| A film by David
Bickerstaff
Video | 4:3 | 8 min
Spen Valley Ride documents a new cycle path built over a disused
railway line, which links the Yorkshire towns of Cleckheaton, Dewsbury
and Heckmondwike. The film explores the path’s revised function
as a cultural and anthropological space that encourages connections
between urban communities and the countryside.
Shot entirely from a bicycle, a dialogue constructs
as we move though the reconfigured surroundings. The physical act
of cycling is interwoven with observations from the rider. Recent
history shows an area in decline but the aim of the path is to inject
the region with new civic connections, cultural interventions and
a rejuvenated landscape.
Spen Valley Ride is a single screen film that
has evolved out of a multi-screen installation called Riding with
Voices, which was commissioned by Sustrans for the launch of their
Art in the Landscape program.
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