Songs of Home

Songs of Home is part of a week-long residency by Squidsoup and Vilk Collective in the Market Hall immersive dome.

It all began whilst singing an Iranian song to her son. Musician and artist Roxana Vilk, looked out of her window and imagined how many others might be singing songs, in different languages, with individual or shared stories. With this heritage thread of home, the Vilk Collective developed a project that recorded songs and interviewed people across communities and languages around the UK. This invitation to share a song became a deeper conversation about identity, parenting, heritage and homeland.

The result is a stunning light and sound installation that finds a stunning immersive home in the Market Hall’s state-of-the-art dome. Across the week and in collaboration with children from local schools, community groups, the Barbican Rebels and choirs across the city, it will evolve into a unique experience sharing Plymouth’s very own Songs of Home.

Squidsoup is a UK-based international group of artists, researchers, technologists and designers working with digital and interactive media experiences. Their work combines physical and dynamic digital spaces with novel and intuitive forms of interaction to produce immersive, responsive and beguiling experiences.

Vilk Collective are a Jazz World Electronica duet and group based in Bristol.

Squidsoup and Vilk Collective’s Songs of Home is presented by the Barbican Theatre and Real Immersive.

Songs of Home is open to visitors in hourly bookable slots at various times throughout the week. You can attend at any point during the hour you book. The original installation will run on Tuesday 26 and Wednesday 27 September and the Plymouth specific installation will run Thursday 28 and Saturday 30 September.

P hotos: Khali Ackford