Lyndsay curated and organised the Viewing Voices: Voice and Moving Image symposium for the Edinburgh International Film Festival. She commissioned screenings and presentations from curator Ruth Noack, artist Imogen Stidworthy, writer and art historian Dr. Susannah Thompson and visual anthropologist Dr. Andrew Irving.

Viewing Voices examined methods of address and their contribution to both positioning voice and ‘giving voice’ in relation to subject, maker and audience. With a particular focus on inner-voice, the symposium explored how performative methods can articulate, materialise or pervert memory and imagination.

The symposium began at the Filmhouse cinema for the commissioned screening programmed curated by Ruth Noack. Participants then crossed the street to the Traverse Theatre, where the day continued with: a talk on aspects of mediated voice from art historian, writer and critic Susannah Thompson; an artist’s talk from Imogen Stidworthy focusing on explorations of language and speech in her work; and visual anthropologist Andrew Irving shared live research from his site-specific project, conducted in Edinburgh the previous day, responding to themes of the symposium. The afternoon concluded with a plenary session chaired by Susannah Thompson.

Viewing Voices: Voice and Moving Image was developed in partnership with Edinburgh International Film Festival, and supported by Scottish Documentary Institute, LUX Artists’ Moving Image, and Edinburgh College Art, University of Edinburgh. 

above: Works from Ruth Noack’s curated screening programme, commissioned for the symposium. Images, (clockwise from top left): Lidwien van de Ven, Damascus, Ommayad Mosque, 2007; OVNI Archives, London: I don’t call it rioting, I call it an insurrection, 2011; Cherie Moses & Coleen Finlayson, Say It, 1987; Maya Wegerif, Why You Talk So White!, 2012.

Ruth Noack’s screening programme is listed below, with links to works where available online. Videos of the symposium presentations and plenary, are all available to view on The Agent RiA: Viewing Voices symposium

Curated by Ruth Noack

01: Imogen Stidworthy, Barrabackslarrabang, 2009-10, video, 9:13min
Video: http://www.ubu.com/film/stidworthy_barra.html

02: Cherie Moses & Coleen Finlayson, Say It, 1987, video, 7:40min

03: OVNI Archives, London: I don’t call it rioting, I call it an insurrection, 2011, video, 4:21min
Video: http://www.desorg.org/titols/london-i-dont-call-it-rioting-i-call-it-insurrection/

04: Alejandra Salinas & Aeron Bergman, Abstract Your Shit Is, 2009, video, 1:56min

05: Maya Wegerif, Why You Talk So White!, 2012, video, 2:45min

06: Imogen Stidworthy, Barrabackslarrabang, 2009-10, video, 9:13min
Video: http://www.ubu.com/film/stidworthy_barra.html

07: Abdelghani Bibt, Histoires comme ça, 2000, video, 4:15min
Video: http://www.desorg.org/titols/histoires-comme-ca/

08: Rosalind Nashashibi, The State of Things, 2000, video, 3:18min

09: Alia Syed, Fatima’s Letter, 1992, 16mm, 21min

10: Lidwien van de Ven, Damascus, Ommayad Mosque, 2007, video, 4:15min