Neolithic Cannibals on Radiophrenia

I’m incredibly proud that the Neolithic Cannibals soundscape will be broadcast on Radiophrenia this year. I have a long history with the Glasgow based radio station, but sharing the work of young artists from the council estate where I grew up is really special. Those young artists can add arts radio station broadcast to their list of achievements alongside International Arts festival.

19/04/25 9.30 - 10.00am

Neolithic Cannibals is a socially engaged sound art project and exhibition from the young people of Whitehawk and East Brighton, and artist Simon James, who was born and raised in Whitehawk. As part of the Class Divide campaign for fairer education, the project confronted issues of stigma and what it means when we listen to the unheard and invisible. Textures, shapes and patterns derived from archaeological materials place the Neolithic Cannibals soundscape deeply within the heritage and history of Whitehawk in Brighton. The listening spans thousands of years, from Neolithic Flint Knapping to the early 20th century geophysical techniques used to discover Whitehawk Camp, and now the young artists from Whitehawk creating a contemporary artefact using the sounds of their environment. Communities connecting across thousands of years through listening.

Gathering

The Neolithic Cannibals exhibition went by in a blur and I need to find some time to write about the experience and think about what it means to my ongoing practice and what I’d like to try and do next. I’m excited. It is one of the biggest (in every sense of the word) projects I’ve been involved with and brings together decades of practice and a new found confidence. I also think we witnessed how powerful a simple invitation to listen can be.

Our plan was to make something uncompromising (in the context of community/sound art). Something that connected the joy of playful creativity, heritage, archaeology, and Class Divide’s campaign for fairer education. There were many times when I thought the story was too complex and had too many layers and wouldn’t work, but listening was the beautiful glue that held everything together. Of course it was.

More thoughts when I have time, but I’m hopeful that there will be more to come.

And I can’t forget those amazing artists I was priveledged to work with and the team at Lighthouse, Emily from Stanley James Press and of course Curtis and Carlie from Class Divide.

More details here.

The young artists (and one older artist) stand in front of large hanging exhibition banners in the gallery designed by Emily Macaulay.

Photo by Phoebe Wingrove

Neolithic Cannibals workshop 3

Workshop 3 was held at Brighton Museum and offered a unique journey into deep history. Exploring the Archaeology Gallery with Jon Sygrave from Archaeology South East, the young artists were transported to the Neolithic era, learning about the remains of Whitehawk Camp while surrounded by mysterious artifacts. With skilled flint knapper Grant Williams the artists experienced the intense sonic impacts and intricate crunchy  processes involved in crafting tools from aged stone. It turns out that listening to the materials is of great importance when knapping. Observing the timbral and pitch changes as flint was worked, participants discovered a wide range of sounds within the ancient rock.

Film by Curtis James

Using chalk gathered from Whitehawk Hill, artists translated Whitehawk Neolithic Camp’s patterns and shapes into graphic scores, for future explorations with electronic synthesizers. 

The workshop culminated in an improvised performance, where the artists gathered around a mock campfire, exploring the sonic potential of flints and recording their experiments with a surround microphone, capturing every gritty, resonant detail.

Neolithic Cannibals is a socially engaged sound art project and exhibition from the young people of Whitehawk and East Brighton, artist Simon James, who was born and raised in Whitehawk, and Class Divide.

More info here

Neolithic Cannibals Workshop 2

In workshop 2, the young artists expanded their listening to the outdoors, exploring the sonic environment around The Crew Club. They used portable audio recorders to gather sounds, and percussion beaters were used for improvisation with materials and found objects.

Film by Curtis James

An unexpected highlight was an impromptu group performance playing the railing that surrounds a forlorn and empty playground. Where lack of funds have seen the playpark derelict, the young sound artists found their own way to play, circling the railing and dragging their beaters and brushes over the tines of the railing as they ran around and around. A surround microphone captured the swirling, spinning metallic resonances as they reverberated around the nearby valley walls.

Neolithic Cannibals is a socially engaged sound art project and exhibition from the young people of Whitehawk and East Brighton, artist Simon James, who was born and raised in Whitehawk, and Class Divide.

More info here

Neolithic Cannibals - Workshop 1 journal and video clip

The first Neolithic Cannibals workshop took place this week. We enjoyed some simple field recording, exploring the corridor outside our workshop space. I guided the group in listening to and recording the resonances and timbre of various objects and materials such as a hollow plastic bin (which they dropped the microphone in to and then hit with percussion beaters), coathangers sliding and scratching on a metal rail, radiators clanging, squeaky tables and discovering that every door has its own unique sound signature if you listen closely. They mixed these everyday, found sounds with electronics, improvising their first soundscape, each artist engaging with the inquisitive, playful nature that lies at the heart of this project.  

Young sound artists take part in listening exercises and experiment with synthesizers and found sounds. Film by Curtis James

“A vibrational movement - through the hill to the city. Vibrating the earth and chalk that sit as a symbolic barrier.”

Often these tools - microphones, synthesisers and effects are more powerful in the hands of young people, with no preconceptions of what they should do with them or what they should sound like. That’s really exciting. 

I’m listening back to their work now and there are some lovely moments. After just one session I’ve no doubt we will fill the gallery space with wonderfully imaginative sounds.