It's time! The SWS23 winner "Headford Lace Trail" offers an engaging experience through storytelling and music, while the honorable mention "Semi-Colon" invites listeners to interact with nature. New jurors have joined, and submissions are open for SWS24. And, the public can now vote for shortlisted sound walks.

Audio Artist Dawn Matheson, in collaboration with Abhiraj Dadiyan, has produced a participatory work "Semi-Colon". Part of the larger "How To Draw A Tree" project, Semi-Colon invites listeners to engage with nature in original ways. The multimedia endeavor focuses on fostering connections between individuals with mental health challenges, creativity, and trees, seeking to foster social change and combat isolation.

"Stopping To Notice" is a podcast created by Miranda Keeling, Oli Seymour, and Fresh Air Production, focusing on everyday life's joys. The show lasts only 5 minutes per episode and aims to celebrate ordinary moments via sound.

Keira Simmons envisions the future of Port Adelaide in 2100. The sound walk takes listeners on a journey through the past, present, and potential future of the region, illustrating the ecological, infrastructural, and social transformations over time.

"Head, Hand and Heart" takes participants on a journey across Nantucket Island's history, culture, and nature. The project was conceived during an artist residency and explores various themes through sensory storytelling, aiming to engage audiences beyond mere consumption.

David Merleau created an interactive storytelling audio walking app, offering a day-in-the-life experience of various types of ants. During walks, users hear stories that adapt to their environment, creating an innovative "pace-based" interactive experience. This project allowed Merleau to connect with his peers and find purpose during COVID lockdowns.

Adje Both and Simon Bradley's "Sounds of Teotihuacan', a sound exhibition tour at the UNESCO heritage site of Teotihuacan, traces the ambient music and sounds from the ancient civilization of Teotihuacan, reconstructed using various unearthed sound artifacts and instruments. The project creates an immersive experience for visitors, featuring 20 interconnected sound fields throughout the site, with soundscape reflecting stories and rituals of ancient culture.

Ed Coulson narrates the forgotten history of a craft industry – bobbin lace making – that was central to survival in Headford, Ireland, during the devastating famine. The Headford Lace Project, initiated in 2016, researched, revived, and reimagined this lost history, creating a tale of resilience and perseverance that shaped the town. Coulson's audio walk, highlighting the lives of lacemakers and using innovative storytelling techniques, offers a glimpse into this fascinating piece of history.

Sophie Austin's "F for Farnham" is an immersive, self-guided audio story walk that investigates Farnham’s most haunted locales in Surrey. The audio walk delves into local folklore, evoking the lesser-known stories of ghosts trapped within Farnham's history, using narratives voiced by locals. Users are guided around town, invited to explore the locations while listening to the haunting stories for an alternative experience.

With Soundpaths: Heptonstall, Yonatan Collier, created an immersive, interactive musical work that uses audio augmented reality (AR) to blend performed music with soundscapes, in and around the village of Heptonstall in West Yorkshire.

In The soundtrack of here, Babak Fakhamzadeh created a mashup based on Radio Aporee, resulting in an ever-changing soundtrack of the urban space around you.

In Telescope Club Sound Walk, Khaya and Noah, picked 5 locations along a strip of the Regent’s Canal in London, and created a sound walk that is a meditation on change.

The SWS Awards 2023 saw 60 entries reviewed by a dedicated online jury. The shortlist includes three pieces from Australian artists and one previous winner. Following deliberations by the SWS Grand Jury, winners will be announced in January 2024, marking the first time cash prizes will be awarded.

Wander the world with us on September 29, and see things differently.

We are about to celebrate our sixth Sound Walk September, for which we have been running Awards for four consecutive years. Come along and join us.

We are excited to introduce a cash prize of up to 1000 euros for winners of our awards.

With the start of the season, and opening submissions for the SWS and Marŝarto Awards, we highlight existing and new members of the juries.