Today, I had the pleasure of attending a workshop session at the University of Leicester to learn more about the Migration Sounds project, a fascinating initiative exploring the global narratives of migration through sound. I attended alongside John Coster, founder of the Documentary Media Centre and coordinator of the Parallel Lives Network, and Dimple Patel, a Leicester-based audio producer renowned for creating the Sound Postcards project. We were kindly invited by Marie Godin, a member of the Human and Social Geography research team at the University of Leicester, whose work continues to enrich our understanding of migration and its human dimensions.
The Cities and Memory Migration Sounds project is a global initiative that explores and reimagines the sounds associated with human migration and settlement. In collaboration with the Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS) at the University of Oxford, the project has collected one hundred and twenty recordings from fifty-one countries, capturing personal stories from diaspora communities and individuals who have migrated worldwide.
Each recording is accompanied by the story behind the sound, providing context and insight into the experiences of migrants. Additionally, over one hundred musicians and sound artists have reimagined these recordings into new compositions, offering creative perspectives on migration, settlement, home, and exile.
- The project features a diverse array of sounds, including:
- Dramatic sea rescues in the Mediterranean
- Traditional practices of nomadic Kazakh herdsmen in China
- Protests against anti-migration laws in Germany and the USA
- Daily life within diaspora communities, such as the Filipino community in Dubai and the Chinese community in New York
By presenting these sounds alongside their stories and artistic reinterpretations, Migration Sounds aims to reframe and deepen conversations around migration, highlighting the human experiences behind the headlines.
I was struck by the close affinity between the Migration Sounds project and the work I and many others have undertaken in developing community media and community radio. The project’s focus on capturing and reimagining the lived experiences of migration through sound resonates deeply with the principles of community storytelling and amplifying diverse voices.
It would be worthwhile to explore how this content could be curated into a series of radio programmes to share and broadcast across community radio stations. Doing so would enhance public engagement for the project and bring its valuable insights to audiences who might not otherwise encounter them, fostering a broader appreciation of migration stories within our communities.