Tuning in with Silence(s) in Eindhoven, STRP 2023

Listening Ritual “Tuning in with Silence(s)” in Scenario 22. STRP Festival 2023. Eindhoven. Photos by STRP Festival.

I was invited to participate in the STRP Scenario 22 curated by Martina Raponi and Nadine Roestenburg, to perform a Deep Listening ritual in the context of a reflection on “impossible absences”, departing from experiences of deafness and neurodiversity, expanding possibilities of listening across perceived silences. I invited listeners to tune in with silence by walking in their own rhythm as if Dreaming, Soft Gazing Stars and Stepping on Ancient Roots, using the INTIMAL App©.

Listening Ritual “Tuning in with Silence(s)” in Scenario 22. STRP Festival 2023. Eindhoven. Photos by STRP Festival.

In Eindhoven, the ritual occurred in a city’s “backstage” space. Surrounded by office buildings, a car park and a glance of trains arriving or leaving the station about 40 people walked and voiced their silence: humming, ssshhing, singing, and bringing to the collective experience one or two words, to navigate across ideas of silence in-between a diversity of tunings.

The Scenario was in verbal silence, words were only staged by the presenters. Participants were in silence and listening to all sounds and voices amplified via Silent Disco, which made me speak more quietly knowing my voice was directly transmitted in people’s ears. Many thanks to the listeners in this ritual, as well as the speakers in the scenario Véronique Leduc, Sarah Heussaff, and David Toop, and the chair Josué Amador Valdez.

Scenario 22. STRP Festival 2023. Eindhoven. Photos by STRP Festival and courtesy of Pablo Sanz.

Thanks to the STRP Festival for the amazing organisation and support to make this experience smooth and deep for people. Here there is an after-movie of the STRP Festival 2023.