JOE Stevens news

I have been invited to take part in the Public Domain festival happening this weekend in Bournemouth, where I will be undertaken another sound work, seeking the public to help me identify the seaside soundscape.

With Sunday the 18 July being World Listening Day, I will be asking the public to Opening our ears: learning to listen and help to survey the sonic landmarks of the seaside.
 - What is the seaside soundscape like?
 - What sounds are important to them?

Public Domain is a three-day festival happening from 16 – 18 July in Bournemouth Lower Gardens. The festival includes film screenings, family workshops, installations, performances and participatory events from leading artists with international profiles encouraging participants to explore what it means to share parks, gardens and other public spaces. The festival invites everyone to take part through collaboration and creativity in the workshops and some of the artworks, or simply by bringing a picnic and experiencing one of the many screenings and concerts that are on offer over the weekend.

For full programme: www.scansite.org/publicdomain

another brilliant, thought provoking post Felix, over at thedomesticsoundscape.com. And a shame we did not manage to link up at Whitstable.

I have found the same problems in using kit when both recording for myself and running soundwalks with the public. That while mics can help you focus your ears to secific details and allow the public to hear in a new way the sounds around them. The process of people using the technology allows them to focus carefully on the sounds around them in a different way.

But technology can and does get in the way, as in my experience not everyone on a soundwalk has a blimp, a mic and all the recording gear. Then those that do can get caught up in the buttons, setting recording levels etc. That is why I love Felix’s use of pen and paper, of having people write (or draw!) down their sound experiences.

Though I have stuggled getting young people to write down anything when conducting mapping walks with them. This is why for World Listening Day I have deiced to simple ask people questions about the sonic environment they are in. I will then record people talking about what hopefully you will be able to hear in the background.

I am planing an event in Weymouth for World Listening Day. I’m going to be talking to the general people and getting them to help me identify and explore the sonic landmarks of this UK seaside town. I’ll ask questions like;
 - What sounds are important to them?
 - And what are the earliest sonic memories of the seaside?
With the public’s help I will then be recording the sonic geographies they have identified and i can find. Mapping the possible overlays of sonic regions or even specific sounds, which will help us define sonic landmarks of the seascape.

Afterward I plan to pool the coordinates and recordings into a map or survey of the acoustic geography of Weymouth in the summer.

I’ve done a quick sound research trip along Weymouth esplanade in preparation. http://www.51degreesnorth.net/joe/archives/586 – was recorded at the end of the esplanade taken in the view across the beach.