This is the first guest post from Nikki Sheth – to join her on a guided walk see the end of this post.
I'm sound artist Nikki Sheth and I've created a soundwalk of Stirchley for the Ten Acres of Sound Festival.
The walk encourages a deeper connection with the natural environment and a new awareness of the hidden sounds around us – both natural and man-made.
Exploring the area of Stirchley, I've created a sound map of interesting listening points in the local area. These points have been recorded and the field recordings produced draw upon a range of sources – the hidden sounds of underwater currents, recordings of bats hunting above the River Rea, the secret world of Birmingham Brew before opening hours. As the walk progresses, the field recordings develop into smaller musical compositions that have been inspired by the mechanical and electromagnetic recorded sounds, progressing from a natural to an abstracted and imaginative sound world.
The Stirchley soundwalk creates a 60-minute self-guided journey of immersive audio experiences which can be experienced using a smartphone. The free SOUNDwalker app uses GPS to guide the walker to different locations and, on arrival, triggers audio tracks which provide site specific responses to the immediate environment.
As you listen to the soundwalk click on the listening points once to see the name of the location and click on the name to read more about the sounds you are hearing.
The soundwalk will launch during the Ten Acres of Sound Festival and will be freely available on the SOUNDwalker app for the public to enjoy at their leisure.
JOIN NIKKI FOR A GUIDED SOUNDWALK ON THURSDAY 1ST AND FRIDAY 2ND OCTOBER, 5:30PM AT ARTEFACT
Although the walk can be completed entirely independently using the SOUNDwalker app, this is an opportunity to talk to me about the sounds and my practice. The walks will be socially distanced, take place outside and participants are asked to wear a mask where possible.
Participants will need to bring their own headphones and mobile device. It is advised that participants download the SOUNDwalker app and the Stirchley Soundwalk in advance due to possible streaming issues.
The walk will last for one hour and start and end at Artefact, Stirchley. Please be aware that photographs will be taken of participants on the walk.
TO BOOK PLEASE EMAIL: ARTEFACTSTIRCHLEY@GMAIL.COM
This work and the guided walk are in association with Artefact Projects, Ten Acres of Sound and Birmingham based collective SOUNDkitchen.