Early Modern Soundscapes
Bringing together interdisciplinary scholars from across the globe to examine how sonic interaction shaped identities, c.1500-1800.
Dr Emilie Murphy, lecturer in early modern history, together with Dr Rachel Willie, senior lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University, will lead the AHRC-funded international research network 'Soundscapes in the Early Modern World'.
It brings together interdisciplinary scholars from across the globe to examine how sonic interaction shaped identities, c.1500-1800. The network aims to develop new approaches to 'hearing' the sounds of the past, reflect on how we engage with historical soundscapes, and consider the multifaceted relationship between meaning and hearing in the early modern world. It will extend understanding of the contexts and spaces in which sounds were heard. The network is also interested in how sounds shaped the lives of people and their communities, and in the conceptual issues associated with studying past soundscapes.
Over the next two years, the network will run three workshops (in Vancouver, London, and York) and an international conference (in Liverpool). It is partnered with two external organisations: the Wellcome Collection and the National Trust. The Wellcome Trust will host one of the workshops and the network will be involved in events at the National Trust’s property Speke Hall in 2020.
You can follow the network on twitter: @EMSoundscapes