Walks that use sound, either as an artificial accompaniment or through actively listening, are a broad and inspiring part of the walking practice. I first properly realised this on a sound walk run by SoundKitchen for Still Walking in 2013 where we walked around Edgbaston reservoir engaging in different forms of listening, from the amplified scratches of bugs burrowing in a log to parabolic microphones in the trees transporting us to locations miles away, and of course simply standing still and paying attention to the soundscape. In hindsight that walk totally changed they way I think about photographing my walks, which was a nicely unexpected outcome.
Sound Walk September looks like an excellent way to get a similar sort of inspiration, should you be looking for it. Having evolved over a number of events and projects, the 2019 month became:
not only a showcase for innovation, but also a valued community-building resource, bringing practitioners together, many of whom are remotely working creatives who had previously felt isolated or ‘ploughing a lonely furrow’.
As expected, this year's gathering will be somewhat distributed, but will hopefully emphasise the international nature of the event, and there's an open call for submissions, be they walks or events or workshops. The call is:
Open to everyone, for instance: creatives, artists, sound artists, musicians, poets, architects, performers, designers, anthropologists, writers, health and wellness professionals, cultural and social professionals, educators, teachers, students, those interested to explore the impact and possibilities of sound walking.
More details are here and the deadline is August 1st.
