Collective Encounters illustration by Jazamin Sinclair
The University of Liverpool has collaborated with a local theatre company and community groups to create a “Sound Journey” through the city which showcases local voices.
Voices on the Streets is a collection of original poems and conversations about Liverpool’s places, people, culture and history.
These pieces were created by local community groups as responses to research from the University of Liverpool’s English Department into topics such as migration, poetry, environment and identity.
The communities’ creative responses have been pieced together into an innovative self-guided tour, available via the Echoes app, which can be used to explore the city through a local lens.
Taking in some lesser-known spots, the tour promises a unique Sound Journey in collaboration with Collective Encounters, a theatre company who use theatre for social change.
Laura, who took part in the project said: “It’s been such a rewarding experience to create a collaborative poem inspired by the sounds of Liverpool after we went through the archives and viewed essays and interviews from Liverpool writers like Roger McGough, Willy Russell and Levi Tafari.
“We sought to chime in on the prevailing images of Liverpool with a celebration of everyday sounds recognisable to this city which others can now experience along the soundwalk.”
Dan, who also took part in the project said: “To have my words live and flow through the streets of Liverpool means a lot to me and I’m really grateful to Collective Encounters for this opportunity.”
While people are can use the app to download the Sound Journey to follow in their own time, on Saturday 2 November at 12.30pm there will be a chance for people to start the journey as a group at the Everyman Theatre on Hope Street.
From 2pm on 2nd November, people can take part in a free workshop at the Everyman led by Collective Encounters where they can engage with and create different stories from the city. The workshop is free, but tickets are limited and can be booked here.
Dr Sam Solnick from the University of Liverpool’s Department of English said: “We’re delighted to work in partnership with Collective Encounters to create a unique sound journey around our city.
“It’s great that we’ve been able to use our research to inspire the creation of a community-led creative tour which is completely free to use and allows people to explore the city from a fresh perspective.”
The contributors to the Collective Encounters app with Dr Sam Solnick
Voices on the Streets forms part of the 2024 Festival of Social Science – an annual celebration of research and knowledge about humans and society which runs from Saturday 19 October to Saturday 9 November.
The festival is led and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), which supports research and training in social science subjects. There are over 300 events across the UK, delivered by 41 universities including seven hosted by the University of Liverpool.
You can find a full list of the public events hosted by the University of Liverpool for the Festival of Social Science here.
Voices on the Streets is avaliable to download through the Echoes app here.
