STILL LISTENING

4 performances at Cisternen, Svanö, with Inner Ear & Tina Quartey

Still Listening is an international collaborative project between percussionist Tina Quartey and the performance collective The Inner Ear. In a former oil tank with a 25-second reverberation, a series of performative sound works are presented, based on ritual, esoteric musical traditions and modern sound art.

"Still Listening" is about in-depth listening. It can refer to being still: full attention to the sounds surrounding you, with the intention of not labeling, valuing or interpreting too much. This open listening can act as a portal to an inward listening, and sometimes a state of inner stillness is reached.

The title may also refer to "I hear you, I still listen, you have my attention" which can also include tradition in the broadest sense: We still listen to what has been conveyed through the centuries; knowledge, music, sound, words.

Already in the summer of 2020, the artistic collaboration between Tina Quartey and The Inner Ear began through the performance work »Ginnungagap«, which was created and performed on two occasions in the Cistern. The Still Listening project deepens this collaboration and aims for the project to be performed on other stages around Sweden or abroad.

The Cistern is located on Svanö in Västernorrland, surrounded by lush greenery and the mighty Ångermanälven river. The room's enormous acoustics almost give the effect of entering a timeless dimension. The slightest step or breath is amplified and creates a strong focus perfectly suited for exploring listening and sound as qualities in themselves.

On the 20, 21 and 29 June, four performative sound works will be performed in the Cistern. Gongs, sound bowls, lures, drums, underwater microphones, clay, ice and electronically generated sounds are some of the tools used to seek a deep and active listening with the whole body, examining the limits of what can be performed in a "regular" concert hall.

The project is carried out with the support of the Swedish Music Agency and the Västernorrland Region.

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