Part of the Festival of Migration collection Immersive sound installation created by Elaine Cheng in collaboration with Hong Kong and Chinese communities in Edinburgh

About this event

“The Sound of Southside”” is an immersive sound installation created by Elaine Cheng in collaboration with community members including Hong Kong and Chinese communities in Edinburgh.” “The main theme of the project is to explore the sounds of the Southside area through a series of free musical improvisations and soundwalks in the area. The final phase of the project is to allow participants to compose their own sound designs based on the recordings made throughout the project. The idea was to capture the diversity of the area’s soundscape and invite participants to collaborate musically, thinking about their experiences of migration and their settling in Edinburgh.” “When we’re busy settling into a new place and thinking about how to manage our new lives, we also pay attention to our surroundings. But as those surroundings become familiar and comfortable, we forget to think about that particular place’s sound and what feeling it conjures up.” “The aim of the project is to bring to light the sonic diversity of Southside and how it has made Hong Kong and Chinese migrants feel.” “The input of the participants is really important and I think it has made them think about sound and music differently. The Sound of Southside project captures the normal way of life through its soundwalks. In some of the recordings participants have captured the various languages that people speak in the area as well as the soundscape that many people don’t notice when walking through the area.” “Giving communities a space to practice their culture communally and express it the way they traditionally do. Cities like Edinburgh need to welcome diversity and see the wonderful things that it brings to the city.”