Alone Together, the Social Life of Benches

Alone Together, the Social Life of Benches illuminates the thoughts and memories of frequent users of two public spaces in London: General Gordon Square, Woolwich and St Helier Open Space, Sutton. Revolving around the micro-space of the humble bench, the experiential capacity of film is used to highlight themes such as the feeling of being in a space, the rhythm and flow of visitors to a place, and the importance of design for everyday street furniture. The film acts like a stranger who joins you on a bench to ‘watch the world go by’, and to break the ice by starting a conversation with their fellow bench user. Part of collaborative research The Bench Project that explores how individuals and groups use public space. Director/Producer: Esther Johnson Year: 2015 Duration: 00:18:00 Country of Production: UK Production Format: 2K Picture: Colour Sound: Stereo Supported by the Arts & Humanities Research Council Connected Communities programme