Guernsey Arts is bringing poetry to Clarence Battery Steps with a visual and audio sound installation.
The poem, written by Guernsey poet Chloe Gallie, has also been translated into Guernesiais in order to celebrate and promote Guernsey culture.
Guernsey Arts have been on a drive to feature local art, poetry and the written word in public spaces. From the Market Street Arches to temporary vinyl poems on the Market Steps, Guernsey Arts have been granting opportunities and visibility for local artists whilst expanding the reach of art forms into the public realm.
In 2024, with work being planned to rebuild the Clarence Battery Steps, Guernsey Arts were given the opportunity to look at installing a public art piece on the steps. After considering what would be suitable for the area, it was decided to ask poets through the local poetry group ‘Night Voices’ to submit their ideas for poems.
The brief asked for poems to be mindful in nature, whilst taking into consideration the beautiful surroundings of the area. After a selection process, it was decided that Chloe’s poem met the brief perfectly.
The poem has been installed onto the steps by Dowding Signs. The installation uses coloured Perspex to provide high contrast on the steps for visibility, and with separate lettering to ensure that it is easily maintained.
The project also includes an audio post which allows users to listen to recordings of the poem recited by Chloe Gallie in both English and Guernesiais. This is the first use of a listening post in a public place in Guernsey, and is a solar powered self-sufficient way of providing audio in more remote locations.
Guernsey Arts will be able to update and add to the audio included so keep an eye out for other inspirational audio. Guernesiais translation and additional support on coaching for pronunciation has been provided by Yan Marquis via the Guernsey Language Commission.
Jade Kershaw, Community & Public realm officer at Guernsey Arts said: “Guernsey Arts are thrilled to bring locally created public art into a popular spot for both the community and visitors to enjoy. This thoughtful poem will give words of encouragement to those using the steps, and give a new perspective of a beautiful area. We hope this will be the first of many visual and audio installations in well loved locations to enhance the experience.”
Chloe Gallie, poet added: “As a spoken word poet, I am just as interested in the way words sound as I am in their meaning so it’s been particularly special to be able to include the audio element in this project. Beyond that, translating the piece into Guernesiais has added another layer of sounds to the experience and I hope people enjoy the opportunity to hear the work in our endangered language as much as I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to try and speak it.
“This project had the perfect brief for my work, blending a reverence for nature, gratitude for small moments of peace and joy, and a deep belief that everybody can find something to be proud of and love about themselves. I am so inspired by our local landscape, we are so lucky to have such an abundance of inspiration all around us. Just listening to the sounds of nature in this spot is like hearing poetry so I hope this work provides a reminder to stop and be grateful for where we are and how far we’ve each come.”
