Announcing Nikki Sheth as R|Artist Residency: Natural Ecologies Artist
SCCA is thrilled to announce Nikki Sheth as the artist in residence for R|Artist Residency: Natural Ecologies.
Nikki, a UK-based sound artist and composer, will be working on the Sunshine Coast over the next five months to explore the intersection of new sustainable technologies and ecological conservation. With access to UniSC’s cutting-edge resources, including the Maker Space, the CAVE2 visualisation tool, and the Creative Ecologies Research Cluster, this residency will enable Nikki to expand on her long-term research that explores nocturnal wildlife and ecological change, and engage audiences in innovative and immersive ways.
We sat with Nikki to find out what drew her to the Sunshine Coast and what to expect to see from this residency.
Hi Nikki, we’d love to get to know you! Briefly introduce yourself to the Sunshine Coast Creative community.
Hello, I'm Nikki Sheth, sound artist and field recordist. I use environmental sounds to create soundscapes, installations and sound walks that give a voice to the environment. My aim is to foster a deeper connection with the natural world, while also highlighting issues surrounding climate change.
What attracts you to come and create on the Sunshine Coast as part of R|Artist Residency: Natural Ecologies?
I first came to Australia in 2011 on an exchange from Oxford Brookes University to QUT to study Music. I fell in love with Queensland – the people, its nature, wildlife and the sounds. When I saw this residency opportunity, I knew I had to apply and try to come back. In 2017 I met Leah Barclay at the Sound + Environment conference in Hull, UK. I interviewed her for my PhD thesis and have been following her work ever since, including that in the Biosphere Reserve sites and at UniSC.
What's special about the Sunshine Coast is the fact that it contains three of the country’s five UNESCO biosphere reserve sites (Great Sandy at Fraser Coast, Noosa and Sunshine Coast) and it is the only region in the world where three sites exist side-by-side. Australia is home to between 7-10% of all species on Earth and these reserves are the ideal place for me to develop my project that is focused on nocturnal ecologies and soundscapes. I'm also really excited to be working at UniSC and have access to their research, facilities and technologies.
Tell us briefly about how you make the journey from music composer to environment composer.
It was a very natural progression. It was actually at QUT in Brisbane, while I was studying Music with lecturer Joel Stern, that I first started to explore more experimental music. When I returned to the UK, I decided to study Electroacoustic Composition and through my Masters, I slowly started learning more and more about Soundscape Composition. I remember using field recordings I had collected in Hawaii for one of my pieces and I found environmental sound to be so much more intuitive to work with. In 2016, I went on my first dedicated trip to gather field recordings and I absolutely loved it. I had a knack for it. I remember thinking, this is it, this is what I want to do, and I applied for my PhD. When I think back, I realise that even as a child I had an interest in natural sounds and the environment. I used to spend hours in the garden with my grandma listening to nature and have always been passionate about the environment. I feel like things were always pointing this way for me.
Your work is included in UniSC Art Gallery’s exhibition, Strange Weather, currently on show. Tell us about how this work was made and how its form relates to the work you want to create during this R|Artist Residency: Natural Ecologies? residency?
So this work, 'Chiroptera' uses field recordings taken in both the Azores, Portugal and the UK. The piece focuses on the sound of bats which are usually only active during the night. As bats communicate with sounds beyond human hearing, I used specialised technology to capture the sounds and then processed these recordings to make them audible. The soundscape looks to foster a deeper connection with the places we inhabit and the other species that occupy these spaces. It comments on the importance of bats as a species and the impact of this species on humans and the health of the planet. It is part of my long-term research that explores nocturnal wildlife and ecological change, which I will continue to focus on during this residency. My starting point will be listening and experiencing this place. I am hoping to use visualisation tools such as lidar and photogrammetry that I haven't used before, as well as explore new microphones and technologies to record the sounds.
How do you use your work to engage audiences in dialogues about the future of our environment?
In general, I use my work to create an awareness of what is going on around us through sound and listening. Sound is such a powerful tool. Many of my works use immersive technologies such as ambisonics, which has the potential for higher emotional impact and more compelling listening experiences. My aim is to communicate environmental challenges and inspire ecological change through my creative practice.
Image credits (from top): Photo by John Lucy. Courtesy of Nikki Sheth; Image courtesy of Nikki Sheth; Photo by John Lucy. Courtesy of Nikki Sheth; Photo by John Lucy. Courtesy of Nikki Sheth.
R|Artist Residency: Natural Ecologies is delivered as part of The Refinery, SCCA’s platform of professional development programs designed to support creative practitioners working at the intersection of art, technology, environment and design.
This residency is in partnership with the Creative Ecologies Research Cluster at UniSC.
Learn more about The Refinery programs currently open for applications.