Output details

Foghorn Requiem

Richard Hollinshead was invited by the National Trust to develop a high-profile temporary artwork for Souter Lighthouse, South Shields, responding with the curation of a proposal by artists Lise Autogena and Joshua Portway. The proposal Foghorn Requiem marked the disappearance of the sound of the foghorn from the UK’s coastal landscape. On June 22nd 2013 shipshorns installed on 50+ vessels accompanied by the Souter Foghorn and three brass bands performed an ambitious musical score by composer Orlando Gough to an audience of 8000.

Whilst the artists’ vision and proprietry technology for Foghorn Requiem constitutes their original research, it was devised within the context of a curatorial vision set in their briefing and subsequent discussions; and was subsequently delivered in collaboration with Richard Hollinshead who acted as the producer. Therefore Hollinshead’s research focussed on the creation of a model through which such projects can be delivered – in terms of partnership building, funding, positioning with the tourism and heritage sectors, negotiating site permissions etc. With a budget of £120,000 this project scale is atypical for the National Trust, and a somewhat new approach to temporary events for such sites. The successful production of Foghorn Requiem required securing the support of 35 funders and partner organisations (see appended material for full details).

Early evidence of Foghorn Requiem’s impact on the commissioning approach of partner organisations is seen in its use as an exemplar within research commissioned by the National Trust from consultancy Arts & Heritage Ltd. The National Trust team have opened discussions with Hollinshead regarding future projects. Evaluation of the Festival of the North East (the umbrella festival in which Foghorn Requiem was the flagship event) makes several references to the success and impact of Foghorn Requiem, which was widely reviewed in the international media with coverage estimated at £1m.