Walking Through Coventry Data

Coventry data, together with images and videos from Coventry Digital, were displayed on the gallery walls at The Reel Store to both illustrate the types of data available and provide a new way of understanding the city.

Details

Walking Through Coventry Data took place at The Reel Store on Tuesday 13 December 2022.

The event was introduced by Nick Henry, Coventry University, Valerie de Souza, Coventry City Council and Si Chun Lam, West Midlands Combined Authority.

Data and images were immersively displayed on the gallery walls in a loop of approximately nine minutes.

It was a beautiful exhibition − stunning images of Coventry.

And it was an inspiring exhibition − amazing to see how participation in arts/culture has improved so much in certain areas of Coventry during City of Culture.

Maureen Meadows, Coventry University

The Walking Through Coventry Data exhibition is shortly to be made available in new formats. Users will be able to navigate a 2D VR experience and a 2D version (both for PC) using arrow keys, either viewing the exhibition in 3D with a headset or 2D on a screen.

Data

Coventry’s year as the UK City of Culture 2021 (UK CoC 2021) has generated an unprecedented amount of data relating to cultural participation, perceptions and engagement. This has made Coventry into a highly rich place for cultural data.

In addition, Coventry has, uniquely amongst local authorities, a Household Survey − conducted every two to three years since 1988 − which asks a representative sample of Coventry residents about their views of their local area, city, behaviour, concerns, and in recent years, their wellbeing. 

These data amongst other demographic, housing and environment, economy and prospects, and health and wellbeing data, enables cultural data collected through UK CoC 2021 to be compared and contrasted with other metrics.

Images and Videos

The range of vivid images and videos of Coventry people and places featured within the presentation − which looked to the past, present and future − were provided by the Coventry Digital archive.

Photographs within the archive represent aspects of Coventry through the years. Thematic galleries include pre-war photographs, the construction and opening of the new Cathedral, city buildings and planning, workers at Courtaulds and Massey Ferguson and images from the Coventry Telegraph, through to more recent contributions that captured UK CoC 2021.

Thanks are due to the right holders of all of the materials used within the presentation, including Culture Coventry, Historic Coventry Trust, the Estate of Richard Sadler, MirrorPix and Historic England.

Rationale

Although there are a great deal of data available that provide information on trends, activities and areas of Coventry, as well as a collection of images that chronicle its recent history, many people within the city are unaware of this.

Walking Through Coventry Data was an event that celebrated the city and its cultural heritage. It was also designed to highlight the types of data and images available to members of the public and interested city stakeholders.

These data can inform proposals, services and decision making, as well as highlight trends and raise general awareness within the city.

Coventry City Council’s Insight team produces a regular e-bulletin that provides information on a range of city related topics and can be contacted for further information.

A great event, really informative and an engaging way to present the data.

Rich Greenslade, Coventry City Council

Audience

Walking Through Coventry Data successfully brought together representatives from the two Coventry universities, Coventry City Council staff and Councillors, leaders of local organisations, creatives, students and interested members of the public.

Gallery

Acknowledgements

This event was organised by Tim Healey and Viviana Sagredo at Coventry City Council’s Insight team and Ben Kyneswood (Coventry Digital), Nick Henry and Tim Hammerton at Coventry University, with support from Mark Scott at Warwick Business School, Si Chun Lam at the West Midlands Combined Authority, Alex Wilcox at The Reel Store. Freelancers, Jon Randle (Mindriot Productions), supported animation and Coventry Poet Laureate, Emilie Lauren Jones, provided the voiceover.

Link

The story of the development of Walking Through Coventry Data is available in the insight article The Experience of Walking Through Coventry Data.