Field recording has been crucial in music, art, storytelling as well as academic research throughout the years. At the same time, the listening experience that is fundamental to the process of field recording varies across race, gender, class and able-bodiedness, across socio-cultural geographies and the sonic environments these encompass. In this workshop, Mantha Katsikana explores the various uses of field recording in music, art, story telling and academic research through a critical feminist decolonial standpoint, the basics of field recording in a variety of affordable and accessible ways, as well as the various listening practices in relation to space and lived experiences, in the context of individual and collective projects. From sampling and sound installations, to oral histories and the creation of archives, this workshop will explore the ways field recording and critical listening practices offer the possibility for an affective and sensory understanding of the everyday world and collective or individual experiences that are often represented in silent or “silenced” ways, providing an avenue for decolonial artistic and political expression.

Mantha Katsikana (she/her) is Greek feminist geogpraher (York University) and artist, based between Toronto, Canada and Athens, Greece, working on the intersections of urban geographic research, grassroots, visual art and experimental electronic music. Her work on feminist social reproduction and affect under austerity as well as mapping geographies of sound has been published and presented in various international conferences. Under the moniker Sister Atlas, her album Ceremonial Drift (Biblioteka Records, 2021) explores the notions of oblivion, belonging and migration through field recordings, experimental synthesis and greek traditional folk influences.

The event is free and open to all. We are grateful to the Creative School for sponsoring this workshop and collaboration.

Presented by:

The Creative School, X University, X University Sound Studies Collective, Biblioteka Records

The Creative School

The Creative School offers research, education and innovation in media and communication, design and the creative industries spanning across nine schools and 26 programs that have been identified as the top in their field both nationally and internationally.

Biblioteka Records

Biblioteka Records is an independent, experimental record label that has been operating since 2017. In addition to releasing music from all over the world, Biblioteka Records also takes pride in curating and organizing music-related educational offerings.