Vacuum
This soundscape presents a woman’s journey home after a Saturday night out, thematically underpinned by the ‘Reclaim These Streets’ movement, which aims to make streets safe. The work was inspired by the murder of Sarah Everard at the hands of a Metropolitan Police Officer and aims to generate empathy around the experience of street crime, ask the listener to question what can be done and raise a call to action for all.
All the sounds in the work are representational. For example: (1) Seven steps are used as rhythmic musique concrete throughout – The Seven Steps programme from Plan International shows how to be an active bystander near a woman walking alone at night. (2) Gas stove sounds are used to illustrate the ‘gas-lighting’ of women’s experience. (Gas lighting is a form of psychological manipulation where a false narrative leads to someone questioning their own reality.)