In my project I see voice as a medium for collective practice and a medium of resistance. By that I mean that speech acts, demonstrations or even daily vocalizations expressed in public are performative actions that are making space, through sound and presence, and are inviting in including people in a dialogue. But I also see voice being characterized by social binary structures and oppositions. For example the terms used to describe voice are separated like that; male/female, public/private, expert/amateur, rational/ irational, ordered/wild.
These binaries have structured Western thinking since antiquity and favor the 'civilized white male' subjectivities. Nevertheless the nature of voice and its capabilities overpass these oppositions of gender, nationality, culture, space and technology.
My research seeks to unravel the possibilities of voices to include and break these binaries, with the intention to *explore democratic ways of communication that embraces excluded forms of address*.
## What to show (strategy)
My approach is to create a space for that exploration to happen with others through performative actions, meetings and sound walks. I focus on one specific area and public space (around Leeszaal in Rotterdam West) because my past exploration on voice and research showed me that the site-specificity and involvement of people in the process can actually break these binaries and engage more people. It is also that voice through the form of speech acts or public exposure, can create space of dialogue and be inviting.
My main focus is on the presence and amplification of female voices in public spaces. My approach is based on feedback and process-based actions unraveled throughout a short period around the area of Leeszaal. So I first started exploring the area by walking and listening to the sounds that reveal who occupies public space and how, what sounds describe the absense of excluded voices? **What voices are amplified and mediated and how? What mediation allows them to be amplified** I then ask from people visiting leeszaal- most of them are inhabitants from that area- to listen to a selection of sounds I have recorded and describe them. From that process I want to create an archive of annotated sounds that reveal the different interpretations of these sounds, that depend on the perspective of each person, that is formed by culture, gender, social status.
At the same time I approach people, mainly women, from Leeszaal and arrange short meetings with them where we talk about exclusion or silencing of women in public spaces and explore forms of speech acts through small workshops. These workshops are about reading extracts related to the topic, warm-up vocal exercises, transcribing, listening and collective speaking. Until now I introduce the topic to some of them and talk to each other through vowels because vowels in all languages are inviting got dialogue.
## Future
I build up a connection/a communication channel/ a safe space with these people through small performative actions. I will introduce gradually the concept of the mediation of the voice and its abilities to amplify one's presence in different platforms/spaces. I will introduce thechnologies and ways to mediate the voice. I will test which one wrks best for them (web streaming, recording and publish it online? ).
Engaging more with the people through listening the surroundings,...Mainstream media and public space in cities serves the amplification of the voice of the powerful that dominates over others. This is based on strong power relations. These exclusions are expressed in those binaries (private/public,...). Bodies restricted to express, voice is an important part of this expression. But has also gone beyond the primary orality. How to explore this second orality?
Possibilities of amplification (through distortions, creating spaces, listening, streaming, amplifying? practices explored in my thesis) Draw parallels with the examples mentioned in the thesis and my work right now
“What kinds of collective practices do voices – especially women speaking aloud – make possible?’ directly to your own current or planned work?
