First Waves soundscape (Master) by scarlettcuk

I wanted to ensure that the exhibition of the First Waves project was as differentiated and accessible as the workshops were. I know that people engaged with photographs in different ways and that by using semiotics we are leaving a lot open for interpretation. I decided to create a soundscape for each city so that the real voices, insights, memories and songs of the people could be heard and felt by the audience to ensure a more immersive experience. During the workshops I facilitated peer-to-peer interviewing as one of the four activities undertaken on each day. Using prompts on postcards we asked questions such as “ What was life like before and after the Race Relations Acts were introduced?” “How do you culturally identify” and with this question often igniting the most interesting of conversations - “Can the law change public opinion?” I combined clips from each city with sounds linked to ideas of migration and Empire. I used music including Dub, Tabla, and Pakistani Bagpipes, which reflected the diversity of the people I met. I included a clip of football fans singing the ‘God Save the Queen’, which for many instils a sense of pride, but for people of colour often triggers feelings of fear and exclusion. The often-moving testimonies come from ordinary people who have experienced extraordinary things and their perspectives deserve to be included when we think about what it means to live in a multicultural society.