The 'Sounding Conflict' two-day Symposium at Queen's University Belfast took place on 28th and 29th November 2019. It was the third annual event in the PaCCS (AHRC) funded interdisciplinary research programme ‘Sounding Conflict: From Resistance to Reconciliation’ (2017-2021). 

The event brought together scholars from sonic arts, anthropology, political science, English and theatre studies to explore how sound, music and storytelling variously inform experiences, memories and narratives of conflict from around the globe and consider how they can be instrumental in promoting and sustaining pathways to peace.

It examined how sonic environments, music-making and theatrical practices are reshaping embodied effects of violence and promoting healing and social change. The symposium looked at diverse sonic processes in conflict and post-conflict contexts and considered the challenges they present for academics and practitioners, as they each seek to influence conflict transformation in their respective practices.

The programme included:

• A keynote address by Dr Olivier Urbain (Director of the Min-On Music Research Institute)
• Project presentations by the 'Sounding Conflict: from Resistance to Reconciliation' Research team
• A panel discussion on Challenges in Arts and Social Practice.A screening of ‘Together in Pieces’ introduced by Eileen Walsh and David Dryden
• Theatre Workshop-led Activities
• A workshop on Creative Methodologies, with practitioners working on 'Photo-voice', sonic arts and graphic research methodologies.
• A performative audio journey screening by Dr Niall Rea (TheatreofPluck) of 'So I Can Breathe this Air' written by Shannon Yee, with Dean Lee of The Rainbow Project
• A presentation of the ethnographic film 'Behind the Performance: Tufo of Mafalala' made by Professor Pedro Rebelo, Dr Matilde Meireles and Dr Iñigo Sánchez.

On behalf of the Sounding Conflict team, we would like to personally thank all the practioners, participants and attendees who joined us for this event.  It was reviewed by journalist Allan Leonard in 'Shared Future News'

We do hope you can join us for our forthcoming two-day Final Conference. Details will be posted later in 2020.