“Thank you, driver” is a video-soundscape of the P5 bus. Whilst riding the P5 bus, Jules Sprake and I made poetic texts by recording eavesdroppings, announcements and observations.  We then asked passengers to read those texts for this broadcast of experimental poetry.  The work evokes undiluted encounters with the bus and its route through the estates of Walworth, Stockwell and Patmore. 

 

Originally conceived as a collaboration between Jules Sprake and I that brought the voices and sounds of the P5 bus into the Pump House Gallery. All of the audio collected on the P5 was designed into a soundscape out of a back and forth test-and-respond process. In a one day takeover of the Pump House Gallery during Johann Arens’ exhibition “Scenes of the World”, Jules and I broadcasted continuously looping experimental poetry that evokes our undiluted encounters with the P5 bus.

 

The 25 minute audio of “Thank you, driver” was then set to newly shot footage that provides the context of the P5 bus through video. These different types of gathered video material were edited together following the existing through-line of the audio piece. Additionally, the poetic texts that were produced and read by passengers was integrated with the footage. Watch the video here.