I Just Called exhibition: Newtownabbey artist's project 'bridges the gap between communities'

The ‘I Just Called’ exhibition, a curated series of voice recordings featuring individuals leaving unscripted messages for their loved ones, was put together by Colin James Woods as part of his ongoing PhD research.

Colin, who grew up in Glengormley before emigrating to New Zealand over 20 years ago, returned to Northern Ireland last year, with his project now being exhibited at libraries across the borough.

After spending 30 years working as a scientist in pathology laboratories, Colin went back to study, gaining a Diploma in Contemporary Music (from Unitec, Auckland), a BMus (Hons) in Composition from the University of Auckland, and a Master’s Degree in Creative Technology from AUT (Auckland).

He returned home in 2023 and is currently working on his PhD project at Ulster University’s Magee campus, where his research uses his practice to examine the notion of the artist as co-creator.

His work, which was conducted in both Northern Ireland and New Zealand, has combined the voices of people speaking in around 20 different languages, something the former Ballyclare High School student believes has helped “bridge the communities” involved.

Each message invites the listener to hear individuals sharing heartfelt and private sentiments with their loved ones.

The exhibition, which is currently on display at Glengormely Library until May 31 and Crumlin Library until June 7, features a telephone seat and framed poster, allowing visitors to scan the QR code on the poster, sit on the telephone seat, and immerse themselves in the messages using their own smartphones.

Speaking to the Newtownabbey Times, Mr Woods explained: “I’ve always been interested in sound and was in a punk rock band back in the day. I’ve always had a fascination with sound as a medium.

"I returned home in 2018 for nine months when my father was ill and that’s when I started collecting the first batch of voices in Northern Ireland.

"Growing up, Glengormley wasn’t a very diverse area, but when I returned home, it had become more multi-cultural. I went to the Great Glengormley Get Together organised by Kathy Wolff at the Community Relations Forum and there were people speaking Arabic, Chinese, Punjabi and Swahili.

"I’d wanted to have phone handsets dangling from the ceiling, but when Covid-19 hit, I realised that this wouldn’t be the most hygienic way of conducting the project. The pandemic gave me an opportunity and I moved it online as a repository for the samples.

"I came back home and I didn’t want to discard it all. I couldn’t throw it away and wanted to develop it further and I came up with the idea for the old telephone tables and QR codes. I went to charity shops and recycling centres to get the telephone tables and now people can just sit and listen to these emotive voices. It’s a signifier.

“I had exhibited my work at the art space at Connswater in east Belfast, but to be honest, it hadn’t attracted a lot of engagement. I hadn’t used the posters and I think most people felt that the phone tables were there for people to sit and have a quick rest in the gallery.”

Detailing the process of getting his work exhibited in libraries across Antrim and Newtownabbey and the changes he has made to attract more engagement, Colin stated: "I want the project to be enjoyed by ordinary folks and I’m avoiding traditional gallery spaces as much as possible, opting for accessible venues. I was in Glengormley Library to do some research and realised that they had a policy for staging events.

"After enquiring about the possibility of exhibiting my work in Glengormley, the district manager got back to say that they wanted to run it across all their local sites, which was a great vote of confidence.

"Using the phone shows how people can be connected, but also how they can be separated. It’s a moment in time.

"I have been fortunate to gather people speaking around 20 languages for my project. Not everyone listening to the voices will be able to understand Korean, for example, but they’ll be able to hear the emotion in the person’s voice and get an understanding of what they are trying to convey.

"There is the pain of being separated from loved ones in their home country. The voices tell personal experiences and with the many different nationalities taking part, the project has helped to bridge the gap between the communities.

"I carried out interviews with participants up in Derry and I got one person responding in Irish. I’ve also got people speaking Ulster Scots. It’s fantastic to have been able to get such a range of accents and languages together and I’m thankful for everyone who took a leap of faith and took the time to take part.

"Some of the messages really pull on the heartstrings and I’ve seen people listening to the accounts and needing to reach for a tissue.

"If it’s successful at the libraries across Antrim and Newtownabbey, it could hopefully be rolled out across Northern Ireland and even some cross-border opportunities. Thanks to everyone who has supported the project and to Libraries NI for hosting my exhibition.”

The exhibition will also run at Rathcoole Library from June 3–28, Cloughfern Library June 11 to July 5, Randalstown Library July 2 to August 2, Antrim Library July 8 to August 9, Greystone Library

August 6 to August 30 and Ballyclare Library August 12 to September 2.

Colin will be giving a talk on his exhibition at Crumlin Library on Friday, May 17 at 3pm, Rathcoole Library (June 4 at 11am), Cloughfern Library (June 11 at noon), Randalstown Library (July 5 at 3pm), Antrim Library (July 19 at 3pm), Greystone Library (August 8 at 11am) and Ballyclare Library (August 16 at 11am).