'The Conversation Continues: We Are Still Listening' at Highgate Festival

The Conversation Continues: We Are Still Listening is a newly commissioned audio-based artwork by artist Trevor Mathison that responds imaginatively to the chosen resting place of Professor Stuart Hall (1932 – 2014) at Highgate Cemetery. The piece explores Hall’s arrival from Jamaica in 1951 and his ongoing impact on contemporary national debates, and takes a historical look at Highgate Cemetery: how it came into being, the radical thinkers buried there, and its botanical meditative landscape. Audiences are invited to listen to the immersive soundscape whilst wandering through the beautifully conserved grounds of Highgate Cemetery.

The piece is available for the first time in June as part of Highgate Festival in London (11th – 19th June 2022) alongside an accompanying programme of special events and online content.

Read more about ‘The Conversation Continues: We Are Still Listening’.

Listening to the soundscape

During the festival, visitors are welcome to drop into Highgate Cemetery Chapel, where a limited number of pre-loaded (and sanitised) audio players and headphones will be available to borrow, alongside maps and information about the project.

Alternatively, you can stream the soundscape on your own mobile device. The audio file is available to stream via Soundcloud here:

If you are planning on attending as part of a large group and would like to borrow audio players and headphones, please contact us in advance: info@stuarthallfoundation.org.

Entrance to the cemetery and ticketing

The cemetery is open every day from 10am to 5pm, with last entry at 4pm.

Entry into to the cemetery grounds is ticketed. Advance booking is advised but not necessary. We recommend booking a ticket to the whole cemetery, to gain access to both West and East sides:

• Adults: £10 (entry to both East and West sides)
• Children (8 – 17 years old): £6 (entry to both East and West sides)
• Carers and children under 8 years old: Free

Stuart Hall is buried in the East side of the cemetery. A simple map of the cemetery grounds will be available from this page soon, as well in Highgate Cemetery Chapel (West side) during the festival.

Accessibility

Visitors to the West cemetery should be aware that the paths are steep, and parts may include flights of stairs. The East cemetery, where Stuart Hall is buried, is on a gentler slope with no steps and predominantly tarmac paths and is more easily wheelchair accessible. A small amount of disabled parking is available outside the cemetery’s entrance on Swain’s Lane. There is a disabled toilet in the West Cemetery. For further information, please contact the Highgate Cemetery office in advance of your visit. 

More details about visiting the cemetery are available on the Highgate Cemetery website.

Commissioned by Stuart Hall Foundation in partnership with Highgate Cemetery and LUX. Supported by Arts Council England.

Top image: Courtesy of Trevor Mathison