What do you hear when you listen closely to a place? In mid-July 2024, we visited Croydon’s Surrey St Market—and the surrounding areas—with a portable sound system. Our battery powered setup was equipped with a turntable, microphone, and bluetooth audio connection. We were ready to provide the system to anyone we met who might want to use it. We moved through the streets like a scrapbook dyed by the atmosphere of wanderers passing by. We listened closely and conversed with locals. What is a day but a snapshot of the interplay between characters? What is a dream and what is a joke?
The Monolith is part of Parasite TV, a four episode show, adopting different formats from a talk show giving voice to the inhabitants (both human and more than human) of a tower block, taking you on a strange encounter with the ghosts of shopping centres, inviting you to build new realities through a gaming session and meet Croydon’s local through music and conversations.
Parasite TV is produced as part of PolyVocalCity, an intergenerational, educational cohort aimed at individuals who have a strong interest in cities and culture.
The Monolith was conceived by Tamusaqa Nkiwane, Nick Smith, Angus Tarnawsky, and Norman Mine.
