Everyday Fiction

Everyday Fiction
EVERYDAY FICTION is an audio work derived from the Alison Ballard’s artist residency at Chalkwell Hall in 2016, exploring the ambiguities between reality and fiction that we encounter in everyday life. Real events and imagined lives are brought together in a heart-breaking story of loss, grief, and mental illness. A moving experience with content that some people may find challenging.


The app is geo-located in Chalkwell Park, Southend-On-Sea, Essex, UK and so you’ll have to physically go there if you want to experience it, forging a relationship between the story, the location, and your presence within it.

ARTISTS:Alison Ballard

The App has been developed by artist Alison Ballard, Metal and NetPark. Alison Ballard is an artist based in London and Nottingham, UK. Her practice examines human relationships to objects, places, and one another (and the power play between audience and artist) using film, installation, audio, and performance.To start playing download it from the App Store or Google Play. The project has been funded by Arts Council of England, Grants For The Arts. Artist website here. small-ace

HOW TO:The app will show you a map of Chalkwell Park. Use the map to locate five different listening zones within the park. Walk into the listening zones and audio will automatically play. You can listen to the different chapters in any order. In fact, it’s physically impossible to walk around the park in a way that will give you each segment in chronological order. You’ll have to piece the bits together yourself, so pay attention!

NOTES: This project requires iPhone 5 or Android 4 KitKat or higher. Approximate time: 30 minutes.

Many of the apps use GPS on your phone, make sure that GPS is switched on.

On Android go to SETTINGS > MORE > LOCATION > ON