HIGHER BROUGHTON, SALFORD, SPRING EQUINOX 5.49AM The previous evening had been spent with a close friend, wandering the haunts of his past life as a student living in the area quite some years ago, him scampering childlike up and down the street where he had once shared a house. He marvelled at the changes, minimal to my eyes, but to him an era now lost and forever altered by passing time. The area’s residents are now often Orthodox Jews, and […]
GATHERING POINTS We’re better when we work together…. A film about the people of Swinton, and the places they gather to tell their stories. This is a film that explores community through the voices of people that live, work and volunteer in the town of Swinton, Salford. We visit five venues; The Valley Gardens, The Swinton Nail salon, The Hive Cafe, The Parade Chippy and the Grand Palais. Stories emerge, that reveal the human connections we can all make, and […]
MIDDLEWOOD LOCKS 7.27AM Walking towards Middlewood Locks, down Oldfield Road in Salford at around 6.40am, I was passed by a young man carrying on his back a case containing a tuba, or maybe a euphonium. His head was down, lost in thought as he made his way, I assumed, to some orchestral practice somewhere. I’m not sure why I found this slightly absurd, but I did. I wondered, should he practise at home, what it must be like living next […]
Join Not Quite Light for an eclectic mix of field recordings and delicious music… On this show we wander back through the past two months, with recordings from Poland, Manchester and Salford. Music features tracks by Thelonious Monk, The Saxophones, Yamaneko and Henryck Górecki. LISTEN HERE PLAYLIST
Islington Way, Salford 6.44am The birds seemed louder on this morning, than they had been for any of the previous week. As I stepped out of Islington Mill, a robin bounced near my feet, as if leading me like a pied piper. It moved without fear, clearly used to people passing nearby. The only time it stopped was to listen to the melody messages flying through the air, an air which also carried a scent of change that raked my […]
Not Quite Light is available for commissions, workshops and photowalks… The Not Quite Light project, exploring the world in the half-light of dawn and dusk, brings a fresh way to explore the world around us. And you can be part of this work through collabortaing on commissions, or hiring me for workshops, talks and twilight photowalks. COMMISSIONS The Not Quite Light project has been commissioned for a wide variety of projects and collaborations. This https://buttress.net/journal/2024/03/25/project-voices-rob-burgess-brunswick-villagehas seen work made across several […]
Join Not Quite Light for an eclectic mix of field recordings and delicious music… This month the show features an overnight visit to The Meadow, on the Crescent in Salford, during the Summer Solstice. Listen to the dusk and dawn chorus, and some gentle observations as the night unfolds. The music is quite dreamy, and features tracks by Morton Feldman, Lulu Helensworth, The Blue Nile and Stan Getz. LISTEN HERE PLAYLIST
I sometimes feel compelled to take certain paths, aware I’m being pushed by energies beyond my understanding. This year I knew I was going to spend the night of the summer solstice out in The Meadows, just off the Crescent in Salford. This land is perhaps where the first settlers came to rest, at the curve of the River Irwell, where it doubles back on itself. It has remained a slightly wild place, now left to grow so that if […]
OPEN STUDIOS, SATURDAY 6TH JULY FROM 1PM, NQL HQ, GF 008, THE COURTYARD, ISLINGTON MILL, JAMES STREET, SALFORD M3 5HW 1pm – LATE… On Saturday 6th July, there will be an open studios day at Islington Mill, with lots going on. As part of this I will be opening up NQL HQ for the first time! Come along to see the Not Quite Light studio space, view some of my work ( photographs, film and sound ), and take part […]
Join Not Quite Light for an eclectic mix of delicious music and field recordings… This month I make a final visit to Swinton, where I meet some wonderful people for my documentary film ‘Gathering Points‘ who gather at various venues to tell their stories. With thanks to Valley Community Gardens, The Swinton Nail Salon, The Hive Cafe, The Parade Chippy and The Grand Palais. Music features tracks by H.Takahashi, Laurie Anderson and Slow Attack Ensemble. Incidental music by Oliva Mayall. […]