Listening to Voices : 40 minute sound art piece for the AHRC funded project Listening to Voices
- Submitting institution
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Queen's University of Belfast
- Unit of assessment
- 33 - Music, Drama, Dance, Performing Arts, Film and Screen Studies
- Output identifier
- 99228856
- Type
- J - Composition
- Month
- -
- Year
- 2015
- URL
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- Supplementary information
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- Request cross-referral to
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- Output has been delayed by COVID-19
- No
- COVID-19 affected output statement
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- Forensic science
- No
- Criminology
- No
- Interdisciplinary
- Yes
- Number of additional authors
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0
- Research group(s)
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- Proposed double-weighted
- No
- Reserve for an output with double weighting
- No
- Additional information
- At the core of the research enquiry framed by the AHRC project “Listening to Voices” are questions such as ‘what would it be like to learn to listen together/differently?’. The project explored creative listening practices to enable individuals and communities to become more attuned to the voices of ‘others’ often marginalized, repressed or ignored. Methodologically, the project rejects hierarchical structures between the ‘researcher’ and the ‘researched’ in favour of a collaborative and participatory process in which members of voice hearing networks in Scotland and Ireland participated as experts-by-experience. The sound piece is an experiential manifestation of the insights and understanding resulting from the collaborative process. The piece was conceived to, firstly, create a space of sonic discovery and recognition for the voice hearers themselves. This was achieved through close collaboration in the creation of ideas, narratives and sound materials. Secondly, the work aims to provide a ‘first-hand’ aural perspective on what it is like to experience voice hearing. The piece aims to raise awareness of this largely misunderstood experience to the wider public but especially to carers, friends and families. The piece is in binaural format for online distribution and was presented as a multichannel sound installation at The MAC (Belfast) in 2018. The installation version takes a core insight from the research relating to the relationship between sounds ‘in the head’ versus ‘in the world’. A hybrid mix was devised exploring the interstitial space between headphones and loudspeakers. A formal evaluation was conducted during the installation (part of the exhibition The Fragmented Mind) with 164 questionnaire responses. Nearly three-quarters (69%) of respondents said the installation had changed their understanding of voice hearing. A large majority (92%) also agreed that “the arts can play a role in increasing awareness and understanding of mental health”.
- Author contribution statement
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- Non-English
- No
- English abstract
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