Events

Sonic Science Festival: January 2015

Sonic_Science_Festival_Logo_v08The ‘Sonic Science’ Festival took place on January 23-25, 2015 in Maastricht. It invited an audience of all ages to explore how the ears are trained to gather information and make sense of all sorts of phenomena through a multifaceted art festival. More information can be found on the website of the Sonic Science Festival. You can also listen to some short radio broadcasts (in Dutch) about the festival here. Finally, you can find a virtual version of the exhibition at the Sonic Science festival here.

 

 

Sonic Skills Expert Meeting and Public Day: January 2014

In January 2014, a group of international scholars working at the intersection of sound studies and STS gathered in Maastricht for a two-day workshop. The primary goal of the meeting was to discuss a first draft for a book based on the research of the Sonic Skills project, funded through a VICI grant awarded to Karin Bijsterveld in 2010. A group of fourteen experts renowned for their research on listening practices and scientific skills gathered to give their comments on the book manuscript.

sonic skills public day1 The first day of the meeting was a public day in which eight of these scholars gave presentations about their latest research. The presentations covered a broad and fascinating range of topics, including subjects such as the sounds of prison life, the musical practice of circuit-bending, and the history of infrasound. (See schedule of the day for more information.) The day concluded with the presentation of a podcast about the research of the Sonic Skills project.

The second day of the workshop was dedicated to the discussion of the manuscript for a collective monograph, drafted by all six Sonic Skills project members. The monograph represents a synthesized account of the different sub-projects, discussing the listening practices of scientists, engineers and physicians since 1920. Thanks to the assembled group of international experts, the Sonic Skills team has received plenty of inspiring and useful comments for the revision of the monograph.

Sonic Skills 3In between and after the academic programme, a varied culinary and cultural programme provided opportunities for communication and diversion – and some well-deserved rest on the “sonic bed” for a few project members and international advisors (see photo).