temple Meads railway station. Redcliffe is the birthplace of the poet Thomas Chatterton, whose childhood home is about all that remains of a warren of streets that once crowded up to the steps and the spectacular Gothic north porch of St Mary Redcliffe. The soundwork features ten original and interconnected short stories by Sara Bowler, Holly Corfield-Carr, Thomas Darby, Jack Ewing, Katrina Plumb, Jess Rotas, Hannah Still, Helen Thornhill, Isabel de Vasconcellos and Sacha Waldron, and is accompanied by Portwall Preludes, a series of striking new musical works specially commissioned from composer Jamie Telford for St Mary Redcliffe’s spectacular Harrison and Harrison organ.

If you are travelling down to the Bristol Art Weekender, I would recommend loading Missorts on to your phone in advance (more info here) and then starting up the app — putting your headphones on — as soon as you arrive at Bristol Temple Meads station. Walking west from either of the station’s exits you will find yourself in the work. You might want to orientate yourself by looking at the map on your phone’s screen every now and then, but equally you might just want to wander around and see where the music and the stories take you.

If you do experience Missorts as part of the Bristol Art Weekender, I would love to hear what you think.

There is some deep background to Missorts in blogposts from the development and production process here, here and here

If you want to get a flavour of the work, here is David Bickerstaff’s short documentary about Missorts, including interviews with me, Michael Smith, composer Jamie Telford and some of the authors I brought in to the project.

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Click here to download the Bristol Art Weekender 2014 guide as a PDF.

Missorts by Tony White is a permanent public artwork for Bristol that is delivered directly to your smartphone as a mobile app. To download the app you will need a 3G, GPRS or WiFi data connection. This app works on Apple iPhone iOS 5 & Android v2.2, and above, only. If you do not have a smartphone, you can borrow a preloaded device from Bristol Central and Bedminster Libraries, on production of a library card. Click here to find out more about Missorts.