Installation at Newark Castle to mark one year since start of first coronavirus lockdown later this month

An installation at Newark Castle is to mark one year since the start of the first coronavirus lockdown later this month.

Off Mute: Local Voices From A Year Like No Other will blend audio and visual elements to explore the experiences of people who have gone above and beyond for the community during the pandemic.

The project is supported by Newark and Sherwood District Council and Arts Council England’s Cultural Recovery Fund, and has been curated by The Acorns Project, a recently launched initiative to bring together cultural activity across the district.

It plans to take Newark and Sherwood ‘off mute’ by amplifying local voices and telling residents’ stories from the past 12 months.

Visitors will also be encouraged, as they explore the castle grounds, to think and reflect on what they have personally missed and gained during this extraordinary time.

A soundscape will greet visitors at the left entrance to the castle with local voices speaking about their experiences.

A large video screen will be placed on the inner castle wall featuring interviews with local people, including business owners, creatives and volunteers, who have supported their communities within Newark and Sherwood.

The bandstand is to house giant panels that will ask visitors to reflect on four questions about their recent experiences and feature responses gathered from the community in recent months.

Local creators have also been involved in the project, which features a specially-commissioned map of the castle grounds by Newark artist Christine Goldschmidt and an original piece of music by local composer David Andrew Warman, written as a response to the past year.

District council leader David Lloyd said: “This is a great way to mark a year since the first national lockdown.

“So much good work has been done by people in our community over the past year and this installation will bring their stories to light as well as giving cause to reflect on how life has changed since the pandemic began.

“This is a chance to realise that we all have shared experiences from this past year and hopefully those experiences can bring us together now more than ever before.”

The public are encouraged to enjoy Off Mute in line with current government guidelines on social distancing, which can be found at www.gov.uk/coronavirus

The installation will be in the castle grounds from Friday, March 19 to March 29, from 9am to 7pm.