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SOUNDkitchen are interested in encouraging people to engage with their sound environment. We have been devising and leading SOUNDwalks that provide unique opportunities for participants to actively listen to the sounds around them.
Guided by the SOUNDkitchen collective, these walks typically involve simple ‘ear cleaning’ exercises designed to draw attention to different sonic features particular to the location. We are also interested in extending the walker’s listening abilities, augmenting the natural hearing range through the use of audio technology. This may include listening to recorded audio tracks that present recordings from locations at different times of day, night or year. We might transport listeners to visible landmarks such as inside a church or onto the roof of a distant building. We also use carefully placed microphones to enable walkers to hear hidden sounds from locations that are usually inaccessible such as under water, high in the branches of trees or inside objects.

SOUNDwalk: Winterbourne Gardens, Birmingham

(45 min environmental listening, live microphones, recorded audio) Commissioned by Royal Musicological Association 2015 SOUNDktichen were commissioned to create a SOUNDwalk for delegates of the Royal Musicological Association annual conference which was held at the University of Birmingham in September 2015. The 45 minute walk began beneath Old Joe, the clock tower in the centre … Read More

SOUNDwalk: Grand Union Canal, Birmingham

(60 min environmental listening, live microphones) Commissioned by Flatpack Film Festival 2104A guided SOUNDwalk taking in the Grand Union Canal and the backstreets of Digbeth. This often overlooked but varied urban landscape, on the edge of Birmingham city centre, presents a rich listening environment for those who take the time to stop and listen. Sonic … Read More

SOUNDwalk: Edgbaston Reservoir, Birmingham

(90 min environmental listening, live microphones, recorded audio) Commissioned by Still Walking Festival Sept 2013 Photo: Iain Armstrong This guided walk explored in detail the changing soundscape of the Edgbaston Reservoir, an important site for nature conservation and a popular urban leisure destination situated close to the city centre. The walk was punctuated with several … Read More

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