…and the living is easy – at least, that’s according to Gershwin. I’m sure none of you are particularly surprised to hear that my summer has been absolutely packed. It’s an honourable tradition in the Owen family to fill the holidays with all kinds of exciting things – so, why break the habit of a lifetime? (Although, the fact that I got into Good Omens in a big way could probably account for where a good portion of that time has gone…)
Look Wilder
So, one of the bigger projects that I got involved with was a production called Look Wilder which was undertaken in conjunction with the Cumbria Wildlife Trust. I haven’t actually spoken much about this because it’s still not quite finished, but we’re approaching the final edit, and I’m very excited. Look Wilder is a TV show a group of us students devised; using a short format to explore some important topics such as health, education and culture. I took on the role of producer to expand my skills further (but possibly also because I have no sense of self-preservation).
We booked a shooting date in for the middle of May, and then spent the few weeks leading up to it frantically getting VTs shot and edited, and locking down a crew for the main event (which ended up being more difficult than expected). The day itself went pretty well, and I think it’s safe to say everyone had a really enjoyable time on set.
We had planned to shoot outside, and we were able to shoot a couple of external sequences, but shortly before lunch the heavens well and truly opened so I made the decision that we really needed to shoot inside. This actually worked out really well – it felt a little like a TV studio, and was a great space to film interviews. I watched back some of the footage with the director on the day and was absolutely thrilled by what I saw!
I had a fantastic time producing this piece of work, and I’m really looking forward to sharing the final cut with you all (hopefully soon!). I was so happy to have a chance to develop my producing portfolio further, and working on a much shorter timescale than I’m used to – that’s something that will definitely help me in the future. Excitingly, this project caught the attention of the local press. Imagine my excitement when I found that a double-page spread of the project appeared in the Cumberland News! What an experience!
30 Days Wild
Towards the end of May I was handed a thick envelope by the Cumbria Wildlife Trust. In it was an education pack about the 30 Days Wild project, a national campaign aimed at getting people more engaged with the natural world for the entirety of June. This included a pack of thirty cards with a variety of nature challenges for me to complete; one for each day. I was charmed by the idea, and decided that I’d give it a go – resolving to post about this every day across my social media platforms.
This turned out to be no mean feat. From 1st-30th June I found myself standing in rivers, taking photos, identifying species and even writing poetry to celebrate being in such a wonderful world. The challenges really pushed me at times, which I found surprising, but I really, really enjoyed myself and am absolutely down for trying it again next year.
The challenge I enjoyed the most was reading a wild book; not necessarily for the book itself, but for the fact I got to hang out with some very curious moorhen chicks. The hardest? Switching off all my devices for a day.
Kepplewray
Continuing in the spirit of pushing myself, I signed up to be a leader on a Christian and outdoor pursuits venture in the south Lakes at a place called Kepplewray. I must admit, I was massively nervous about going along in the weeks building up to it but there was really no need to worry. I had the best week of my life.
Not only was I having the chance to help answer young people’s questions about faith (which was massively rewarding), but I also had the opportunity to try out some amazing activities. I canoed on Lake Coniston, and hid in some of the most bizarre places on Peel Island (Swallows and Amazons fans might know it better as Wild Cat Island). We went for a walk to Cathedral Quarry, and I discovered it had the most amazing acoustic. This resulted in some unsuspecting members of the public caught me singing O Come, O Come, Emmanuel there. It was amazing, and I’d love to go back with some proper recording equipment, and maybe a choir… But my favourite thing, hands down, was trying ghyll scrambling for the first time. Walking upstream, through freezing cold water in just a wetsuit was the refreshing and exhilarating reset my brain so desperately needed after second year.
I also had the chance to use my media skills. I produced a little film every day for the young people to enjoy before bed including: a recap of the week, a comedy skit about the weather and a full-on spoof of the Circle of Life. It was so much fun!
Geology Photography
Next stop: Tullie House. I had the absolute privilege of working with the Natural History department to take pictures of their geology and fossil collection for an upcoming exhibition. This was a wonderful experience, and the part of me that still wants to be a geologist marvelled at the chance to handle these specimens up close. Strange to think that millions of years ago, these fossils were living, breathing creatures – and then I come along and take pictures of their petrified corpses (not gonna lie, it did give me a bit of a Hamlet-esque existential crisis).
I spent a day there and took pictures of over a dozen unique specimens. I particularly adored their ammonite. Not only is it an absolutely incredible fossil example, but when you looked at it from the side it was reminiscent of a Terry’s chocolate orange.
Formations opens at Tullie House in early September. Let me know if you get a chance to have a look, and I’d be thrilled to hear what you thought of the pictures!
The Daily Service
I was absolutely delighted to be invited back to sing for the BBC Radio 4 Daily Service with the Coventry Singers – second year running, wahoo! We warmed up with two services at Coventry Cathedral, including Parry’s Blest Pair of Sirens which I’d never had the pleasure of singing before (at ten minutes long, it’s a bit of a sing!). Once evensong was over, we made our way up to Didsbury – a suburb of Manchester.
Monday saw us rehearsing at Emmanuel Church in Didsbury. In previous years we would have broadcast services live from here, but due to BBC budget cuts the equipment has been moved elsewhere – what a shame!
Instead, we were headed on over to Salford to Media City, where we recorded in the studios reserved for the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra (sadly, they were away). Having the chance to visit, and work in, Media City was absolutely amazing! To see how the recording process worked was really interesting, and finding out what a BBC working environment was like even more so. There was even a TARDIS in the foyer, which I definitely took a selfie with.
Of course, things don’t always go completely to plan. Over lunch the organ went very, very wrong and it took four people at least half an hour to fix it again. Up until that point we’d been ahead of schedule! I had an absolutely fantastic time, and I’m already looking forward to next year – believe it or not, the dates for 2020 were booked in within days of us wrapping the recording. What efficiency!
Scotland
Shortly after this recording, I took a trip with my mother and grandmother to Scotland. We headed back to Keith, where I filmed The Local Patch Project, to continue our hunt for wildcats by putting out cameras on the Balloch – something I ran out of time to do last time I was there. I explain more in this vlog, so why not give that a watch?
Making Music
Sometimes I find myself caught up in things that I just can’t predict. Sometimes it’s because things happen last minute. Sometime it’s because my family has forgotten tell me. And sometimes it’s because I just don’t expect to be so inspired by something…
A good friend of mine mentioned that they had an idea for a play that they’d like to write. Both my sister and I thought it sounded absolutely magnificent, and we were thoroughly inspired by what we heard. We both began to write some songs – separately at first, but then we decided to pool resources and creativity. Honestly, I’ve never been so inspired to write poetry!
We then discovered that one of the bridges has a brilliant acoustic – one that’s perfect for singing (well, it’s not quite as good as Cathedral Quarry, but we’ll forgive that). Bonus was that the setting absolutely matched the aesthetic we were looking to set the play in. So, in a fit of spontaneity, we decided to do an early morning recording session under said bridge. Here’s a little sneak peak of what we did:
And that was my summer! It’s not quite over yet, and I’m still managing to shoehorn an extraordinary amount into the few weeks I have left. As well as all this I’ve gotten back into both reading and writing – let’s see if that manages to last more than a few days into third year. As much as I’m looking forward to being back at university, and all the chaos that brings, I have enjoyed having some time off. Here’s to September!
Comentarios