27 Jan Sonic Ecologies Documentary at QCRC RESEARCH FESTIVAL
19 – 22 November 2012, South Bank, Brisbane
Hosted by Queensland Conservatorium Research Centre, Griffith University presents a four-day Research Festival that aims to connect, critique and celebrate the research activities in an environment of vibrant musical and intellectual engagement.
Leah Barclay previewed her latest documentary ‘Sonic Ecologies’ during the festival. This feature length documentary is a key outcome from her practice-led PhD research at Griffith University and is presented alongside her creative portfolio.
Synopsis:
“The environmental crisis has become a catalyst for considering the validity and possibilities of creative methodologies as tools for change. There is a critical need to listen to our environment, Electroacoustic music utilising natural sounds exposing the state of the world could be an effective tool in environmental awareness and provocation. Through practice-led research and autoethnographic reflections, this doctoral research asked the question; could electroacoustic music be a tool for cultural change?
The core of this project involved conceiving and delivering seven original electroacoustic music projects for dissemination in multi-platform environments. The projects were created in cultural immersion, spanning from sonic explorations in the Amazon Rainforest to sounding the rivers of India, Korea, China, Australia, and New Zealand. The delivery and dissemination of each project was underpinned by a rich methodology that pivots on the site-specific project embedded in community cultural engagement.
The discoveries and observations from each individual project showed a clear trajectory towards a definitive set of procedures to initiate cultural change through environmental electro-acoustic music. As a result, the Sonic Ecologies Framework was developed as a means to create an accessible methodology for artists interested in implementing similar projects. This documentary functions as an audio-visual exegesis delving into the creative development, connecting the projects, presenting the research questions and exploring the future possibilities.”