PoL #50 Deaf Gain: exploring sound, technology and hearing diversity

The spectral image depicts the sound of rustling leaves improvisation performed by CI user Sarah Smith and the artist.

Date: November 12th, 2019

Location: London College of Communication, Elephant and Castle, London SE1 6SB

Time: This event will begin at 16:15 for registration. Please meet at the front reception of LCC. There will be light refreshments with an approx. finish of 21:00.

This is a free event, though places are limited. To reserve a place please contact brigitte@listeningacrossdisciplines.net

This Points of Listening event in collaboration with Listening Across Disciplines II will investigate the relationships between sound, listening and technology within the context of deaf gain (Bauman & Murray, 2014). The term is foregrounded over ‘hearing loss’ as an affirmative way to position the wealth of contributions deaf culture provides across science and art. Within the specific context of sound studies/art we are interested to add to this re-interpretation of the notion of ‘loss’ through ‘diversity’, and to engage in questions such as: what is deemed normative or natural listening and who gets to decide such parameters? How is technology enabling or disavowing deaf culture? How useful are terms such as hearing loss, hearing diversity and deaf gain? How might artists and scientists work together – with the aid of protocols – in ways that can establish ethical and aesthetic technologies? Through talks, screenings and practice-based listening scenarios we will approach such questions together in a critical and supportive atmosphere of participation and debate.

This event is also supported by CRiSAP (Creative Research into Sound Arts Practice.)

Contributors

Marie Curie Fellow Carol Chermaz will introduce her research on speech intelligibility and simulated listening tests conducted within The Centre for Speech Technology Research (University of Edinburgh). Chermaz will present her binaural sound environments as part of an experimental and participatory listening test, one that moves beyond the scientific scenario of an isolated individual wearing headphones and instead explores the potential of multi-channel collective listening. http://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/s1758351/

Artist and composer Tom Tlalim will present his sound art project, ‘Tonotopia’, where he recently collaborated with users of Cochlear Implants (CI), exploring hearing / listening journeys with digital ears. He will discuss examples from two curated shows at the Victoria and Albert museum – ‘Tonotopia: Listening Through Cochlear Implants’ and ‘The Future Starts Here’ – where composing and curating sound art for a spectrum of hearing abilities became a central theme. After the presentation Tlalim will enter into a conversation with artist Seohye Lee, whose work draws on her own experience of hearing loss. http://www.tonotopia.org/

Seohye Lee’s multidisciplinary work takes inspiration from her own experience of hearing loss, exploring the difference between hearing and listening; regardless of skill. Seohye uses the mediums of sound and illustration to experiment with new forms of narrative, creating playful pieces that challenge ways of listening. https://www.seohyelee.com/

A selection of films and sound works will also be screened throughout the event.

This event will be British Sign Language (BSL) signed with speech-to-text and a hearing loop system also available.

Image Credit ‘Tonotopia: Music for Cochlear Implants | A Catalogue of Leaves,’ (HD, Stereo), Tom Tlalim, 2018. Spectral analysis of rustling leave sounds performed by CI user Sarah Smith and the artist.