Ears Wide Open

• Website: http://twp2009.wordpress.com/ears-wide-open/

Ears Wide Open offers two dramatized audio guided tours of locations in England. Bodies in the Library takes the listener on an audio journey exploring the past and present of Birmingham Central Library. THREADS guides the listener through Nottingham's Lace Market.

The website also offers downloadable maps that a listener can follow along with.

In 1974, the third public library in Birmingham City Centre was opened to the public. It was modern, ambitious, 'built to last' – and yet, less than forty years on, the building's closure has been announced, and a replacement library is in the process of being built.

Taking the untimely demise of the controversial building as her inspiration, Sibyl Ruth has woven together a tapestry of stories that celebrate the building and its short history. Be transported back to 1974 and get your tour of the newly opened building; follow Anya as she navigates the unknown building searching for someone; learn about the grand vision for the building from architectural historian Andy Foster… but above all, take your chance to walk a long farewell to the library, before its doors close forever.

Weave your way through Nottingham's Lace Market and experience a gentle and surprising story of an unlikely friendship which begins and ends in the city centre. Open your ears and your eyes to familiar Nottingham vistas and landmarks: see them in a different light. Meet Peter, and allow him to take you on his journey into a new friendship and beyond. Is it possible to live in the present? Why does history matter? THREADS is a chance to experience the city in a new way, stopping in quiet squares, at unlikely vantage points and in the occasional pub or two.