A soundscape workshop offered young people an opportunity to participate in the conversation surrounding the urban sonic environment, changes in it, and its future. The outcomes are discussed in the International Journal of Electronic Governance in the context of a large, creative Europe project known as “The People’s Smart Sculpture”.
Aura Neuvonen of the Department of Film and Television at Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, in Helsinki, Finland, examined the issues of creating and experiencing soundscapes in the mobile soundscape workshop. “The soundscape platform and the workshop method was created to experiment with mobile and participatory methods with sound and sonic experiences,” she explains. The sub-project entitled “Neighbourhood as a living room” was focused on finding new ways to make exhibitions at the Helsinki Museum of Technology more interesting especially to young people. The findings could have wider implications for other museums, galleries outdoor installations, and events.
During the workshops, participants generated soundscapes using a mobile tool known as “Soundspace” and an Audio Digital Asset Management System developed at Metropolia. Having created their soundscapes, they listened to each other’s and discussed their experiences and opinions. “The participants’ focus on hearing, listening and observing their surrounding sonic environment increased when emotional engagement and personal experiences were acknowledged during the workshop,” Neuvonen explains, an important point in the wider context of taking part in the discussion about our aural environment.
Neuvonen, A. (2019) ‘Experiencing the soundscape with mobile mixing tools and participatory methods’, Int. J. Electronic Governance, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp.44–61.