Eighteenth International Conference on the Arts in Society

Abstract

Composers, sound artists and musicians have long engaged birds as sources of inspiration. These art works specifically compel humans to go beyond humans to more-than-human societies. How can these arts practices address the very real tensions and dynamics of impacts of human societies on, and interactions with, birds? How do these artistic practices enable ways of understanding current human and environmental crises? As a creative artist and university professor I developed an undergraduate course to delve into these issues with students. In this paper, I consider possibilities of this pedagogical model. Discussing course details and student experiences, I draw on subjective qualitative data from participating individuals (analysis, listening, experimenting, creating, sharing) and my interpretation of their art and interactions. The course was embedded in three interconnecting threads: 1. analysis of musical/sonic practices; 2. live deep listening to birds through field (balcony/yard) work; and 3. creative experimental arts practices drawing on fieldwork. I discuss how this model enables multiple outcomes, including: new expressions of art work tackling and responding to human/more-than-human power dynamics; embodied and emplaced knowledge; and new forms of socioecological intervention through imaginative ways of communicating environmental and social benefits of birds. Given that these young adults are the generation who are deeply engaged with the chaos and crises of 21st century societies and are profoundly cognizant of the impact wrought by previous generations, their responses offer possibilities for the poetic-political potential of eco-acoustic-arts for awareness and activism, and for social and environmental justice and resilience.

Presenters

Ruth Hellier
Professor, Performing Arts, Feminist Studies, Latin American Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, United States