Bridging the gap: Sound as a tool towards resettlement

Abstract

Over the past three years, various sound initiatives have been conducted in a collaboration between the College of Architecture and Planning at the University of Utah, and the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Led by Milad Mozari, an artist and researcher, the medium of sound is used as a tool for exploration, place-making, and spatialization between students and refugees. This paper presentation will go over three categories of how audible sound is used in this collaboration. (1) The use of omnidirectional microphones to create sound collages as a way of introducing a place. This was distinctly differently interpreted in proximity to sound sources by students and IRC clients. (2) Experiments in analog synthesis to create collaborative performances between individuals with different musical backgrounds. (3) The use of ambisonic mixing for virtual reality videos that former IRC clients and students create as a tool for the resettlement of future refugees. Overall, this ongoing initiative is at the intersection of social design and emerging technological tools, which marginalized communities are often unaware of. At its core concept, the project aims to increase accessibility to sound tools to communities that may not come across it in their resettlement process.