Listening to Country: Exploring the value of acoustic ecology with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in prison

Listening to Country is an arts-led research project exploring the value of acoustic ecology in promoting cultural connection, maintenance and wellbeing among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and groups who experience separation from family, culture and Country. Te project began with a pilot phase in Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre (BWCC), where an interdisciplinary team of researchers worked with incarcerated women to produce a one-hour immersive audio work based on feld recordings of natural environments (of Country). Te pilot was built on several years’ engagement with BWCC delivering participatory drama projects, including radio drama (Woodland forthcoming). Our decision to use acoustic ecology and immersive audio resulted from a direct request from a group of Aboriginal women at BWCC to create a “culturally relevant relaxation CD”—a sound recording for the purpose of reducing stress and connecting to Country