I worked with Chetham’s Library for a number of years to think in new ways about the collections, architecture and everyday life of the library. Together, we explored the histories of reading and public sharing that Chetham’s is testament to, and the emotional and imaginative work done by librarians to care for the future.
This work culminated in a new video, Tender Silences, which was shot in Chetham’s during April 2021 as the team prepared to re-open the library from a Covid-enforced lockdown. You can find out more about the video via the Related Entries link.
To share our collaboration with the diverse audiences of the Festival of Libraries, Fergus Wilde and colleagues at Chetham's produced a video in which we discuss the history of the library and the production of Tender Silences, and an accompanying newspaper was published. The broadsheet was designed by Aaron Dawkins and offers different views from the 'Seeing Libraries Differently' project, including a double-page spread poster at its centre. It also introduces the little-known history of contemporary artists responding to libraries in moving image works, via a simple Filmography comopiled with film curator Will Rose. Print copies of the broadsheet were freely available at participating venues across Manchester during the Festival, and digital copies re-formatted for screen and home printing can be downloaded via the Download link.
