Kathy Hinde’s sonic sculpture trail opens at Wicken Fen, 18th July to 28th September
Sound artist Kathy Hinde and the National Trust present
Listen to the Voices of the Fen
A sound sculpture trail inspired by the hidden sound-worlds and often unnoticed voices of the wildlife at one of Britain’s oldest nature reserves
At the National Trust’s Wicken Fen Nature Reserve in Cambridgeshire
Opens on World Listening Day, 18 July 2025, and runs until 28 September
Wicken Fen, in the heart of the Cambridgeshire countryside, is the National Trust’s oldest and one of Britain’s oldest nature reserves – one of only four wild, undrained fens that survive in the Great Fen. Over 9,400 species have been recorded at Wicken Fen, including a spectacular array of plants, birds and dragonflies, living within the tranquil wetlands there.
For over a year, artist Kathy Hinde has been recording sounds at the National Trust’s Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve, listening underwater, deep underground, inside vegetation, and high up in the sky to draw attention to the voices of the many species living there. From the curious crackling of fish and the popping of plants photosynthesising, the chirping of underwater insects and the songs of birds, to the sound of peat where time and carbon are held, these field recordings form the basis and inspiration for a new sonic trail, where the sounds of Wicken Fen’s four seasons reveal the wealth of life and diversity there.
July 2025 sees the culmination of the 18-month creative project Listen to the Voices of the Fen, Kathy’s response to Wicken 125, the National Trust’s 2024 celebration of 125 years of caring for this site of rare and precious fen habitat. The project encompasses community participation through a series of workshops exploring actively listening together and instrument-making, with the finale being a series of installations and a collaborative performance at Wicken Fen itself.
The Listen to the Voices of the Fen sound sculpture and listening trail will offer visitors a unique chance to experience the hidden sound-worlds and often unnoticed voices of the wildlife at Wicken Fen through a series of imaginative and interactive sound installations along the accessible boardwalk and at other selected locations on the reserve.
Kathy Hinde said: “Listen to the Voices of the Fen is centred around the act of listening, highlighting that everything in the natural world has a voice, to be listened to, and that listening together can foster collective empathy with nature and each other.”
From Friday 18 July, World Listening Day, until Sunday 28 September, sculptural sound installations will welcome audiences into this ancient landscape. Compositions created from the field recordings and instruments crafted from locally-sourced, natural materials will weave a network of delicate soundscapes, to be listened to through overhead dome-shaped speakers. Kinetic sound sculptures will respond to shifting water levels, emphasising water’s vital role in preserving the peatlands. Wind-powered aeolian instruments will resonate with the ever-present breezes that sweep across the landscape. A playful section of the installation will feature kinetic sound sculptures that echo some of Wicken Fen’s natural voices and include interactive elements for visitors to explore.
The opening of the Listen to the Voices of the Fen trail will be further celebrated on Sunday 20 July with a live performance by local participants. Developed through a series of workshops, the performance will showcase handcrafted wooden flutes, aeolian harps and other instruments designed to echo and respond to the sounds of the Fen. Flute maker and sound artist Jan Hendrickse, who has been collaborating with Kathy on the project, will lead on this unique element.
There will be opportunities for visitors to take part in creative workshops during the spring and to join the ensemble for the live performance, in preparation for the installation launch, alongside listening walks and underwater listening experiences throughout Listen to the Voices of the Fen. A specially created website offers the opportunity to listen to a continuous live, audio stream from underwater, explore an expanding collection of soundscapes, a sound map, and an interactive ‘virtual’ aeolian harp that responds in real time to wind speeds at Wicken Fen. Listen at www.voicesofthefen.co.uk
This project is a partnership between Kathy Hinde, the National Trust’s Wicken Fen and Babylon Arts, supported by public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England. For further information about Wicken Fen and the activities there please go to www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wicken-fen
Images (c) Mike Selby
