Peter Cusack and Katrinem’s London Sound Walk Maps online

Earlier this year, visiting artist Katrinem and CRiSAP Emeritus Member Peter Cusack led a series of sound walks in and around Elephant & Castle as part of our Un-Earthed Festival of listening and environment. The walks explored an individual’s personal experience of space through walking and a series of 'sonic places' either side of the River Thames.

Katrinem and Peter have each created maps of their sound walks, enabling anyone to take the sound walk at any time, or to listen back to recordings of Peter's 'sonic places'.

Katrinem's sound walk: 'Path of Awareness _Elephant and Castle'

This route starts and ends at the entrance of London College of Communication, tracing a circular route through the streets neighbouring the college. You're encouraged to wear 'clacking' shoes.

"The format of 'Path of Awareness_Elephant and Castle' explores an individual’s personal experience of space through walking, particularly the interplay between sound event (footsteps) and surrounding architecture, influenced by the constantly changing interactions in the environment. A route created around the college of communication offers numerous opportunities to engage with the city’s dynamics. Walking itself, the sonic character of footwear, the walkability of this urban habitat, as well as its architectural and atmospheric qualities are all major features of this soundwalk. My soundful shoes become instruments, soloists in the space, creating a dialogue with the surroundings and situating us sonically in the places we walk." - Katrinem.

Peter Cusack's soundwalk: The Blackfriars Soundwalk

This route starts and ends on the Blackfraiars bridge, tracing a route along the north edge of the river, crossing at Southwalk bridge and returning along the south bank of the thames. Peter has also uploaded recordings of many 'sonic places' to the map, so that they can be listened to online.

"The route takes in the sounds of the river itself, those of the surrounding city, the Tate Modern area, the singing Millennium bridge, the bells of St Paul’s Cathedral, clattering railways, buskers and the shear variety of sound to be heard at the time. It is a part of London full of historic alleys, hidden spaces, unexpected beaches under bridges (depending on tides) as well as busy traffic streets, pedestrian areas and the latest corporate architectural developments. The walk seeks to draw some of the complex audible connections between the river, the area’s physical geography, its history and how people use and relate to the locality today." - Peter Cusack.