Acoustic ecology and ecological sound art

listening to changing ecosystems

Leah Barclay

pp. 153-177

in: Milena Droumeva, Randolph Jordan (eds), Sound, media, ecology, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2019

Abstract

Climate change is no longer just a scientific issue—the world's leading scientists have clearly outlined the facts and necessary actions for decades. This is a cultural crisis that requires interdisciplinary action to mobilise communities and inspire collective action. This chapter seeks to examine two creative works resulting from the author's research projects to highlight the influence of acoustic ecology on personal artistic practice. These creative works are designed to demonstrate the interdisciplinary value of acoustic ecology in engaging and inspiring local and global communities to listen to the environment. The selected projects Hydrology and Listening Underwater represent different processes and approaches to working with environmental sound. The two creative projects explore opportunities for acoustic ecology to continue expanding and evolving through education, engagement and interdisciplinary creativity.