For May's Erratic Rachel Henaghan takes us on an early morning walk through the shadows of her past. Looking for solace in a city of trauma and austerity, this "return to station" maps a personal story of recovery and reflection after a career in the NHS.
Rachel Henaghan moved to the area thirty years ago but only became truly familiar with Birmingham after commencing her career as a paramedic.
"I had a backstage pass to the city, the privilege of accessing its hidden subterranean spaces, restricted areas, vistas from many high rises. This is costly: there are places I cannot pass without remembering, I know the stories of maintained roadside shrines and flowers, some places I would never venture to again, and I have lost the freedom to explore or travel alone."
The walk starts at sunrise, a liminal time when the day closes for some and begins for others. Henaghan invites you to witness the waking hour in the workplace that inspired her to re-establish her art practice. It is a journey of radical cartography, where places are defined by memory and experience.
Meet at 5:30am, Saturday 6th May on the pavement outside Highgate Fire Station, Moseley Rd, B12 0DP. Please note this is an active fire station so PLEASE DON'T BLOCK ANY OF THE ENTRANCES! The fire station is on both the number 50 and 8 bus routes, both of which operate at this hour.
The walk is about 2.7 miles long and will last around 2 hours, finishing at the Gun Quarter. The terrain will mostly be pavement and road with only minor inclines. Steps will be avoided. After the walk you are welcome to join us for breakfast or coffee in a cafe. The walk will go ahead whatever the weather.
Due to the early nature of this walk please email andyhowlett@hotmail.com to book a place so that we know how many to expect.
Rachel Henaghan was a paramedic and first responder in Birmingham with West Midlands Ambulance Service for 20 years. In 2020 she was diagnosed with autism and PTSD, and decided it was the right time to become a full-time artist. She is a resident at BOM (Birmingham Open Media) and is currently on the STEAMhouse create program researching the potential for VR to improve the health and wellbeing of frontline staff.