Sensing History was an immersive outdoor sound installation, developed at Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, as part of the ‘Re-Storying Landscapes for Social Inclusion’ project. It was created by project partner Andy Shipley and sound artist James Bulley, alongside technical production manager Ed Borgnis, script writer Imogen Robertson, and voiceover artist Michelle Newell.
Re-Storying Landscapes for Social Inclusion was a project funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council (2020 – 2022). It was led by Dr Sarah Bell at the University of Exeter, in collaboration with Art Shape, Zoe Partington, Andy Shipley of Natural Inclusion, Clare Hickman of Newcastle University, Westonbirt – The National Arboretum, Access Lizard Adventure and the Sensory Projects. The overall aim of the project was to inform landscape decision-making that reflects and respects the diverse ways in which landscapes are sensed, valued and experienced over time.
Exploring and celebrating the multisensory histories and ecologies of Westonbirt, the Sensing History soundscape installation aimed to inspire visitor imaginations about the diverse histories of Westonbirt and its inhabitants (human and otherwise). The sounds unfolding at different heights through the trees and undergrowth took visitors on an imaginary journey from the Ice Age to the Iron Age, to the creation of the Arboretum, and the present day.
Through the installation, we were keen to explore opportunities to move away from framing places like Westonbirt primarily as static pictures or aesthetic landscapes for visual appreciation, recognising them instead as multisensory working landscapes, often connected through their careful mix of species to endangered landscapes all round the world.
The soundscape ran from 12th – 24th April 2022, and invited a range of visitor feedback. Some highlights in the comments received include:
“A pleasant surprise, in fact I laid under a tree and listened to it”.
“It was remarkable, tapped into so much”.
“This exceeded my expectations, I was not disappointed by anything, a positive experience”.
“The surround sound was so good, I learned more from this than I expected”.
“I now have a window on where trees come from”.
“It is really good that Westonbirt is doing something like this here. I've not seen anything like this anywhere”.
“Atmosphere was enhanced through the sounds. Taken through the history - offered a new perspective on life”.
“The immense time period it covered and a sense of glimpsing back into the past - there were birds, mammals, sunshine and thunderstorms before mankind lived here”.
“Planted the seed of thinking, how did we get here?”
“Made me realise we are deeply attached to land and where it's come from”.
Aspects of the soundscape that were particularly memorable according to visitor feedback included the noises of the earth – wind, rain, fire and ice, church bells, birds, horses, the plant hunters, the idea of tree roots connecting and communicating via mycelium fungi, and reflections on climate change and hope for the future. Several people noted the power of the final words, quoting variations of the script here:
“You are in a place of hope, of wonder.
Of preservation, research and renewal.
Of conservation, participation and education.
Of adaptation and resilience.
These trees offer us compass points, guides and pathways - a conversation through water and soil, the action of air and light.
This is a conversation you are part of - joining it with each breath, each step.
As you breathe in, they breathe out.
You are standing in a council of beings, a slow history of becoming, unravelling and rebirth.
As you breathe out, they breathe in”.
One person felt the experience highlighted “all the different ways into thinking about the trees”, with another commenting, “talking about a tree that's come here and how will it survive - brought me to where I am”.
Several people described positive calming or meditative qualities, with comments including: “Nice to meditate”, “a friend found herself here by accident, loved it and did a meditation with her yoga class based on it”, “the whole experience was relaxing and peaceful”, “whole experience wonderful, calming”, and “very moving”.
We also received valuable feedback about the balance of narration and non-verbal sounds, the potential to include more specific references to Westonbirt’s history in any future soundscape installations, thoughts about the duration and timing of the experience, opportunities to embed more movement in the experience (hampered slightly by power supply logistics!), value in providing more signposting and awareness-raising around the experience, ensuring more access to seating, providing advance notice about the multi-directional quality of the sounds, the potential for developing audio-visual dimensions of the experience, and future sound installations tailored to children and young families.
Overall, the Re-Storying Landscapes project has provided a valuable opportunity for Westonbirt to explore the potential for embedding such experiences onsite, and to start to reflect on opportunities to share lesser told stories about the history of the site.
