EXPERIMENT 1: Social Contact

Would you shake hands with a stranger? from amanda ford on Vimeo.

My idea behind this experiment came from wanting to create an obstruction linked with the environment that initiates social interaction and contact.

What I wanted to achieve through my experimentation was, a physical movement with a meaning: 

• that is directed towards others
• that awaits a response
• that is a unique/ rare interaction

For 15 minutes I stood on the Jubilee Bridge that is connected to the Southbank Centre with my hand open for people to be able to exchange a hand shake with me. I chose the hand shake as it a traditional and cultural action in a situation where you are introducing yourself, but only under certain conditions. I wanted to record people's reaction to this unusual situation and whether I could engage in social contact with the people around me.

Social contact is a pair of social actions with no further consequence - i.e. it is not likely to be repeated. An example would be a failed and not-repeated attempt to start a conversation with a stranger

 Findings:

 26/87 people who passed by in those 15 minutes shook my hand

• 5/26 people, stayed to have a conversation

 1/87 people gave me a hug

Through more experimentation I want to observe:

• What kind of people shake my hand (male, female, tourists, businessmen, students etc)
• What reactions I get in different times throughout the day
• If I change my appearance, how does that affect my results?

I am also looking into other types of social interaction such as silent discos, eye contact and hand gestures.

Proposal

 My line of inquiry for this project is based around the subject of human contact and obstruction, with an objective of ENGAGING passers by to participate and interact with each other or me.

Initial Ideas to be developed:

• Incorporating my experimental work of offering hand shakes to people, an idea would be to create a tool or device that initiates a hand shake between strangers. 

• To create an event, using the music performed under the bridge as a tool to gather people. Design a tool or installation that would encourage people to dance, such as panels on the floor directing the movement of your feet that needed two people to function.

•  A physical obstruction that would force people to engage with a stranger and make some sort of contact. Such as a kissing gate placed on the golden jubilee bridge, its confined space would force people to take notice of its obstruction of their path and encourage its use.

SOCIAL INTERACTION AND CONTACT

Just Dance from amanda ford on Vimeo.

" Forms of relation and interaction in sociology and anthropology may be described as follows: first and most basic are animal-like behaviors, i.e. various physical movements of the body. Then there are actions - movements with a meaning and purpose. Then there are social behaviors, or social actions, which address (directly or indirectly) other people, which solicit a response from another agent. Next are social contacts, a pair of social actions, which form the beginning of social interactions. Social interactions in turn form the basis of social relations."

 Expanding on my observation of the lack of social interaction and contact mostly with commuters and their surroundings on their way to and from work, I then decided to focus my research on the people occupying the space in and around Southbank. I documented when and where this took place; one example of social interaction I found on site was when people where dancing and getting involved through the music performed by a street band underneath the Hungerford Bridge. This is also when I noticed John and Stephen.

John and Stephen

Dancing underneath the steps leading up to the footbridge and enjoying the music being played, I was instantly intrigued by them, they embrace peoples judgements, they're not afraid to express themselves publicly and they encourage people to engage in social interaction.
I decided that I wanted to join in and dance with them. Once I did so, I noticed almost immediately people were stopping to film, take photos or just to watch. It wasn't anything particularly special just moving around to the beat, after a short while a lady in her mid 30's began to join in with us, followed by a couple just before the music stopped.
John, from Glasgow and Stephen, from London answer a few of my questions:

A: What makes you want to dance here?

J: I enjoy the music the rhythm, I used to be a professional dancer. But also because when we dance here it helps the band get more money, when people see us dancing they stay longer and enjoy the music.

S: yeah, it relaxes people, makes them want to dance .

A: How would you describe peoples reactions towards your dancing?

J: Im just here to dance and enjoy the music, people think I'm here as one of those performers and stand and watch us and take pictures. I don't mind.
S: Its good when people take notice of us, it helps the band. People are so far away from life around them. You see, you have come up to us because we were dancing, you are talking and dancing with us. That is how it should be.

A: Do people normally join in when you dance?

S: Not with us under here, but people sometimes dance in front of the band
J: They just watch except for you. After you're done with this you can film our rap.

John and Stephen from amanda ford on Vimeo.

Whilst I was filming I noticed that a crowd started to gather behind me, it made me think whether it was because I was holding a professional looking camera and carrying a tripod that people assumed that what I was filming must be worth filming, or if they were genuinely interested in John and Stephens rap. I asked the person behind me why they decided to come over and film it, they replied " I saw you start filming, are you a photographer for a living?"
 After filming it was suggested that we meet again at the same place and bring more people to get involved and create an impromptu street party. I said I would bring snacks, Monday 1st Nov at 3pm (providing its not raining).

Hungerford and Golden Jubilee Bridges

 The Hungerford Bridge was first designed by Isambard Brunel as a suspension footbridge in 1845. It was bought in 1859 by the railway company to extend the South Eastern Railway tracks into Charing Cross Station. The suspension bridge was then replaced with a design by Sir John Hawkshaw and it was opened in 1864, walkways were added and taken away as they were considered dangerous for being too narrow and dilapidated.

In 1996 a competition was held to replace the walkways with new structures either side of the railway bridge. Architects Lifschutz Davidson  and engineers WSP Group won the design concept. However there were certain complications in the construction of the bridges, firstly was the need to keep the railway bridge fully operational during the construction of the new footbridges, and secondly the problem of the underground tunnels passing only a few feet directly under the proposed foundations of the new bridges. Furthermore, there was also the threat of unexploded World War II bombs in the riverbed. London Underground was unwilling to accept these risks, despite extensive surveys of the area. The design was then modified so that the support structure on the north side was moved out onto Victoria Embankment, instead of originally being within 15m of the tube lines. The complex design of the structure is held in place by exploiting the tensions between the pylons and the various stay rods and struts. 

   

SOUTHBANK

Our site, the area in and around the Southbank Centre, once full of industrial enterprises has now been converted into one of London's top tourist destinations. County Hall, the Festival of Britain, the Hayward Gallery, the National Theatre, Tate Modern and the London Eye all contributing to its successful regeneration. The riverfront pedestrian walkway from the London Eye to the Tate Modern was designed by Architects and Urban Planners, Lifschutz Davidson in 1996, to make it more welcoming and attractive to visitors and Londoners. 


My initial observation of the site was the amount of people in the area, on any day it was constantly busy. Mainly with tourists and performing artists, but also with commuters walking to and from work.
While watching the commuters pass by on the bridge, it reminded of worker ants following a set path, it was all about getting from A to B, cutting off any social interaction. It also seemed like they were unaware of their surroundings, as their commute was so predictable and familiar to them. I am particularly interested in the commute over the Golden Jubilee pedestrian bridges, either side of the Hungerford Bridge. I wondered what would happen if an obstruction was placed in the way, how would people react to that unexpected and unfamiliar situation? I found this to be very interesting, and started to look into social interaction and the built environment. 


Another observation I made was the amount of people taking photographs, equipped with professional cameras, yet not even paying attention to the subject of the photo they were taking. With the option of taking as many photographs as you like and being able to delete the ones you don't want, digital photography is turning into a 'trigger happy' luxury especially as technology has advanced so much that almost everyone carries some form of camera with them (phone/ipod). Meaning the subject and composition of the photo is no longer seen with much importance as you don't just have 26 pictures anymore you can have a GB's worth with no developing costs, so I decided to take pictures of these 'camera happy' tourists.

'Camera Happy'

Riverwalk