Soundscapes of the World

The ART of Listening: Designing and Creating Interdisciplinary Soundscapes Through the Performing Arts

Project Introduction

Transport your class on a sensory journey through exploring, creating, sharing and comparing cultural soundscapes that represent the rich multi-sensory world that they live in.  Soundscapes, also known as acoustic ecology, have been used for many years to capture the auditory aspect of an environment, where ‘the listener applies their meaning of sound to the environment or, conversely, how the environment gives meaning to sound’ ( R. Murray Schafer - The World Soundscape Project).  According to Waddington (2022), Soundscape ecology ‘is the study of sound and of how sounds of different origins shape the world around them. It is about how life on our planet, including our own, is shaped by its auditory environment’ (p X)

Through participating in the project, your class will develop their design and creative skills through support and guidance to:

• experience the inspiration and power of the arts

• recognise and nurture their creative and aesthetic talents

• develop skills and techniques pertaining to Art, Music and Dance

• deepen their understanding of culture in their location and the wider world (Education Scotland, 2018).

The following video provides a short introduction to this exciting creative project:

The Project

The theme for this year's soundscape project is gardens with the project running from September to December 2025 with primary schools from around the world with selected soundscapes from each school being showcased at an exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Dundee and exhibitions arranged by participating schools from Croatia, England, Greece, Hungary, India, Poland, Scotland and USA.

As a participating school, you will be invited to a series of webinars, led by experts in the fields of Digital Photography, Music, Abstract Art, Contemporary Dance, Intercultural Learning, Outdoor Learning and Museum Learning.  These webinars will provide guidance and lessons on how to create a cultural soundscape and provide valuable learning from professionals.

Webinar 1 (mid-September): Introduction to the project with a focus on Interculutral Learning, Outdoor Learning and Museum Learning.  The first activity will be shared with resources and guidance provided: capturing a garden design and the auditory environment through digital photograph and sound.

Webinar 2 (end-October): Responding to the environment using music, abstract art and contemporary dance.

Webinar 3 (End November): Sharing and Celebrating our culutral soundscapes

Exhibition/ Showcase (December): Selected soundscapes will be showcased at the Victoria and Albert Dundee Museum as part of their Garden Futures Exhibition.

All the activties will be designed and created by the children through a series of guided lessons that use traditional methods.

The following video is an example of a cultural soundscape of a busy Indian street scene:

Registration for this year's Soundscape project is now closed for, however, if you are interested in taking part next year, please email Sharon Tonner-Saunders.

Soundscapes is created by Sharon Tonner-Saunders, a lecturer in education at the University of Dundee and is supported by Gary Jamieson, the Schools Development Officer at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Dundee and Carol Murdoch, the Company Director of Love Outdoor Learning.