Hear us O Lord ... using sound and Malcolm Lowry's short stories to create a new vocabulary for re-imagining plastic-filled seas.

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Hear us O Lord from heaven thy dwelling place: using sound and Malcolm Lowry's short stories to create a new vocabulary for re-imagining plastic-filled seas.Our seas are polluted with eight million metric tons of plastic every year and microplastics have found their way into humans through the food chain. How do we process such statistics and scenarios? How and where can we network to create new artefacts that present the problem differently? To reflect and act upon this extraordinary state, we wish to develop a cross-disciplinary network that meets at sea and produces new audio content with the clear overall aim of finding a new vocabulary for re-imagining our plastic-filled seas. We will explore what happens when a Practice-As-Research methodology brings academics and creatives together at sea to mingle with members of the public and uses the short stories of Malcolm Lowry and sound recording as catalysts to re-imagine our plastic-filled seas. We feel that this network, building upon previous Lowry research, will benefit not only those sectors involved but, through the free podcasts, be of use in educational, entertainment and artistic contexts. We are observing many students attempting to make work about plastic pollution but their references are limited and primarily visual. How can we instead use listening and a fresh set of literary references to generate new content?The research will use sound under the guidance of one of the world's leading sound recordists, Chris Watson, who has used audio to encourage us to rethink our immediate and global surrounds. His award-winning natural history work with David Attenborough has given Watson a unique insight into the relationship between the environment and sound. Malcolm Lowry was born on Merseyside in 1909 and named his collection of short maritime stories 'Hear us O Lord ...' after an Isle of Man hymn. His writing will be the catalyst for our network that will meet at sea during six crossings between Liverpool and Isle of Man. Lowry's stories presciently explore the impact of oil refineries on coasts and the significance of sea travel writing. During each 4-hour crossing, researchers will mingle with members of the public and ferry staff to record short interviews, Lowry passages and abstract sounds. Each crossing will be programmed around specific themes, outlined in Case for Support, and each journey will have professionally delivered sound recording workshops, Malcolm Lowry readings and informal participation. We are proposing an exciting network who will meet at sea, including:The Retail Institute, liaising between the packaging industry and retailers such as Asda, Waitrose and NestleThe Art Doctors, an artists' group engaging the public in unusual contextsBluecoat, Liverpool's centre for contemporary art and Lowry advocates through their 'Lowry Lounge' programmeMariners' Park, retirement facility on Merseyside for those with 25-years experience at seaThe Band of Holy Joy, sound collage musicians/broadcastersDr Jessica Van Horssen, expert in plastic pollution and part of eXXpedition networkMerseyside Maritime Museum, National Museums Liverpool The network will be led by visual/sound artist Dr Alan Dunn (Leeds Beckett University) and Malcolm Lowry expert and poet Dr Helen Tookey (Liverpool John Moores University) who previously collaborated on 'The Lighthouse Invites the Storm' conference, audio event, public artwork and limited edition CD. Outputs from this new network include:'Hear us O Lord' one-hour podcasts, 2020-22'Hear us O Lord' two episodes of BAD PUNK by Band of Holy Joy, ResonanceFM'The Lowry Lounge' art exhibition and live readings, Bluecoat'Sea Galleries' digital display, Merseyside Maritime Museum'Using Lowry and sound to tackle sea pollution' guest edited issue of 'Design Ecologies''Plastic at sea, with Lowry', researchers' network presentation, The Retail Institute annual seminar