As some of you may know, the Global Poetry System collects and maps poetry in all the places we’re lucky enough to find it. As we’ve said — poetry can be found in graffiti and snow, on benches and store fronts. Well, now we’re looking for folk poems / songs from you and your region. Please help if you can!

We’re looking to gather audio in association with the Meltdown Festival which the legendary Richard Thompson is directing. Thompson’s been named by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the Top 20 guitarists of all time and has been the recipient of both an Ivor Novello Award for songwriting and the 2006 BBC Lifetime Achievement

When Richard was told about GPS he came up with the idea of creating an audio collection of ‘folk poetry’ for showcasing online, and as part of an interactive sound installation on site here at  Southbank Centre. It might be anything from a playground chant to a folk song, a proverb or nursery rhyme, a historical ballad or the first record they bought.

I’m inviting all musical type folkie peoples to participate in a special project to collect audio recordings of traditional verse and poetry. In sharing content from your locality with the GPS map, you would memorialise it and contribute to a rich collection of global folk verse and tradition. Your contributions would also inspire public participation in the project, encouraging everyone to record their own oral traditions.

The recordings need only be up to a minute in length, and can be in any language. We’re looking to collect people’s stories/explanations to be mapped alongside their contribution, and use the audio clips online, and in an interactive window of sound during the festival itself.

I hope you’ll be interested in looking at the site and, if possible, participating! It would be great to have your involvement!

Now, remember why you love Richard Thompson:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lCH5JgWCZY