Lost and Found

Lost and Found is a free, public audio installation, created and set in 12 locations along a route through Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. The audio is embedded into 12 sonic vista™ benches, located at points along a route through the town centre. Powered by solar panels, each contains 2 episodes, each between 5-10 minutes long.

The audio is accessed by plugging in any pair of standard headphones to an input, set into each arm of the bench. For those who do not own headphones, sets are available from Barrow Public Library on Ramsden Square.

To the best of our knowledge Lost and Found is the first project of this kind anywhere and we are very grateful to Irene Faith and Barrow Borough Council for giving us the opportunity to do it.

Local writers were commissioned to create short stories and poems, which use the physical setting of each bench as inspiration for its subject matters. By superimposing imaginary characters and narratives onto the existing landscape, magic and beauty is discovered in the mundane and familiar.

The stories on the left side of each bench are ‘overheard’ episodes from the lives of a selection of imaginary and diverse Barrow residents, loosely connected by a couple of mysterious recurring characters; Cowboy Keith and the lonely but cheerily optimistic Scottish cyclist!

The right side of each bench contains a second episode – a poem or short story – chosen to complement or elaborate on the theme of character featured on the other end.

Intended as a pilot scheme, it is our hope that these particular episodes be replaced in time by new ones. The sonic vista™ benches will become a new public forum for writers, musicians, audio artists and anyone with a story to tell.

Lost and Found was only made possible through the generosity of a large number of people who gave freely of their time, talent and enthusiasm over the course of a year. To all those who helped along the was we extend massive thanks and congratulations, in particular to Kate Davis and Ann Wilson without whose incredible effort it could not have happened.

We hope that both residents and visitors to Barrow will enjoy the project as much as we did making it.

Mil and Ben