View In View Out: Mendip Hills Immersive Soundscape Project

Project Overview

• 💡 The "View In View Out" (VIVO) project is an immersive 360 soundscape presented in Weston-super-Mare as part of the National Landscapes Association's Nature Calling initiative.
• 🎯 Created by Gwyneth Herbert, Jason Singh, and Chris Howard, it was commissioned by the Mendip Hills National Landscape to connect wider audiences with nature.
• 🤝 The project involved a partnership between the Mendip Hills National Landscape Team and Super Culture to engage Weston-super-Mare communities.

Community Engagement & Impact

• 🌱 VIVO was inspired by collaborative workshops with young people and community groups, giving them a voice and ownership over local nature.
• 🧠 A key focus was addressing poor mental health outcomes among young people in North Somerset by fostering connections with nature.
• 💬 The project embraced the "messy, raw, beautiful, complex humanity" of conversations, including historical resentments, politics, and grief.

The Immersive Experience

• 🔊 An empty shop was transformed into a 360 immersive soundscape exploring the Mendip Hills and Weston-super-Mare's landscape, wildlife, and history.
• 🎧 The soundscape integrated diverse elements, including dawn chorus recordings, cave sounds, songs from refugee communities, and voices of young people.
• 🗺️ Augmented reality (AR) audio trails were developed for Mendip and Weston's South Ward, allowing people to experience parts of the installation while exploring the landscape.

Project Goals & Philosophy

• 🔑 The initiative aimed to inspire people about nature, connect them to their local environment, and promote wellbeing.
• 📜 VIVO seeks to tell the story of the Mendip Hills' incredible history and its diverse communities and cultures, capturing stories that might otherwise be forgotten.
• ✅ The project emphasizes the powerful act of listening in a world of constant stimulation, hoping the soundscape will encourage personal reflection and connection.