A festival taking place this month is aiming to answer big questions such as what does the future of Coventry sound like and how accurately do blockbuster sci-fi space films like Gravity nail the actual science?

During October the University of Warwick’s Resonate Festival for Coventry City of Culture 2021 is looking into the future – with five immersive sound installations and a mini-film festival combining screenings with talks about the real research taking place in the city.

Four films addressing future issues on space, androids and architecture will be shown during The Apocalypse is Now! which launched on Saturday October 16 and runs until Thursday October 21 at the newly-opened revamped Warwick Arts Centre, following its £25 million makeover.

From climate change and the impact of space junk to replacement of human beings by robots and androids, this short film festival combines the latest research at the University of Warwick with screenings accompanied by introductory talks and post-show discussions. The films and documentaries featured are:

• Gravity - Saturday October 16 - 2.30pm

This science fiction thriller is based around space junk and the disasters it can cause. First described some 40 years ago, the chain-reaction of debris formation is known as the Kessler effect. In his pre-show talk, Professor Don Pollacco, Director of Warwick’s new Centre for Space Domain Awareness, focused on the issue of space waste, the truth behind the Kessler effect and what it means for our skies in the future.

• Homo Sapiens – Tuesday October 19 - 6.30pm

Often classed as a documentary, this film combines static, wordless shots of abandoned derelict places around the world. Because there are no humans to be seen in these images, the film suggests a postapocalyptic era when humanity is no more. The pre-screening talk will draw upon research relating to Dr Tiago de Luca’s forthcoming book, Planetary Cinema: Film, Media and the Earth and the increasing awareness of Anthropocene – the human impact on Earth which has become a geological force.

• Paradise Lost: History in the Making - Wednesday October 20 - 6pm

Filmmaker Andy Howlett’s documentary on the final days of Birmingham's condemned Central Library complex. Decried by the local authority as an eyesore but hailed by Historic England as an exemplar of post-war design, the story of this concrete colossus and the fight to save it weaves together archive footage with on-the-ground explorations. Dr Otto Saumarez Smith (architectural historian and author of Boom Cities: Architect Planners and the Politics of Radical Urban Renewal in 1960s Britain) and Andy Howlett lead the post-show Q&A discussion around what we can learn about the forces that shape a city?

• Ich Bin Dein Mensch (I’m your man) - Thursday 21 October - 4.45pm

An “AI rom-com” exploring the blossoming relationship between a female archaeologist and her male companion robot. What will relationships look like when our partners are artificial people? The introductory talk from Liam Rogers (PhD Researcher, Film and Television) will look at the ways in which the film plays with the long-standing tradition of the male-created idealised, artificial woman and explore themes of control, agency and authorship to show how the film offers a timely, female-directed image of a particular future.

This event will be followed by a special one-night only showcase, Sampling Sounds of Coventry’s Future, at Commonground, FarGo Village, 4pm – 8pm on Friday October 29 - as part of FarGo Lates – with artists, composers, sound designers, and performers coming together to answer the question: What does the future of Coventry sound like? 

This will take multiple creative forms, including performances, poetry, visual projections, as well as turntablists mixing compositions and recorded performances constructed from collected sounds, some of which will have been printed on vinyl. Events include:

• Sarah Farmer’s Godivari Lost and Found - In this playful, sci-fi inspired audio-visual installation, Birmingham-based sound artist and musician Sarah Farmer explores sound, music and culture and the possibilities and failings of data storage from the perspective of a mystery violin found in Coventry Music Museum. 
• Natsu - Sampling the Future Sound of Coventry - an audio-visual installation consisting of three short films with sampled soundtracks using vintage and modern equipment and methods each focussing on Coventry characteristics: Transport & Industry, People & Communities and Buildings & Environment.
• Adele Reed - Small Folk Found Sounds – a fun interpretation and experience based around the future sounds of the city. Created through the ears of the next generation, young people of Coventry have produced a unique and inspiring sensory experience that reflects and challenges awareness of our environment. 
• Jitey Samra and Tarla Patel - North Side of the City – part of the fabric of the city, Stoney Stanton Road (pictured, above) has been a main thoroughfare for pre-war munitions factories, sea cadets and the post-war migration from former colonies. Evocative and thought-provoking, past and present combine in this soundscape and visual narrative based around British South Asian and contemporary Coventrian culture.
• Iain Emsley - Unheard City - as we walk around the city, devices and networks are making themselves known at frequencies humans cannot hear. Using a mobile app developed specifically for this project, listen in to captured samples of these signals and discover the digital futures sounds that keep us connected.

Tying in with this, The Godivari – A Guided Music Walk by sound artist and trained violinist Sarah Farmer explored the sound, music and culture of Coventry’s musical history. The walk, which took place on Sunday October 17, started at FarGo Village and ended at Coventry Music Museum taking in Swan Lane where the studio of famous Arthur Rowley, the maker of the nicknamed ‘Godivarius’ violin, once stood.

It also delved into stories of electronic music pioneer Delia Derbyshire, Sound System culture and Steel Pan competitions, UK Bhangra and Fairport Convention’s Dave Swarbrick.

Tickets and further information:

• The Apocalypse is Now! runs until Thursday October 21 at Warwick Arts Centre. Visit here The Apocalypse is Now! for full details.
• Sampling Sounds of Coventry’s Future, Friday October 29, The Box, Fargo Village (CV1 5ED), 4 -7pm. Visit Sampling Sounds of Coventry’s Future — Resonate Festival for more details.
• To find out more information about the year-long Resonate Festival visit www.resonatefestival.co.uk and @warwickengages on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Photo information: The Stoney Stanton Road image is part of the Jitey Samra and Tarla Patel installation in Sampling Sounds

18 October 2021