Listening Desk is an interactive sound sculpture that invites people to access and create soundscapes with sound archives. It is installed at 10 locations around the UK: Archives+ in Manchester Central Library; Cumbria Archives in Carlisle Archive Center; Discovery Museum, Newcastle upon Tyne; Norfolk Record Office; The British Libraryoutside the King's Library; Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru/The National Library of Scotland at Kelvin Hall, Glasgow; The National Library of Wales; The Wellbeing Collection at University of Sussex Library; Ulster Transport Museum, Cultra, County Down, Ireland; and University of Leicester in Sir Bob Burgess Building.

The Listening Desk is inspired by historic listening devices and instruments. I consider it the evolution of an archive reading desk into a listening device that emphasises the importance and value of exploring history through sound and what sound can tell us about the world. A parametric laser beam horn grows out of the desk towards the listener's head, with minimal sound bleed into the surrounding area. A bespoke soundscape sequencer is on a screen embedded into the desktop, inviting members of the public to composer soundscapes with archives at each sound archive.

The Listening Desk democratises access to sound archives in a fun and playful way.

Materials: Powder coated aluminium, oak, lino inlay. Interactive soundscape and oral history player created with Happylander, screen by AllSee Technologies, parametric speaker by Ultrasonic Audio Technology, hearing loop. 

Commissioner: Listening Desk was commissioned by The British Library for Unlocking Our Sound Heritage, in partnership with Archives+, Manchester; Bristol Culture; Cumbria Archives, The Keep, Brighton; London Metropolitan Archives; National Library of Scotland; The National Library of Wales; National Museums Northern Ireland ; Norfolk Records Office; Tyne & Wear Archives & Museum; and University of Leicester.

Creative Team: Listening Desk was created in collaboration with Studio Ben Allen, East JR, Happylander and Cow Sike Workshop. 

Photo by FRENCH+TYE