‘Mutual Effects’ is art as social research, a tapestry of sound drawing on interests in deep mapping and the Mass Observation movement to connect spaces of care, co-operation and conviviality in a northern British city during COVID-19.
Through historical and contemporary prisms of grassroots food activism, a loose narrative moves between field recordings of a pedestrian pilgrimage to Edward Carpenter’s former Derbyshire farm commune, to the sound of 45kg of rescued peas being shelled in a communal kitchen, and through a range of conversations that lay out stark realities of austerity and hostility in the shadow of the monolithic post-European state. Woven through the recordings is music from the sonic commons of DIY music collectives from Sheffield (and beyond in some cases), all made and released during lockdown.
The project is a collaboration between Out.Side.Film and Al McGregor, with support from Ivor Davies, and focuses on the work of Foodhall, Open Kitchen Social Club and National Food Service
Transcription of the podcast in English.
Transcription of the podcast in French.
With the participation of:
0’00″/ Introduction to Edward Carpenter’s ’Civilisation, It’s Causes and Cure’ (1889}. Read by Ivor Davies
1’41” / Walking from Edward Carpenter’s former farm commune in Mi\tthorpe in Derbyshire to Foodhall in Sheffield city centre. Introducing the walkers:
Ivor Davies works transnationally on learning and research in the cultural and social fields, from a base in Sheffield.
Carissa Honeywell is a senior lecturer in politics at Sheffield Hallam University, specialising in anarchist political thought, and non violent communication (NVC) practices. Her book ‘A conceptual introduction to anarchism’ is coming out on 2nd Nov 2020. Ian Nesbitt is a socially engaged artist, filmmaker and cultural worker based in Sheffield. He is a co- founder of Open Kitchen Social Club and co-runs ‘Two Foot Left’, a weekly radio DJ mix showcasing the best of sonic DIY culture from Sheffield and worldwide.
5’37 ” / Nick Jonah Davis — ’Placebound Spirits’ from Placebound Spirits e.p, self- released May 2020. Recorded in and around the housing co-op where Nick lives in rural Derbyshire
8’30” / Walking from Bloc Studios to former site of Commonwealth Cafe on Scotland Street with artist Yuen Fong Ling.
Yuen is an artist, curator and researcher based in Sheffield whose art project ’Towards Memorial’ “explores the question ‘What do you stand for?’ by remaking a pair of sandals designed and made by the socialist writer, poet and activist Edward Carpenter (1844-1929).”
10’19” / Front of house, Foodhall.
“Foodhall is a community and cultural centre in Sheffield. It is managed in an open co-operative way, using new models of collective organising to actively solve some of societies biggest issues, tackling social isolation, encouraging integration and making a real difference where it matters the most. During the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic our emergency food parcel response has fed over 12,000 people in the City, and volunteers have given over 7,000 hours of their time.”
11’53” / C, volunteer, Foodhall
14’34” / Kitchen, Open Kitchen Social Club. “Established in 2014, Open Kitchen Social Club is a nomadic social eating project, which until March 2020 was operating three weekly cafes in different community spaces in Sheffield city centre. We provide food, support, and a place to meet for destitute asylum seekers, refugees, migrants and anyone in food and social poverty. Food is free of charge to ensure that it is accessible and sustainable to those in the most need. Since March we have been running a delivery service of cooked meals prepared by us and food parcels from our partners Beanies Wholefoods, The Bhaji Shop and Burngreave Foodbank, delivering to around 90 people a week.”
20’15” / Kitchen, Open Kitchen 20’47” / K, co-founder, Open Kitchen 22’40” / Kitchen, Open Kitchen
23’43” / Walking with artist Yuen Fong Ling
(details above)
25’58” / Mzylklpop ft. Regal Worm — ‘Ancient Bones’, featured on ‘Now That’s What I Call Quarantine volume 1’, released by Prole Jazz, April 2020
27’36” / Walking from Millthorpe to Foodhall (details above)
29’14” / Extract from a sermon preached by the Rev. Edward Carpenter at St. Edward’s Church, Cambridge, November 1872.
Subsequently titled: ‘On the International League’ and adapted in 2009 by the Rev. John Peirce for The Edward Carpenter Forum. Read by Ivor Davies
32’11” / Walking from Millthorpe to Foodhall (details above)
33’23” / Kitchen, Open Kitchen 33’38” / F, co-founder, Open Kitchen
36’58” / Giovanni Verga — ‘Hypothesis 0’ featured on ‘Danse Macabre volume 4’ compilation released by Objet-A, April 2020. OBJET-A is a label founded in the early 90’s by the Italian composer and saxophone player 常 楽 Gianni Gebbia.
37’36” / K, Open Kitchen community member
40’17” / R, Open Kitchen community member
44’55” / Ricardo Pittau, Matteo Scano – ‘Fluttering On A Cosmic Wind’ featured on ‘Danse Macabre volume 4’ compilation released by Objet-A, April 2020
46’05” / Delivery round, Open Kitchen
48’17” / R and son, Open Kitchen community members
49’54” / H, with 2 daughters and 1 son, Open Kitchen community members
53’35” / Traint — ’Pure Foily’ featured on ‘Echo From Below: new music from Hatch volume 1′ released by Hatch, June 2020. Hatch is a DIY collective, practice room and venue in Sheffield. “We’re a proud collective of disparate and strange individuals, all united in the joy of music and chaos.”
55’07” / A, Open Kitchen community member and delivery driver
61’13” / Front of house, Foodhall
64’29” / U, Foodhall volunteer and international student. ” I’m from India and I reside in the UK on a Tier-4 Student Visa. My immigration status comes with no recourse to UK public funds. I was able to afford to come & live in the UK in September 2018 due to a student loan from an Indian bank. In the last 2 years in Sheffield, I have endured multiple acts of discriminatory abuse based on racism & ableism. This has rendered me dysfunctional to study & work while inflicting a significant toll on my health. I am currently very ill (physically and psychologically) and can barely study productively, and pursuing gainful employment is impossible. I also have multiple learning difficulties (ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia). I would like to request your help with paying off my current rent arrears and student loan, in order to save my family home.
67’38” / Front of House, Foodhall
68’01” / S, Foodhall community member 74’41” / Kitchen, Foodhall
75’22” / B, community food manager, Foodhall
77’10” / S, kitchen volunteer, Foodhall
77’34” / Walking from Millthorpe, to Foodhall
78’03” / M, Open Kitchen community member
84’30” / Bulbils — ‘The Congregation’, from ‘Spring’, self-released April 2020. ‘Spring’ is the ninth of 49 albums recorded and released by Bulbils during lockdown
85’07” / Walking with artist Yuen Fong Ling
87’02” / Extract from Edward Carpenter’s autobiography ‘Ivy Days and Dreams’ (1916) chapter 7 – Sheffield and Socialism.
Read by Ivor Davies
89’50” / N, Open Kitchen community member
95’46” / Cellar Dweller — ’We’ll Meet In Dreams Outside’ from ‘Light Entries #1’ compilation released by Light Entries, May 2020
97’18” / S, Co-ordinator, National Food Service. “The National Food Service is a new public service, built by and for the communities that it serves. Our aim is to eliminate food insecurity and tackle the interconnected issues of social isolation and food waste. We are building a National Food Service right now, with communities across the country stretching from Glasgow to Falmouth. This network of initiatives is providing proof that a National Food Service is possible if we connect. The growth of a grassroots National Food Service will be the seed for bigger change.”
100’38” / Walking from Miflthorpe to Foodhall
101’37” / B, community food manager, Foodhall
102’10” / U, Foodhall volunteer and international student
104’07” / Phoneutrian — ’Landwaste’ featured on ‘Echo From Below: new music from Hatch volume 1’ (details above)
105’27” / K, co-founder, Open Kitchen
106’29” / S, Open Kitchen community member
108’48” / Walking from Millthorpe to Foodhall
110’37″ / Cellar Dweller — ‘We’ll meet In
Dreams Outside’ (details above)
111’36” / Walking from Millthorpe to Foodhall
113’38″ / Nick Jonah Davis — ‘Young Twigs’ from Placebound Spirits e.p (details above)
114’44″ / K, Open Kitchen community member