This seminar listens to vocal politics in Athens. It sketches ideas of migratory activisms and sonic politics – connecting the politics of voice with the politics of space, and hearing how movement across borders is a social movement and a political movement. I develop these ideas through sound recordings made as part of collaborative research in Athens, presenting a seminar remix of ongoing projects in the city. Through this, we will hear how movements move: how activisms travel, circulate, migrate; how citizenship struggles shuttle from place to place; how resistances resonate across exploded trajectories; how commonalities emerge that are rooted in the rhythms of the street, the city, and everyday life.

Bio

Tom Western studies sound, citizenship, and creative activisms. He is a Lecturer in Social and Cultural Geography at UCL, and a member of the Syrian and Greek Youth Forum (SGYF) in Athens. His research hears the connections between the political voice and the politics of space; how migratory activisms turn cities into sites of shared struggle; and how cities and citizenships are never fixed or finished, but are constantly being crafted and made audible at street level. Tom develops these methods with his colleagues at SGYF, and together they run the Active Citizens Sound Archive.

Registration via Eventbrite  

All registered attendees will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the event via Microsoft Teams.

The speaker will present a 45-minute paper, followed by discussion and Q&A.