Whiteness School is taking part in a unique and innovative national education programme entitled ‘Sonic Postcards’, which uses the environment as the inspiration for creative arts and ICT activities. 

Run by national sound and technology organisation, ‘Sonic Arts Network’, the project aims to explore and compare the local sound environments of young people right across the UK.

Students from Whiteness are exploring their local soundscape (comparable to landscape), creating journals and maps from sounds they hear around them that is related to the theme of travel in their everyday environments – for example on a ferry or at an airport.

The project ties into the topic of sea travel so it is very apt that the performance of work created during this project is taking place at Holmsgarth Ferry Terminal between 10.00 and 12.00 on Friday 18th March.   The project has already taken place at Hamnavoe School where pupils from Whiteness were invited to see the final results.  This time pupils from Hamnavoe will come and see and hear the sonic postcards at the ferry terminal that primary 7 at Whiteness have composed.

Using digital music technology on computers, pupils become sound designers themselves - making their own sonic postcards using computer music software.

The project encourages schools to exchange the completed postcards with other schools via broadband internet connections, gaining a unique insight into their own environments and sharing a range of environments with other schools - from the urban inner city to the rural countryside, opening windows on new places, other lives, and different cultures throughout the UK.

Project Co-ordinator Rebecca Laurence, says “Often this is pupils’ first experience of concentrated listening and they surprise themselves with what they hear - suddenly they are tuning in to everyday sounds that are often taken for granted, significantly developing their aural perception of the world.  This project is about listening through a partnership of technology and creativity.”

Sonic Postcards links a number of curriculum studies at Key Stages 2 and 3, including art, music, geography and ICT, as well as English and citizenship to name but a few and is linked to key government initiatives for e-learning and for the environment. 

Roxane Permar, who has been leading the workshops at both Whiteness and Hamnavoe Schools says, “The project is interesting for me because it enables me to work with local pupils based in Shetland whilst being part of a national project.”  Further projects are being organised in Shetland schools in partnership with Scottish Natural Heritage to take place during the summer term.

The project is supported by £166,190 initial funding from NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) – the organisation that nurtures UK creativity and innovation.

Sarah Macnee, Learning Director says “At NESTA we are committed to supporting pioneering initiatives that can add real value to the curriculum as well as engaging the public in science, technology and the arts. We are delighted to be supporting the Sonic Postcards project, which has the potential to greatly enhance participants’ learning opportunities in the classroom environment by using ICT in a fresh and imaginative way. It will also encourage greater communication between schools and their communities.”

For further information call Rebecca Laurence, Sonic Postcards Project Director on 020 7928 7337 or email becca@sonicartsnetwork.org