Shorelines

Shorelines  

Sat 17 & Sun 18 September

FULL PROGRAMME

Venue:  Grade II* listed Tilbury Cruise Terminal, Ferry Road, Tilbury RM18 7NG

“What greatness had not floated on the ebb of that river into the mystery of an unknown earth!... The dreams of men, the seed of commonwealths, the germs of empires.”

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

I am delighted to have been asked to curate Shorelines Literature weekend as part of the Estuary 2016. The programme this year includes a really dynamic mix of talks and performances, which explore both the historic stretch of waterway of the Thames Estuary and connections to wider stories beyond. Highlights include: Horatio Clare and Rose George on the modern world of seafaring, Syd Moore on sea witches and mythology of the Estuary, adventures from the Principality of Sealand with Prince Michael, studies of the Thames Estuary’s distinctive archaeology by Niall Finneran and Deborah Levy on Virginia Woolfs’ To The Lighthouse. A dedicated film programme and salon space will be showing related events throughout the weekend.

I am personally thrilled to be launching my new book Estuary: Out from London to the Sea (2016, Hamish Hamilton) at the festival. This project has been six years in development and includes an extraordinary chorus of voices from those who have spent their working lives on the Estuary. A special afternoon of events will be happening on Saturday 17 September with writers and thinkers who feature in the book speaking about their own Estuarine projects; Ken Worpole, Patrick Wright and Julian Hoffman amongst others. Everyone is welcome and tickets are free, I really hope to see you at the stunning venue of Tilbury Cruise Terminal for what promises to be a really inspiring and thought provoking weekend of events.

Rachel Lichtenstein, curator, Shorelines

Saturday 17 September 2016

IN THE DEPARTURES LOUNGE

11-11.25am: Where Rivers and Seas Meet: Themes on the Archaeology of Estuaries.

Niall Finneran investigates the particular archeological consideration that Estuaries demand.

11.30-11.55am: Shipwrecks of the Estuary

Graham Scott talks about recent shipwreck and aircraft finds from the Thames Estuary.

12-12.25am: Shackleton’s Man Goes South

Tony White reads from his 2013 novel, set in a world turned upside down by climate change.

1-1.30pm: Tide: The Science and Lore of the Greatest Force on Earth.

The tide rises and falls according to rules that are a mystery to most of us. Author, Hugh Aldersey Williams reveals its effects on civilization.

2-2.20pm: The Passage of Hands

Through words, images and sounds, award-winning author Julian Hoffman explores the correspondences between people and place on a personal journey across the Hoo Peninsula.

2.30-3.10pm: Sea Forts of the Estuary

Rachel Lichtenstein (Estuary: Out from London to the Sea, 2016 Hamish Hamilton) and Prince Michael of Sealand (Holding the Fort, 2015) talk with artists Stephen Turner and Chloe Dewe Mathews about the Sea Forts in the outer reaches of the Thames Estuary.

3.20-3.40pm: An Unfathomable Ship? Uwe Johnson's view of the Richard Mongomery

Prof. Patrick Wright considers the view across the Estuary from the window of the East German novelist who settled on the Isle of Sheppey.

3.50-4.20pm: Portrait of a River

Steven Bode talks to filmmaker Nikolaj Larsen about his recent film and book. (also screened in Shorelines Cinema 2.10pm Sat and 5.05pm Sun).

4.30-5pm: Arrivals and Departures

Ken Worpole draws on the memories of those who worked in London’s dockyards.

5-6pm: Estuary: Out from London to the Sea - Official Launch

Rachel Lichtenstein launches her new book capturing stories of Estuary working lives from Tower Bridge out to Margate in the South and Harwich in the North.

6pm: Trad Shanty Choir performs traditional maritime work songs as well as contemporary songs of the sea.

Saturday 17 September

IN THE SALON

11-11.30am: Fascinating History of the Port of Tilbury

A short introduction to the history of the Port and Cruise Terminal in memory of Jonathan Catton, an archaeologist with a great passion for, and knowledge of, the history of Thurrock.

11.30am-12pm: An Archive of Atmosphere: The Hoo Peninsula.

Anna Falcini looks at the post-industrial, coastal landscape of the Thames Estuary.

12noon - 12.45pm

Estuaire Nantes <> Saint-Nazaire (2007-2016)

French cultural impresario Jean Blaise, a key player in the renaissance of the City of Nantes, shares the trajectory of ‘Estuaire’, a permanent sculpture trail along 65km of the Loire riverbanks and its role in increasing cultural tourism across his region.

1-1.30pm: Canvey Guides Plus Ten

Artist Lucy Harrison reflects on her project 'Canvey Guides' a decade after she first went to the island.

2-2.30pm: Kiddles, Spits, Nipperkins and Willocks

Germander Speedwell reads from her collection of carefully collated lists of things found in the Thames Estuary.

2.30-3pm: The Friction Makes The Pearl

Jane Dolby reads from her novel, Song Of The Sea (2015), telling her true story of loss, grief and her subsequent journey to give a voice to women previously unheard.

3-3.30pm: Radio Waves

Critically acclaimed film-maker, Bob Hickey talks about the making of Radio Waves (screening in the Shorelines Cinema at 11.35am Sat and 2.10pm Sun).

3.30-4pm: Silk River for Re-imagine India

Artist Ali Pretty talks about her new project which brings the communities of the Thames Estuary and the Hooghly River in India together through unlikely connections, shared skills and a love of walking.

4-4.30pm: Vulgar Things

Lee Rourke reads from his novel Vulgar Things (2014 Fourth Estate) described as part mystery, part romance, part odyssey.

Saturday 17 September

IN THE CINEMA

11am:  Towers of Illium by Lynn MacRitchie

Combining themes from Homer’s Iliad with references to the contemporary phenomenon of gang culture.  

Duration:  15min

11.20am:  Estuary England by Simon Robinson

Exploring the area surrounding the QEII crossing at West Thurrock and the pull of the contemporary ‘empire of London’.

Duration:  10min

11.35am:  Radio Waves by Bob Hickey

The incredible true story of Radio City and real life piracy in the Thames Estuary. Featuring powerful interviews with 'the first lady of pirate radio', Dorothy Calvert, and soundtrack from acclaimed DJ Cherrystones aka Godsy.

Duration: 45mins

12.25pm:  Boat People by Sarah Wood

A film essay exploring homelessness and displacement, taking as its starting point the historic version of Britain as a seafaring nation.

Duration: 20mins

1.15pm:  Confluence by Doffy Weir & Dave Draper

Explores changing and contradictory landscapes of the Thames Estuary from Silvertown to the North Sea in a visual essay of impressionistic photographs taken over three years.

Duration: 47mins

2.10pm: Portrait of a River by Nikolaj Bendix Skyum Larsen

Commissioned by Film & Video Umbrella, Nikolaj Bendix Skyum Larsen’s Portrait of a River is an evocative study of the sometimes overlooked, strangely indeterminate landscape through which the Thames cuts its widening course on its journey out to sea. (See talk by Nikolaj in The Departures Lounge - Sat 17 at 3.50pm)

Duration: 81min

3.35pm: Stranger on the Shore (triptych) by Michael Smith and Maxy Bianco

A cycle of short films exploring threshold places: Thames Estuary; Hastings; Whitby. (See talk by artists Sun 18 in The Salon at 3pm)

Duration: 45min

4.25pm:  Terminal Island by Zhu Xiaowen

A visual and psychological journey inside a recycling company in the Port of Los Angeles.

Duration: 11min

4.40pm:  Last Acre by Jacob Cartwright & Nick Jordan

A documentary portrait centred on a remote settlement of self-built shed and cabin homes, located on the sand dunes of England’s north west coastline, near Barrow-in-Furness.

Duration:  12min

PERFORMANCE

Floodtide  

Performances on Lower Landing Stage

Saturday 17 September:  12.50-1.50pm

Sunday 18 September:  12.50-1.50pm

In a live performance that uses algorithmic composition, developed by John Eacott, musicians read notation generated live by the flow of Estuary tide. Features players from the Southend and Thurrock Brass Bands alongside musicians from London and St Nazaire in France. Floodtide is supported by Nortek.

Close 5pm

SUNDAY 18 SEPTEMBER

6am  Raga Dawn

A unique, not to be missed, performance at sunrise by acclaimed vocal performance artist, Caroline Bergvall, with singer Peyee Chen.  A multisensory composition for two voices (spoken and sung), multiple languages and electronic frequencies to accompany and celebrate the rising of day. The work draws on ancient and contemporary musical and literary sunrise traditions, such as troubadour love poetry, while at the same time addresses the linguistic territories of the UK and EU, specifically languages that are endangered or at risk, and those that are emerging.  Composition by Gavin Bryars. Site-specific sound design by Sam Grant. Followed by a communal breakfast.

Performance starts at exactly 6.38am - the official moment of Sunrise that day.

Tickets are free / BOOK HERE.
Limited amount of seats available on our shuttles from London and Southend.


Sunday 18 September 2016

IN THE DEPARTURES LOUNGE

11-11.25am: Seawitches and Sirens: Echoes of past lives in the Estuary

Mystery writer Syd Moore shares her research into the myths surrounding the Estuary.

11.30-11.55am: Black Mariners on C18th Estuary

Author and curator, Steve Martin gives an overview of the Black presence in South Essex and North Kent with centuries-long seafaring connections.

12-12.25pm: Wrecked on the Intertidal Zone

Graham Harwood presents YoHa’s ongoing enquiry into the Thames Estuary that uses art to stir up the murky, muddy world of South Essex.

1.30-2.30pm: Ninety Percent of Everything: Inside the Invisible World of Shipping

Rose George (Deep Sea and Foreign Going, Portobello Books, 2013) discusses the modern world of seafaring with Horatio Clare (Down to the Sea with Ships, Vintage, 2015).

2.40-3.10pm: Estuary Audio Unearthed

Alan Dein introduces his sonic travelogue of the sounds and voices of Estuary life in conjunction with the London Sound Survey.

3.10-3:40pm: Public Record: Estuary

Justin Hopper’s audio poetry project explores the landscape of Leigh-on-Sea, creating poetry from C19th newspaper reports of minor shipwrecks and calamities.

3.40-4.10pm: Beside the Sea in Wartime

Roma Tearne (The Last Pier, Nova, 2015) and Alison MacLeod (Unexploded, Hamish Hamilton, 2013) talk about their novels set beside the sea in wartime.

4.20-4.50pm: To the Lighthouse

Deborah Levy (Swimming Home, Faber & Faber, 2012) discusses Virginia Woolf’s seminal novel, To The Lighthouse.

5-5.30pm: The Sea Is an Edge and an Ending

Lavinia Greenlaw introduces her Estuary 2016 artwork that is a study of the impact of dementia.



Sunday 18 September 2016

IN THE SALON

11-11.30am: Fascinating History of the Port of Tilbury

A short introduction to the history of the Port and Cruise Terminal in memory of Jonathan Catton, an archaeologist with a great passion for, and knowledge of, the history of Thurrock.

11.30-12noon: Floodtide

John Eacott introduces his unique live performance in which musicians read notation generated live by the flow of tide. (Live performances each day on the Lower Landing Stage at 12.50pm each day).

12-12.30pm: Beyond the Point

Joe Mander and Liam Heatherson present Beyond the Point, their award-winning organisation dedicated to revealing the unseen history of South-East Essex.

1-1.30pm: A Garden City for Gravesend

The story of pioneering Victorian gardener J C Loudon and Milton-on-Sea, told by one of the UK’s finest pop culture historians, Travis Elborough.

2-2:30pm: I am the ship, the ship is me

Artist Anne Lydiat shares stories from her recent PhD researching women who have voyaged as artists, explorers and wives. Visit her work on Rock on the Lower Landing Stage.

2.30-3pm: Quennets/Elementary Estuaries

Philip Terry reads from his poetry volume Elementary Estuaries along the Essex coastline.

3-3.30pm:  Stranger on the Shore

Michael Smith and Maxy Bianco talk about the making of their triptych film essay travelling the UK coastline. (followed by a screening at 3.50pm in our Shorelines Cinema).

Sunday 18 September 2016

IN THE CINEMA

11am:  Concurrence by Doffy Weir & Dave Draper
Explores changing and contradictory landscapes of the Thames Estuary from Silvertown to the North Sea in a visual essay of impressionistic photographs taken over three years.

Duration: 47mins

11.55am:  The Forgotten Space

Allan Sekula and Noel Burch

Interviews, archive footage and old movies result in an essayistic documentary that follows the journey of a container cargo aboard ships, barges, trains and trucks.

Duration: 132min

2.10pm:  Radio Waves by Robert Hickey

The incredible true story of Radio City and real life piracy in the Thames Estuary. Featuring powerful interviews with 'the first lady of pirate radio', Dorothy Calvert, and soundtrack from acclaimed DJ Cherrystones aka Godsy.

Duration: 45mins

3pm:  Towers of Illium by Lynn MacRitchie

Combining themes from Homer’s Iliad with references to the contemporary phenomenon of gang culture.  

Duration:  15min

3.20pm:  Estuary England by Simon Robinson

Exploring the area surrounding the QEII crossing at West Thurrock and the pull of the contemporary ‘empire of London’.

Duration:  10min

3.35pm:  Last Acre by Jacob Cartwright & Nick Jordan

A documentary portrait centred on a remote settlement of self-built shed and cabin homes, located on the sand dunes of England’s north west coastline, near Barrow-in-Furness.

Duration:  12min

3.50pm: Stranger on the Shore (triptych) by Michael Smith and Maxy Bianco

A cycle of short films exploring threshold places: Thames Estuary; Hastings; Whitby.

(See talk by artists Sun 18 in The Salon at 3pm)

Duration: 45min

4.40pm: Boat People by Sarah Wood

A film essay exploring homelessness and displacement, taking as its starting point the historic version of Britain as a seafaring nation.

Duration: 20mins

5.05pm: Portrait of a River by Nikolaj Bendix Skyum Larsen

Commissioned by Film Video Umbrella Nikolaj Bendix Skyum Larsen’s Portrait of a River is an evocative study of the sometimes overlooked, strangely indeterminate landscape through which the Thames cuts its widening course on its journey out to sea.

Duration: 81min

Close 6.20pm

ALL WEEKEND:-

Points of Departure

Multiple Sites

New and existing works by 25 contemporary artists in Tilbury Cruise Terminal, waterborne venues on the Thames and across the river in Gravesend, Kent.  Works explore the landscape, history and rich culture of the Thames Estuary reflecting themes of arrival, departure, migration and connection, and nationhood via the estuary out to the wider world.  New commissions, many developed in residency at Metal in Southend are exhibited alongside existing work related to the place.

Cafe Valise

Lower Landing Stage

Call in for a well-earned coffee at Metal’s artist-designed pop up cafe. Tea, Coffee and Cake with an unrivalled Estuary View.

Bookshop

Arrivals Lounge

Books, Films, Vinyl and other editions in our Estuary 2016 bookshop. With opportunities for getting your copies signed by artists and speakers.

Living Archive

Arrivals Lounge

Do you have an Estuary related tale to tell? Visit our audio booth to record your story to add to the growing archive at The Riverside Project, Bata and Essex Cultural Diversity Project.

Mudlarking

Arrivals Lounge

Artist Nicola White exhibited some of her finds from the shorelines of the Thames Estuary.

Family Activities

Courtyard Spaces

Across the weekend we had a host of family activities for you to join in with, including:-

Artist-led workshops and discovery trails help you achieve a Discover Arts Award certificate in just one day - finished off with your opportunity to host your very own Private View in our Beach Hut gallery.

The trail of artist-designed Beach Huts – with poetry, workshops, films, exhibitions and storytelling for and by young people.

From Port to Fort

12noon & 3pm

A stroll along the river wall from Tilbury Cruise Terminal to Tilbury Fort where a 'Surprise Guest' invited walkers inside for a short preview. Accessible for buggies and wheelchairs. Organised by Tilbury Riverside Project.

Duration: 90 minutes

In partnership with Annie O'Brien at The Tilbury Riverside Project www.tilburyriverside.co.uk

Subversive Flag Making

Sat 17 & Sun 18 Sept 2-4pm

Katrin Albrecht was aboard the historic lightship to help you create your own artwork inspired by Cut From the Same Cloth, her installation of 11 cut up and reassembled flags flying in Gravesend High Street during Estuary 2016.
Venue: LV21, Town Pier Pontoon, DA11 0BG.

Access All Areas

For Estuary 2016 we arranged some exclusive guided tours by foot, bus and boat into some of the Estuary’s secret spaces that are – in the usual way of things – not open to the public.  

Port of London Authority:  Port Control Centre

Port of Tilbury:  Tour by bus

Port of Tilbury:  Tour by boat

Royal Opera House: Inspiration Day

DP World London Gateway Port

Main Event Photo: Simon Fowler - www.simon-fowler.co.uk