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Hull 2017

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

Three programmes to mark Hull City of Culture.

Hull 2017: The City Speaks

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Factual

23/10/2017

The City Speaks

BBC Radio 4 - Hull 2017, The City Speaks

Laura Elsworthy tests out the interactive artwork that is learning to speak Hullensian.

Interactive artwork The City Speaks captures the public's words and transcribes them into huge scrolling text. Laura Elsworthy finds out what her home city has been saying into it.

At the estuary's edge, where the city meets the mouth of the Humber River, actor Laura Elsworthy joins acclaimed artist Michael Pinsky next to his gigantic interactive artwork. 'The City Speaks' uses voice recognition software to captures the public's words and transcribes them into huge text. The speaker can then watch their words scroll twenty metres overhead across the Humber's tidal surge barrier. Michael wanted to create a platform for the city to raise its voice, but to do that, first it has to 'learn' Hullensian. Laura tests out some of her best Hull slang into the artwork. 

In this programme Laura premieres her response to Pinsky's artwork, a monologue in which she reflects upon growing up in Hull. Laura remembers people telling her she would never make it as an actor with an accent, especially from somewhere so disconnected and remote. Joined by some of Hull's heroes and artists; Jean Bishop aka The Bee Lady, Yvonne Blenkinsop, the last of the 'Headscarf Revolutionaries', and the award winning young playwright Tom Wells, Laura discovers why being from Hull has made her the unique and determined actor she is today.

Presenter: Laura Elsworthy
Producer: Claire Press.

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

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