Dear Fellow Art Lovers,
A lot has changed in the world since my last newsletter in the autumn of 2019. Star and I hope you and your families are all keeping safe and well.
As you probably are already aware, the audio descriptive tour of the Barbican’s “Masculinities: Liberty Through Photography” exhibition, which was to take place on the 31st of March, was cancelled as the Barbican Centre closed its doors for lockdown. However, as restrictions begin to ease, the Barbican has, as of July 13th, reopened its gallery spaces, and the run of the “Masculinities” exhibition has been extended until Sunday, August 23rd.
Careful distancing measures have been put in place, such as a well organised one-way system through the exhibition, and admission to the exhibition is only via timed, pre-booked tickets (available here: https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2020/event/masculinities-liberation-through-photography). And although the live AD tour has not been rescheduled due to the continued restrictions on meeting in groups, Rachel Williams from the Barbican and I have prepared an online version of the tour, which you can listen to either, from the comfort of your own favourite cozy chair at home with a glass of Pims, or iced tea, or if you are ready to have a day out, you can listen to the recordings on your mobile phone or tablet while you are exploring the gallery. If you need assistance through the exhibition then email, tickets@barbican.org.uk .
With the expert assistance of Chris Bayley, assistant curator of the “Masculinities” exhibition, I selected eight works to describe. Each recording starts off with an explanation of the associated part of the exhibition, and a brief background of the artist and work, then there is a detailed audio description of each photo or a selection of photos from a photo series.
Here is the link for the virtual AD tour:
https://sites.barbican.org.uk/masculinities-audiodescription/#article
Since this is my first time creating an online tour I would love listeners’ feedback – what did and did not work for you? What would you add/subtract to improve the tour? Please let me know at lisa@lisasquirrel.com.
Star and I wish you sunshine and safety for the remainder of the summer. Star has decided that from a dog’s perspective more outdoor activities as a result of lockdown has not been all bad, lots of walks in woods and fields.
Do take care,
Lisa and Star
