Artist duo Lucy Telling and Barney Heywood (Stand + Stare) have produced a portable, tactile work of art for the elderly people of Corby called the Corby Memory Chest. Over the course of nine months Stand + Stare have visited Heritage Centres, archives and sites of assisted living and extra care in order to produce a digital artwork which reflects the experience of the elderly community and to act as an interactive record of stories told by local people.
The end result of our Living Legacy project is a beautifully crafted wheeled cabinet containing drawers relating to different periods in residents’ living memories. When the drawers are removed and placed on top, they trigger a concealed speaker which plays clips from pre-recorded interviews with senior residents. The drawers themselves contain photos from the Corby Collection Room, along with found objects and replicas relating to Corby’s Scottish heritage, its history as a growing industrial town and among other topics its future.
Listen to an extract from the audible element of the Memory Chest below, entitled “Looking To The Future”.
Thanks to Arts Council England, Northamptonshire Community Foundation, Made in Corby and Garfield Weston for supporting this project. Special thanks also to staff and volunteers at Royal Voluntary Service, Swan Gardens, Billy Dalziel and Corby Borough Council’s Heritage team, Contemporary Visual Arts Network East Midlands and all the interviewees who contributed their time, memories and insight.