Speak Machine is a collaborative project bringing together poetry, video and the industrial heritage of Walthamstow and the Lea Valley.

The Project
A response to the E17 Art Trail theme of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths), Speak Machine is a creative collaboration between its originator, the filmmaker Dee Honeybun, and the E17-based poetry collective, Forest Poets. The project began with a conversation between Dee Honeybun and Mike Sims (Forest Poets) about a possible collaboration for the E17 Art Trail 2017, and how the Pumphouse Museum, with its unrivalled collection of the engines, vehicles and other machines made in Walthamstow and the Lea Valley, could provide the inspiration. The first stage was an exciting open mic evening at the Rose and Crown pub in March, at which poets and writers performed STEAM-inspired poems. Recordings of these performances have been incorporated within the finished film. Lines from participating poems have been sampled and remixed into the community poem ‘Speak Machine’.

The Workshop
Sunday 4th June 11.30 am – 3.30pm

A family animation workshop took inspiration from the community poem ‘Speak Machine’ and the collection at the Pumphouse Museum. Participants learnt about stop-motion animation and made short films to bring the poem ‘Speak Machine’ to life.

Hosted by local filmmaker Dee Honeybun and local animator Steve Roberts.

The Screening
Sunday 18th June 2.00 – 4.00 pm

www.e17arttrail.co.uk