Blue Boy Walks

Full Company

Princesshay & beyond, Exeter (April & May 2004)

Homeland was a month-long project presenting artists’ work in everyday locations in the city centre of Exeter, organised by Spacex Gallery and Relational Projects. This series of contemporary art exhibitions, interventions, performances and events essentially posed the question 'What is Middle England?'.

Wrights & Sites were commissioned to produce Blue Boy Walks, a series of five walks, each starting or ending at Exeter's Blue Boy statue:

1. The Gift (Simon Persighetti) - The displaced, shrapnel-scarred Blue Boy stands alone. To this orphan landmark for shoppers, we come bearing carrier bags of gifts, the colour of the sky.

2. Suburban Homesick Blues (Cathy Turner) - Caught between two versions of middle England, Exeter and Winchester, a blue girl dreams of a blue boy and vice versa. Version two of this walk took place in Winchester.

3. Town Planning Consultant to the Corporation (Stephen Hodge) - An audio walk on the anniversary of Exeter’s Blitz (1.36-2.50am, 4 May), inspired by a found, personal account of the post-war rebuild by an unknown Exeter resident.

4. Hat and Book (Phil Smith) - Law courts on a volcano, concrete tunnels through abstract Princesshay: Middle Exeter's psychogeography and beyond... Walkers were asked to come dressed in blue and with plenty of time.

5. You Are Here (Full Company) - A presentation at Exeter Phoenix, followed by a walk to pay homage to the Blue Boy.

Click here to download a pdf version of the Homeland brochure (2.2MB).