We invited an international, national and regional artists to be an artist researcher and creative collaborator on the Sonic Streams project.
Each artist was invited to spend time in Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and explore the space. Meeting medical professionals including pediatric doctors, nurses and play specialists along with the lead scientific researcher neuro-surgeon Andrew Curran, patients and education team.
Developed through a residency at Alder Hey Children’s hospital and responding to the space and context, each artist was invited to make a proposal for a work of art that explored the impact of sound upon the human body and the health environment. The artists were encouraged to think about their works both as art works and as therapeutic tools.
Using highly sensitive microphones, patients, families and staff from Alder Hey worked with BAFTA award-winning sound artist Chris Watson for three days and nights, at dawn and dusk.
Children from the hospital crept round the park, accompanied by their parents or carers, recording greenfinches, robins, blackbirds and song-thrushes as well as rain and wind.
Working with the artist, the patients chose their favourite sound moments and they collectively composed a time compressed durational sound piece that takes the listener from a May evening chorus throughout the night and launching into a tremendous dawn chorus.
Wild Song at Dawn has been installed in Alder Hey Children’s Hospital corridors and used a therapeutic tool on the children’s wards and prior to surgical procedures
The Liverpool Culture Company’s Waiting Programme aims to develop creative projects that explore wellbeing and has given FACT the opportunity to extend our research further into new settings by supporting Wild Song installation into health centres across Liverpool
During his residency at Alder Hey Josh worked closely with play specialists in the Neurology Ward.
Josh built relationships with the staff and from his collaboration with them and with family and patients he developed the concept of 'Beautiful Feedback'
Sam is researching, through collaboration with oncology patients and staff, how to create sensory sonic interactions that will have a positive physiological and psychological effect on wellbeing.
Exploring sensory sonic interactions to develop interactive ward, which responds to the individual. Led by patient’s imagination, experiences and ideas, this collaborative research will also ask the question of ultimately, how do we personalize and incorporate intelligent sensory interfaces into current and future health care environments?