murmuration # 8 - gathering of listeners - sensing liminality
14th - 21st May 2027
with
JEZ RILEY FRENCH
PHEOBE RILEY LAW
& guest artists (tba)
+ private chef
Bràghaid Albann, Scotland
£899
cost includes 7 nights accommodation in shared rooms, with full catering by our private chef & access to all group activities, talks and practical demonstrations.
TWO PLACES STILL AVAILABLE
If you'd like to book a place on the 2027 trip do email us here
Alongside listening sessions and field recording in the locale, we'll explore different approaches to placing sounds within other spaces, re-listening, composing and editing located sound, and sensing liminality as material for other formats inc. graphic / text based scores. We will also explore via extended techniques using contact microphones, ecoutic microphones, hydrophones etc.
The 8th in a series of unique trips curated to ensure both a sharing of diverse experience and knowledge of sound, situation and place, and an atmosphere that is relaxed, inspiring, inclusive and open. Each trip is led by artists working at the forefront of their respective fields, to compliment our always fascinating group of participants.
Our theme for the 2027 trip is sensing liminality - focusing on how we can re-evaluate the limits of our experience of spaces and situations that we often consider to be between others. By shifting our attention, alongside developments in both technology and approaches to situated listening, new possibilities push the borders of our perception, and in turn our connection to place.
For the 2027 trip we're also venturing to a new location in the remarkable landscape of the Bràghaid Albann region of Scotland.
Our trips build communities of listeners in a flexible week together. Doing this differently we react, individually and as a group, to the ever changing environment at the time. Each invited artist will lead practical sessions alongside talks and multiple additional discussions and skill sharing sessions that develop to fit the needs of the group.
The murmuration trips tend to get booked up quickly, so if you'd like to be added to the mailing list either for this of future trips do email us.
funding: we are aware of course that the cost of trips like this can be a barrier for some and we want to do our best to ensure access for all whilst maintaining the experience, and the ability of such trips to operate outside of dwindling national funding sources for independent organisations. Individual funding applications by artists wishing to attend are encouraged and we are happy to assist with advice and letters of invitation if needed.
Aside from any country specific funders in your own location, such as;
Arts Council England (uk)
Creative Scotland (uk)
Jerwood Arts (uk)
there are cross border organisations who might be able to assist such as;
https://www.transartists.org/article/funding-europe
https://www.transartists.org/article/funding-worldwide
Whilst experience of working with located sound / listening and performance practices / field recording & other areas of experiential site-specific work is useful we of course welcome participants at all stages of their interest in these areas. The format of the week is a field trip / gathering and the lead artists will be on hand to offer guidance, support and deliver talks on various aspects of the act & art of listening. Each of the guest artists joining us will provide additional content (talks, playback, screenings etc).
Our private chef will be on hand to cook our meals, catering for all needs.
Above all the trip will be a chance for us to gather together & spend several days listening, recording, sharing our experience and generally having a great time meeting good folks. So do join us & be part of this murmuration of listeners!
terms of booking can be found below, & do read some of the feedback from previous murmuration trips - they were indeed special .
The location is quite remote, and whilst there is a train station around 35 minutes away, and a bus stop for the Ember electric bus around 10 miles from the venue, access to a car is an advantage. As always we'll link participants via email ahead of the trip so that lifts, shared car hire / taxi's etc. can be arranged where possible.
about the artists # 1 - Jez riley French
Alongside performances, exhibitions, talks and texts, Jez works as a curator & has developed a range of approaches and specialist microphones are widely used across all areas of sound culture.
Areas of work & research include expanding practices such as micro-listening, durational listening, and architectural, plant, soil horizon, aquatic and infrasound recording as key elements of contemporary located sound practices. Working with photographic scores & scores for listening, discussing the gendering of sound cultures and histories, and perception of environments.
His work has been exhibited / performed in shows alongside Annea Lockwood, Pauline Oliveros, Yoko Ono, Jana Winderen, Bjork, Chris Watson, Signe Liden, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Sarah Lucas, Alvin Lucier etc & at galleries including Tate Modern and Tate Britain, Blue Dot festival, Cafe Oto (UK), Paradise Air, Matsudo Science Art Festival, MOT - Museum of Contemporary Art (Japan), Paradise Air (Japan), Spikersuppa (Norway), etc.
Recently Jez has been working on several major projects inc. on the design & detail of spaces between buildings in Japan and further works exploring structures resonated by compositions and their locales. He is also working with his daughter, the artist Pheobe riley Law, on a series of performative collaborations.
Key works are pieces capturing the sound of the dolomites dissolving, ants consuming fallen fruit, buildings vibrating, teleferica’s interacting with locales, the infrasound of domestic spaces around the world, the inner sounds of trees, moss and other plants, of soil horizons, glaciers melting in Iceland and the tonal resonances of natural and human objects in the landscape.
artists website
about the artists #2 - Pheobe riley Law.
Pheobe riley Law
we'll also be joined by Pheobe, to assist on day to day logistics and contribute to our exploration of sensing liminality
Pheobe is an installation artist with a focus on sound, three dimensional art, and image. She takes a magpie approach which involves arranging and building relationships between different objects, vessels or devices in order to create a dialogue. Prevailing interests include exploring the life of non-human actors / inanimate objects and thinking about aspects of human activity through the lens of division and borders. She sometimes playfully reverses the roles of humans and non-humans, revealing the object-hood of the human essence, and an animate character of the ‘inanimate’ being. In her latest performance film Machine Equities she explores the sonic landscape of machines as actors and collaborators.
Previous and ongoing explorations focus on: machine technologies as our collaborators (both sonically and physically); the relationship we have to the natural world (including the livestock industry) and the role salt has on aquatic life.
Her work has been exhibited / performed at Apt Gallery, Crossovers collective, FIeld Notes, Humber Street Gallery, The Baltic Gallery, Hatton Gallery, The Hancock Museum, Delaval Hall, Newcastle University, Cafe Oto, Iklectik (UK), Fabrica Research Centre, Stazione di Topolo (Italy), Rainy Days Festival (Luxembourg), Spikersuppa Gallery (Norway), Funen Art Academy (Denmark), LevelOne Gallery (Germany), Paradise Air, Matsudo Science Art Festival, Ftarri, Permian (Japan), Detroit Gallery (Stockholm), for BBC Radio 3 & released on labels such as engraved glass (UK), Breton Cassette (Norway), Making Tracks (UK) & Presque Tout (France)
accommodation;
terms & conditions
. booking terms & conditions: you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit of £100 within 5 days of booking a place, with the balance due by February 1st 2027, paid either in one payment or you are welcome to pay in instalments as long as the full amount is received by 1st Feb 2027 . If you are booking a place offered to the waiting list and after January 31st you will be required to pay in full for the place and from then the same t&c's will apply.
. cancellation by you: In the event that you are no longer able to attend please let us know as soon as possible. If this is after you have paid the full amount we will try to find someone to fill your place. If this is possible we will then issue a refund minus the deposit. If you cancel less than 8 weeks from the start of the trip or don’t inform us that you can’t attend we will be unable to return your payment as the costs have been carefully calculated per space on the trip. Of course in the event of unforeseen circumstances we will do whatever we can to assist & try to ensure the best outcome for all. We strongly advise that you take out travel insurance.
. If we need to cancel of postpone: We always look forward to running the trips, but they do rely on a minimum number of bookings. If we need to cancel or postpone for this reason, we will let you know before your final balance is due. You can then choose to roll your deposit over to the new date or receive a refund of your deposit.
Because we are solely the event organisers, we cannot cover personal travel expenses like flights, car hire, or any equipment purchased for the trip. Therefore, we recommend purchasing comprehensive travel insurance and booking flexible or changeable travel tickets if possible.
. Force Majeure: If an event completely outside of our or the venue’s control happens, such as extreme weather, natural disasters, strikes, or government restrictions, the trip will unfortunately not be able to go ahead. In these circumstances, we will do our best to reschedule the trip, but we would not be able to offer refunds or cover secondary travel and accommodation costs, which is why having good travel insurance is important.
. If the venue cancels: In the unlikely event that the venue cancels the booking (including due to Force Majeure reasons), we will recover all refunds possible from them and our caterers and distribute these proportionally among all participants.
. on location: Participants are fully responsible for the their own safety on the trip inc. insurance for any equipment you bring with you. The organisers are not responsible for any injury or loss whilst on location. Participants are expected to conduct themselves in a manner which does not infringe on the enjoyment of others on the trip. The cost of any damage to the property, its fixtures, fittings and sundries or any equipment you borrow from the trip leaders or assistants will need to be reimbursed. Likewise, participants must adhere to all venue safety regulations, noise curfews, and local guidelines provided upon arrival. If any participant's behaviour results in the venue asking the group to vacate the premises, the responsible participant(s) will not be refunded, and will be held liable to indemnify the organisers for all associated costs.
. Course fees, inc. the deposit are calculated carefully to cover costs and so must be received in full. Therefore any bank transfer or currency exchange fees must be met by those booking places. For UK participants, a bank transfer is the easiest & for those from elsewhere we recommend Wise.com or Revolut as they have better exchange rates and lower fees than other payment platforms. IBAN bank transfers are also possible, if your bank allows for all transfer fees to be covered. For payment by Paypal there will be a charge of 5% added to the total to cover their fees.
. There is an age restriction of 18 for those attending the course, and all participants must be fully vaccinated, including any booster jabs available by the time of the trip.
. We are not responsible for any issues with visas for overseas participants. Those coming to the UK from outside of the EU should apply in plenty of time for a tourist visa, not a student visa. We are happy to supply a letter by email confirming your place on the trip if needed.
. We will document certain aspects of the trip and reserve the right to share any images on social media. Your consent is assumed unless you inform us during the course that you do not wish to be featured in such images.
. We reserve the right to cancel the trip at our discretion (don't worry, this is a standard legally type clause in things like this and doesn't indicate our intention to do so).