Idiom

2016, 42 minutes

a performance and a film maker, various northern UK cities

A film about a performance. During the summer of 2015 Martin Hamblen sat on the pavement wearing a suit, his ‘stage’ highlighted by a hazard taped hula hoop, framed by the art venues behind. The gesture of giving juxtaposed a stereotypical street exchange with a saying rarely seen only said creating an anomaly which tested expectations, sparked curiosity and incited collaboration. Hamblen performed the phrase ‘a penny for your thoughts’ for 5 hours per day, Monday – Friday, during July (Manchester), August (Blackpool) and September (Preston) totalling 330 hours. Idiom is a film about that performance.

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