Exploring Cultural Diversity in Experimental Sound

黑人生命也是运动突出了许多机构白化的例子，这些例子需要调查和批判性的反思。实验声音实践是以声音为艺术形式基础的创造力，包括：噪音、声音艺术、电声音乐、音景和即兴创作-绝大多数由富裕的白人男性从业者主导，几乎没有给其他体验或多样化角色模式留下空间。最近该领域多样化的工作集中在性别表征上，虽然这项工作值得称赞，而且绝对至关重要，但需要解决其他多样性较差的情况，如种族问题。黑人和南亚艺术家是实验声音流派中代表最少的一些人。因此，他们的经历为正常化的白人多数派提供了宝贵的对立面。这项研究将直接与实践者接触，作为关键的信息者，委托他们开发作为批判性反思场所的作品，使研究人员能够在实验声音中提取和拆解对不同体验的理解。正如蒂姆·英戈尔德所说，“知晓”和“通过知晓”是有区别的(InGold 2013，Making)。因此，将委托代表不同审美风格、职业立场、年龄、性别和背景的六名从业人员作为主要信息提供人，开发作品并分享他们的实践，通过一系列免费的方法(包括人类学参与者观察、实践研究、访谈和焦点小组讨论)纵向访问。我们还将与业界(音乐家联盟；Punch唱片公司；英国音乐平等和多样性特别工作组主席Ammo Talwar)、艺术慈善机构(Sound and Music；Uurp Art)和英国高等学校(British Heis)的关键利益相关者和合作伙伴接触，将这些个人经验扩展到更广泛的艺术和文化政策背景下。这项研究的结果将为制定一份白皮书政策文件提供参考，该白皮书政策文件强调了具有不同文化背景的从业者在寻求驾驭一种制度上的白色艺术形式时所面临的内在挑战。这项研究有可能为英国艺术、文化和音乐教育的多样性政策提供参考，通过使我们的社会变得更加丰富、更具弹性，并使不同的社区在当代艺术实践中发挥平等的作用，创造社会和文化影响。文化每年为英国经济贡献110亿英镑，而英国在这一领域的卓越地位是建立在英国所有多元文化所做出的贡献之上的。赋予创造力的多样性、不同声音的独立性以及新想法和创新的潜力，不仅可能使参与实验声音实践的个人受益，而且可能使英国经济的更广泛的艺术和文化部门受益。在参与这一至关重要的主题时，我们有机会催化行动，带来艺术形式的积极变化。产出可以为指导大学行动的政策提供参考，为新从业者提供教育和机会，并为英国促进当代音乐实践的文化组织提供机会。

The Black Lives Matter movement has thrown into sharp relief many examples of institutional Whiteness which demand investigation and critical reflection. Experimental Sound practices - creativity in which sound is the basis of the artform, including: noise, sound art, electroacoustic music, soundscape and improvisation - are overwhelmingly dominated by White affluent male practitioners, leaving very little space for alternative experiences or diverse role models.Much recent work in diversifying the field has focussed on gender representation, and while this work is laudable and absolutely vital, there is need to address other instances of poor diversity, such as ethnicity. Black and South Asian artists are some of the least represented within the genre of experimental sound. Their experiences, therefore, provide a valuable counterpoint to the normalised White majority. This research will engage directly with practitioners as key informants, commissioning them to develop compositions which act as sites of critical reflection, enabling the researchers to draw out and unpack understandings of diverse experiences within experimental sound. As Tim Ingold argues, there is a distinction to be made between 'knowing about and knowing through' (Ingold 2013, Making). Thus, six practitioners, representing a diversity of aesthetic styles, career positions, age, genders and backgrounds will be commissioned as key informants to develop works and to share their practices, accessed longitudinally through a range of complimentary methodologies (including anthropological participant observation, practice research, interviews and focus group discussion). Key informants will provide access to additional diverse practitioners and informants who will be interviewed on a one-by-one basis.We will also engage key stakeholders and partners from industry (Musicians Union; Punch Records; Ammo Talwar, Chair of UK Music's Equality and Diversity Taskforce), arts charities (Sound and Music; Usurp Arts), and UK HEIs (British Electroacoustic Network), to expand these individual experiences into the wider context of arts and cultural policy. Outcomes from this research will inform the development of a white paper policy document highlighting the challenges inherent for practitioners of diverse cultural backgrounds as they seek to navigate an artform that is institutionally White. This research has potential to inform UK policy in diversity for arts, culture and music education, creating social and cultural impact by enabling our society to become more enriched, resilient, and enabling diverse communities to play equal roles within contemporary artistic practices. Culture contributes £11billion to the UK economy each year, and British pre-eminence in this area is founded on the contributions made by all of the UK's diverse cultures. Empowering diversity of creativity, the independence of alternative voices and the potential for new ideas and innovation has the potential to benefit not just individuals involved in Experimental Sound practices, but the wider artistic and cultural sector of the UK economy.In engaging with this vital topic, we have the opportunity to catalyse action which can bring about positive change in the artform. Outputs can inform policies which will guide the actions of both universities, educating and providing opportunities for new practitioners, and cultural organisations fostering contemporary music practices in the UK.