Immersive Sonic Journey

Immersive Sonic Journeys – call for proposals open 

RMIT’s Design and Sonic Practice Research Group (DSP) and Melbourne Recital Centre are calling for expressions of interest for commissions as part of the Immersive Sonic Journeys project.

Immersive Sonic Journeys: The brief

Immersive Sonic Journeys is a partnership between RMIT University’s DSP research group and the Melbourne Recital Centre to explore sonic works created for the stairwells, foyers and performance venues of the iconic building.

The Melbourne Recital Centre is well regarded for its acoustics and listening experience in the Elizabeth Murdoch Hall and the Primose Potter Salon.  Folded around these spaces are an intricate network of stairwells and foyer spaces, acoustically isolated from outside sounds with an extremely low noise floor and little to no air-conditioning noise. Some spaces, such as the blue stairwell – are acoustically well isolated from the remainder of the building – others like the north stairwell open onto vistas looking across the city.  These acoustic conditions present a unique opportunity for non-linear spatial sound works to be experienced while walking throughout the centre.

Successful participants will be commissioned to produce a new sonic work that can be experienced on up to 16 loudspeakers installed for the project in foyers and stairwells of the MRC. The duration of works can be indeterminate as the audience can enter/leave at any time. However, our walking tests suggest a work of at least 15-20 mins would be ideal. Shorter or longer is possible and playback and spatial distribution will be in Reaper, unless artists choose to work with other software such as Max/MSP, etc. Sound artists, designers, musicians and other sonic practitioners are all invited to submit proposals, taking an approach based in their own practice.

The commissions:

• Three commissions – one for an established practitioner and two for emerging artists. (Emerging is broadly defined as 5-8 years from graduation or start of practice).
• A fee of $5000 will be paid for the established practitioner and $2000 each for the two emerging artists.
• We are also offering access to the Melbourne Recital Centre and to RMIT’s production facilities, including the multichannel facilities in both SIAL Sound Studios and the Black Box.
• Additional technical support will be offered for mastering, and peer support through consultation and feedback during development of the project.

Timeline:

The process;

2023

• Now to Dec 4,  9am – Call for Expressions of interest
• Dec 4-8 – Selection 
• Dec 11-15 – notification of successful applicants and site visit pending participant availability.

2024

• End Jan – ½ to 1 day workshop in SIAL Sound Studios and the Black Box at RMIT University
• March – Milestone 2 – workshop on site
• April/May – Milestone 3 –performance install at Melbourne Recital Centre – pending further negotiations with the Centre.

Future project stages will explore electroacoustic compositions presented on the RMIT Speaker Orchestra in complimentary parts: as linear concert works in the Salon and non-linear ‘walking’ pieces through the whole building.