created by Nina Perry for the dream(ing) field lab, rhythm of rest debuted at toynbee studios on 12 september 2021 as part of the immersive installation, another garden (will be our city) for the what shall we build here festival.

a crucible, a carnival, a sanctuary, an imaginarium

conjuring a present future where the ancestral wisdom of the African diaspora + the Black ecowomanism’s intersectional understanding of environmental + social justice are set to the beat of raging joy, this immersive installation is inspired by the dream(ing) field lab’s june retreat in rural somerset, where an intergenerational gathering of Black women + femmes danced freely under the stars, honoured ancestral ecologies + co-created a sanctuary in which to offer and receive nourishment from each other + the earth.

the dream(ing) field lab is a Common Ground commission by Season for Change, a nationwide programme of artistic and cultural events that celebrate the environment and inspire urgent climate action. Led by Julie’s Bicycle and Artsadmin, and supported by Arts Council England and Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

rhythm of rest

created by Nina Perry for the dream(ing) field lab, what will i grow is a series of interviews recorded during a june 2021 retreat to rural somerset, + the work debuted at toynbee studios on 12 september 2021  as part of the immersive installation, another garden (will be our city) for the what shall we build here festival.

a crucible, a carnival, a sanctuary, an imaginarium

conjuring a present future where the ancestral wisdom of the African diaspora + the Black ecowomanism’s intersectional understanding of environmental + social justice are set to the beat of raging joy, this immersive installation is inspired by the dream(ing) field lab’s june retreat in rural somerset, where an intergenerational gathering of Black women + femmes danced freely under the stars, honoured ancestral ecologies + co-created a sanctuary in which to offer and receive nourishment from each other + the earth.

the dream(ing) field lab is a Common Ground commission by Season for Change, a nationwide programme of artistic and cultural events that celebrate the environment and inspire urgent climate action. Led by Julie’s Bicycle and Artsadmin, and supported by Arts Council England and Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

what will i grow

What keeps you awake at night? Money worries? Your conscience? Traffic? Dogs barking? Or the shrill sound of a stressed robin forced to sing at night to find a mate?

This composed feature for BBC Radio 4 by Nina Perry explores the problem of sleeplessness and the crucial relationship between sound and sleep, all set within a soundscape of noises heard during a sleepless night interwoven with specially composed music.

Tinnitus sufferer Helen takes us on a journey through a sleepless night of thought and sounds of ticking clocks, snoring, a restless child, mysterious footsteps and a neighbour's late night party. How are these sounds perceived in a state of sleeplessness? How do we respond to sound emotionally, physiologically and hormonally. Are the sounds of the night changing? Are silent nights a thing of the past?

Answering these questions and elucidating the relationship between sound and sleep are: Professor of Acoustics and Dynamics Andy Moorhouse and Senior Lecturer in Acoustics Bill Davies, from Salford University; David Baguley, Head of Audiology at Cambridge University Hospitals, who discusses sound perception, the meaning of sound and the reaction to sound as elements within Tinnitus treatment; Dr Ken Hume, a sleep researcher specializing in sound and sleep, discussing the physiology and psychology of sleep and sound disturbance; and Rupert Marshall, Lecturer in Animal Behaviour at Aberystwyth University, describing how urban wildlife is changing its behaviour to cope with modern life (for example, robins nesting in urban areas who struggle to be heard during the day are more likely to sing at night than their country cousins).

Produced and Composed by Nina Perry 
Musicians: Roland Sutherland - Flute

Sleepless Night

Nina Perry

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