Summer Internship 2024 – Soundscapes

Main Duties

This internship aims to create a soundscape that captures Wadhurst Park’s natural acoustic environment and is expected to include the following:

·        natural sounds, including animal vocalisations, the sounds of weather and other natural elements; and

·        environmental sounds: created by human activities, including conversation, work, and sounds of mechanical origin.

We expect the soundscape composition to involve three steps:

·        Exploration: going into the field, undertaking soundwalks and recording soundscapes across varying temporal and spatial locations

·        Creation: editing the recorded sounds in a creative fashion

·        Exhibition: presenting the final recording as an installation, a sound file, or in conjunction with visual material

Soundscape composition can be used as an educational tool in the classroom environment through sensory engagement. As such, the soundscapes created should be in a format that can be used for educational purposes and for enjoyment during local community visits.

Location and accommodation

The intern will be primarily based at Wadhurst Park in East Sussex for six weeks during July and August 2024. Accommodation will be provided (for time spent at Wadhurst Park), but the interns are responsible for their own food bills. A valid UK driving licence is not essential but is desirable (the train station and village are 4 miles from the estate). The interns should aim to be self-sufficient in getting around.

Qualifications

We are looking for second or third-year undergraduates with a strong audio or mixed media background (on track to receive a 2:1 or higher), or postgraduate up to master’s level from a sound artistry / musical composition / media discipline.

Skills and experience

You should have

•     A demonstrable interest in audio recording, editing and sound composition.

•     An understanding of, and enthusiasm for, landscapes, wildlife, and nature.

•     Knowledge and practical experience of audio recording hardware and editing software.

•     Excellent creative, research and presentation skills.

•     Excellent interpersonal skills.

•     The ability to work both independently and as part of a team.

We will require a clear presentation/exhibition of your results at the end of the internship.

What will the internship offer the student and what will they learn while they are with you? E.g. skills they could learn/develop and experience they could gain.

We are looking for a summer intern to carry out a soundscape project based at our rural estate in East Sussex. The intern will have a creative audio/media background and a passion for the environment.

Wadhurst Park is an 850-hectare estate within the High Weald National Landscape, undertaking landscape restoration and conservation to protect its nature, wildlife, cultural heritage, and beauty.

Soundscapes are an excellent technique for capturing moments in time and engaging the community with the landscape around them.

The intern will be responsible for creating a soundscape(s) for the park. In return, they will learn about the environmental techniques that we employ to manage the land and also about the species that can be found here.