Listening to North Sea Coastal Communities in Transition

Description

How are intersecting environmental and energy transitions reshaping ecocultural heritage in North Sea coastal communities? Focusing on the contexts of Yell (Shetland) and Torry (Aberdeen), this transdisciplinary project examines how climate change, renewable energy development, and industrial expansion transform multi-species environments, cultural practices, and lived experiences. Through a focus on sound and the sensory experiences of transitions, the project aims to facilitate exchange between community groups and generate new insights into the eco-cultural impacts of transitions. By amplifying local voices and centring multi-species relationships, it aims to support and strengthen community-driven approaches to eco-cultural heritage preservation. The project is a new collaboration between researchers at the University of Aberdeen and the Elphinstone Institute, working with local partners Greyhope Bay and North Yell Development Council (NYDC).The project is funded by the COAST-R Network’s 'Small Grants Fund’ and runs from February - November 2026.

I am part of the team leading community arts workshops in Yell and Torry to make recordings of day-to-day sounds, leading to the creation of sonic postcards of places that hold significance for the local community, such as the Torry Battery and St Fittick's Park, in Aberdeen, and Cullivoe Pier and the Gloup Fisherman's Memorial in Shetland. A sonic postcard is an audio snapshot of a place. Like a postcard, it can convey information about a specific place in time. From the hum of industrial machinery to the call of an arctic tern, sound is deeply tied to place. The sounds of coastlines shape our memories, reflect the health of local ecosystems, and connect us to generations past and future. By tuning into a soundscape, we can explore how an area has changed over time and imagine how it may continue to evolve.

Période	5 mai 2026 → 31 oct. 2026
Degré de reconnaissance	National