Sound ecology is the entanglement between the multiscalar and cosmic possibilities of exploring the noises, songs, voices, cracks, echoes, silences, and the crashes of our planet and immense Universe. Sound does not only happen outside our ears but also deep within our internal and biological human experience. 

Earth's symphony extends far beyond the ozone layer, weaving its way into the very fabric of life and the cosmos. From the tiniest microorganisms to the vast expanse of matter, we are constantly transformed, both mentally and physically, by the sonic and cultural vibrations of our urban and natural environments. Yet, these intricate entanglements often go unnoticed by a culture fixated on the visual, failing to recognize listening as a powerful tool for self and collective care. By Giving attention to the sounds around us, we can unlock exciting possibilities for forging new systems of kinship and interconnectedness.

What happens when we try to understand the planetary siblinghood between all sentience through the way we listen and communicate to the diversity of what is the “other”? By delving into the exploration of multiple fields of research like sonic technology, listening methodologies, queer theory, colonialism, field recording, and interspecies communication we will collectively shift our perspective towards the Phonocene, a vision of the future that proposes sound and active listening in the center of an era, a new era of expansive care, that resists capitalism’s hunger for growth, a slower era that promotes radical ecological change. 

Through theory, artistic practices, active listening sessions, and meditation we will collectively engage in critical dialogues that will expand our notion of a postnatural ecology in an anthropo-oculocentric society.

Session I 5 / 11 / 2024 The Impossibility of Silence: Aural Futures of the Phonocene Soundscape is better defined as the raw composition of sounds that fills an environment, while the phonocene is a proposition to inhabit and generate kinships with the sonic at the center. What changes can be manifested when we understand the entanglements between the exterior acoustic environment and the frequencies of our emotions, memories, and dreams? What do you feel when you think of the sound of a bird that has gone extinct? Session II 12 / 11 / 2024 Dedicated Mishearing: Listening as a Form of Resistance In this session, we will focus on active listening as a practice for radical ecological care. We will collectively explore different methodologies and histories that will affirm the difference between hearing as a passive attribute to some humans and listening as an expanded act of intent that requires slowing down and mutual respect. Session III 19 / 11 / 2024 Interspecies Communication and Technologies of Misunderstanding To truly engage in interspecies communication, we must first dismantle the human/animal binary as best we can. An anthropocentric approach to interspecies communication inherently creates questionable hierarchies. Field recordings and artificial intelligence, for example, can help us reflect on the differences between sonic appropriation and new means of interspecies care. Session IV 3 / 12 / 2024 mapping a black sonic geography with Natasha Thembiso Ruwona mapping a black sonic geography is a performative lecture detailing the research and development process so far of a new work in progress A Troubling, Or, A Sonic Refusal. The film is a study of Black sound through the idea of ‘troubling’. A conscious or responsive enactment of a troubling practice serves as a refusal to colonial structures, creating a disruption or a glitch in a system, or an environment. Troubling in this case is defined as constructive instead of a problem, or something to be fixed. Within this, the film aims to broaden discussions of place, race and time, using sound as its starting point. The research and development of A Troubling, Or, A Sonic Refusal is currently supported by the FLAMIN Fellowship. Session V 10 / 12 / 2024 Rainbow Interference / Sonic Gendering and Queer Dissonant Revolutions In an oculocentric society, active listening can be a queer act of resistance. Think of all the sounds that have been applied to construct gender norms and oppress dissident identities. Sonic gendering questions the implications sound has on culture, economy, technology, and politics. Session VI 17 / 12 / 2024 From Human Grunts to Sonic Booms Pre-verbal communication, through grunts and hums, existed long before the development of language and music. In our bodies, we hold a powerful tool to dismantle the colonial paradigm of civilization and the “civilized”. We will look at different communication methods that can push us away from the normativity of language and attract other modes of acoustic intimacy. From sonic warfare to dolphin shows and acoustic contamination, sounds of joy and violence can be intertwined within the complex soundscape shaped by Western and neoliberal structures.

Yuri Tuma Yuri Tuma is a multidisciplinary Brazilian artist living in Madrid who focuses on the investigation of contemporary narratives related to sonic ecologies through collective practices, sound art, installation, and performance as a way to address and reevaluate the human/animal binomial imposed by science and Western thinking. In early 2020, he co-founded the Institute for Postnatural Studies (IPS) in Madrid. Starting in 2021, in addition to participating in residencies and coordinating workshops around interspecies thinking and sound ecologies, Tuma works with educational and mediation programs through sound art and performance at Spanish institutions such as Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Matadero, La Casa Encendida, INLAND, among others. Special guest Natasha Thembiso Ruwona Natasha Thembiso Ruwona is a Scottish-Zimbabwean writer, artist-filmmaker and researcher based between London and Scotland. Using spatial practice and Afrofuturism as guides, her work contemplates place, time and memory as they relate to relationships with the environment.

Living as a Bird, Vinciane Despret Soundscape: Our Sonic Environment and the Tuning of the World, R. Murray Schaefer Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals Emergent Strategy Series: 2, Alexis Pauline Gumbs Sounds Wild and Broken, David George Haskell Deep Listening: A composer’s Sound Practice, Pauline Oliveros On Listening, Ed. by Angus Carlyle & Cathy Lane Grounds for Possible Music - On Gender, Voice, Language, and Identity, ed. By Julia Eckhardt

Are the sessions live or pre-recorded? All sessions are live, via a Zoom meeting. All sessions will be recorded, so you can access all materials in case you miss the online encounters.

Where will we be able to access course materials? All materials will be shared through an online folder, where you will be able to see the sessions, find the texts and readings, as well as other interesting materials related to each session.

How long will we have access to the recordings? The recordings will be uploaded after every session, and all materials will be accessible during the course and until two weeks after the end.

Will the bibliography be shared in advance? All references, bibliographies, links, and materials will be shared in advance to facilitate the reading and preparation time of the sessions.

Do I get any kind of certificate after the seminar? After the completion of the seminar, you will receive a non-official certificate as a proof of enrollment.

Do you offer any scholarships or special prices? We offer a 20% discount for students and IPS alumni (a document showing enrollment to any academic institution or university, or previous IPS seminars, will be demanded). We understand that the cost to attend might be a barrier to entry depending on where you’re living, or your personal situation. If you are interested in requesting aid please send us a request through this form and we will analyse your case.

Are the discounts accumulative? No, we do not offer accumulative discounts. What we do offer is a 20% discount in case of acquiring more than one product, being an alumni, or being a student.