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Sound Arts:
Sound Society Nature

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A one-year, part-time postgraduate course in the heart of Margate

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This course explores sound and music through engaging with Margate’s natural environment, architecture, and diverse communities. 

 

Students will be exposed to a wide variety of practices relating to creating, perceiving, and critically considering sound, listening and music.

 

A unifying focus to this work will be the locale: Margate’s natural environment, architecture, and music/sound communities will form the basis for learning. Project work will be aimed at researching and contributing to the local sound and music scene. 

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Each cohort is capped at 15 places so that we can provide a very low student to tutor ratio, a high level of one-to-one time and encourage whole group collaboration. 

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**This course operates at postgraduate level but a degree is not required if the candidate can demonstrate sufficient experience and practice in a relevant field.

* This course runs subject to recruiting the minimum number of students each academic year.

Term Dates

October 2023 to June 2024

Deadline To Apply

Applications Are Open

Interview Dates

TBC Applications Are Open

The course consists of taught modules relating to areas focusing on: the materials of sound and music, sound communication and performance; sound, music, and space; and sound communities.  Each of these areas of study revolves around individual and collaborative project work, culminating in regular public outputs that might include radio broadcasts, performances, exhibitions, or workshops. Each module has an output attached to it — either a radio show, a podcast, a public workshop or a performance. The focus of the course will not be technical, but rather exploring sound, listening and music as artistic, social, and ecological methodologies.

 

This work will be supported through learning in a series of workshops focusing on a broad range of skills related to creative sound perception and creation. Critical and analytical listening skills will be cultivated to help participants consider both the formal and contextual properties of sound and music. Technical workshops to support project work will focus on skills in digital music creation (recording and mixing, sound manipulation) instrument creation (both virtual and physical), improvised performance, and installation design.

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Teaching will take place on Friday each week. The majority of teaching will be at The Margate School.

 

The Margate School believes that learning in a collaborative and critical environment will nurture independent thinking, self-confidence and raise aspirations. Classes will be hands-on, dynamic and may extend outside of the school building. You will be studying in a busy, sociable environment. 

Module

01

Listening Practices

This unit opens the course with a five session exploration of listening.  Drawing on strategies, practices and theories of listening within sound art, music, philosophy and beyond (including therapeutic and well-being practices).  Practices include soundwalking, sound mapping, Deep Listening, gong baths, and field recording.  The unit involves practical and embodied workshops where students will employ these technologies to explore Margate various soundscapes, sonic lines, and social and ecological environments.

Module

02

Sound and Space

This unit introduces students to the relationship between sound and
space within the sound arts.  We will explore sound and architecture,
learn how sound operates as a space and place maker,  research and
create sound installations, and consider sound's role in broader
ecological practices.  We will explore sound installation as a form of
artistic practice, looking at its position within art history, and we
will experiment with sound diffusion devices such as loudspeakers,
radios and dictaphones.

Module

03

Music, Sound and Communication

This unit will explore the distribution of sound and music through
broadcast, networks and digital music discovery. We will plug into
Margate’s burgeoning music and sound scene, exploring how sound and
music become tools for communication and the dissemination of culture.

Module

04

Sound Materials

We will explore the materiality of sound, and the sonic and listening
natures of materials. We will work with practitioners who make objects
that make or capture sound, noise and/or music.  Students will create
their own sound objects such as musical instruments, recording
devices, ritual objects or sound sculptures.

Module

05

Sound and Community

This unit will explore sound practices that explore, record or create community.  We will draw on practices as diverse as oral history, sound archiving, group improvisation and collective singing to develop our own responses to the various communities of Margate and Thanet.

Module

06

Sound and Performance

During this unit we will explore the performance of sound.  We will
speak to performers and visit performance spaces in the local area,
and develop our own performance works with students acting as
performers themselves, or as sound designers, aural dramaturgs,
composers or producers.

* This course runs subject to recruiting the minimum number of students each academic year.

Term Dates

October 2023 to June 2024

Deadline To Apply

Applications Are Open

Interview Dates

TBC Applications Are Open

Speaker

Course Facilities

Mix studio including

  • Mac, Speakers, Interface and Mic

  • 4 x powered monitors for surround work/installations

  • 2 x podcast-grade microphones (Shure SM7b, ex) 


Students will need

  • Headphones

  • Laptop or iPad with basic audio editing facility

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Entry Requirements

The course operates at postgraduate level but a degree is not required if the candidate can demonstrate sufficient experience and practice in a relevant field. This academic and professional background does not need to be directly related to the field of sound but some evidence of a sound-led work in applicants practice would be welcome, as well as experience using basic sound recording, editing and playback tools. Candidates would need to submit an application, CV and attend an interview if selected.

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Course Fees

The price for the one-year Sound Arts: Sound Society Nature course is £4,000 per annum.

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Students will get discounts to The Margate School's programme of workshops, events and facilities.

Sound, Society, Nature coordinators and tutors are research-active practitioners. The programme will be supported by a core team of regular tutors with visiting tutors joining to teach specialized practical modules. Student feedback will help to shape the programme each year.