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York Festival of Ideas: Sonic Pasts

Talk

Mariana Lopez and Rachel Willie

This event has now finished.

Event date
Monday 9 June 2025, 6.30pm to 7.30pm
Location
In-person and online
Holbeck Cinema TFTV/116, School of Arts and Creative Technologies East, Campus East, University of York (Map)
Audience
Open to the public
Admission
Free admission, booking required

Event details

Join us for the book launch of 'Sonic Pasts: acoustical heritage and historical soundscapes' by Mariana López.

How do researchers study and recreate the sounds of the past? Join Mariana López and Rachel Willie for a discussion on the fields of acoustical heritage and historical soundscapes. Perfect for those curious to know more about this field, as well as for students and researchers considering sounds of the past, as well as sound and heritage practitioners seeking to reflect on their current or future practices.

For more information on the book, please visit:https://www.routledge.com/Sonic-Pasts-Acoustical-Heritage-and-Historical-Soundscapes/Lopez/p/book/9781032300054"

This event is also being livestreamed.

The York Festival of Ideas is an annual cultural and educational event held in York, UK, designed to inspire and engage the public through a wide range of free talks, performances, and interactive experiences. Launched in 2011 and organized by the University of York in collaboration with various partners, the festival brings together leading thinkers, artists, and innovators to explore ideas that shape our world, with a strong emphasis on accessibility, diversity, and lifelong learning.

About the speakers

Mariana J. López is a Professor in Sound Production and Post Production in the School of Arts and Creative Technologies, University of York, UK. Mariana’s work focuses on two main fields: the study of acoustical heritage and historical soundscapes, including their representation in video games; and the use of sound design to create accessible experiences for visually impaired film and television audiences. Her latest book is Sonic Pasts: acoustical heritage and historical soundscapes, published by Routledge.

Dr Rachel Willie is a Reader in Early Modern Literary Studies at Liverpool John Moores University. A classically trained pianist, she studied English and Music for her BA and then specialised in early modern English literary history and culture for her MA and PhD. Her research continues to marry her interest in sound and literature: she is co-founder of the Soundscapes in the Early Modern World research network, which was established with funding from the AHRC, and founding-editor of Sonance: A Journal of Historical Sound Studies.

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