About this Event
Join us for the launch event for our new Soundwalk HARK!, with live performances and a guided tour of the new installation with Deborah Shaw.
Soundwalk = a walk with a focus on listening to the environment
Highlights of the soundwalk include environmental songs from Karine Polwart and Tinderbox Orchestra, stories from Edinburgh’s Gaelic community and Scottish International Storytelling Centre, poems from Ash Dickinson and Alec Finlay, sonic works from Dr. Sion Parkinson and Aurora Engine, collaborations with Iranian vocalist and Flutist Kayhan and political themes of land rights, references to highland clearances and the Edinburgh housing crisis as local rents continue to increase.
Environmental organisation Earth In Common presents Hark, an immersive sound walk nestled within the grounds of Leith Community Croft. This unique experience will offer a tapestry of compositions, soundscapes, poetry, and stories, curated by composer and sonic artist Deborah Shaw (Aurora Engine), supported by Together for Our Planet fund. Hark aims to foster a deeper connection to nature and reflect Earth In Common’s values regarding crofting, land, and the intrinsic relationship between arts and the environment.
Alongside the pastoral, is the political, with themes of land rights, references to highland clearances and the Edinburgh housing crisis as local rents continue to increase. These works explore the effects on communities, raising the importance of nature access in urban landscapes which the Croft provides.
Visitors will be able to access recordings through their electronic devices, and experience sonic folk tales, haunting choral compositions and immersive soundscapes featuring the collected sounds from nature and wildlife.
Hark contributors include renowned musician Karine Polwart with a brand new song, “Earth
In Common” inspired by her passion for nature and environmental causes. Tinderbox Orchestra will present “ICE” from their Sparks collective, featuring talented young musicians. The Others - a collaborative music project with musicians from Scotland, Iran, Brazil, Syria, Yemin and Chile - some with a lived experience of forced displacement and migration are also set to contribute.
There will be pieces from Edinburgh’s Gaelic community, a story from Donald Smith, Director of Scottish International Storytelling Centre, and a haunting choral from Earth In Common’s own climate choir.
Poet Ash Dickinson will be featured with poem ‘Fox Fishing’ about declining nature, and Alec FInlay’s words from their Push the Boat Out Poetry festival commission ‘Manifesto for Urban Crofts’ will also play as part of the soundwalk. Sonic works will include pieces from Dr. Sion Parkinson composer and sound artist currently a Fellow at RBGE with ‘Pastoral blah’, curator Deborah Shaw (Aurora Engine) with a sound work about land rights and pieces inspired by birdsong, as well as a collaboration with Iranian vocalist and Flutist Kayhan from Iran.
As participants navigate the Croft with a provided map on their smartphones, they are invited to
immerse themselves in the sounds and music at their own pace. A visit to the charming farm
shop/café can enhance the experience, allowing for leisurely exploration of the works on display. While the soundwalk is freely accessible, contributions to support the Croft and the participating artists will be gratefully accepted onsite.
A collaboration between Earth in Common and Deborah Shaw (Aurora Engine), supported by the National Lottery Community Fund’s Together for Our Planet Fund
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
4A John's Pl, 4A John's Place, Leith, United Kingdom
GBP 0.00 to GBP 20.00