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WAYS OF
LISTENING

WHAT DOES LISTENING MEAN TO YOU?

Ways of Listening is a unique global project asking you to share your answer to one simple question – “What does listening mean to you?”

 

The project is a partnership between Cities and Memory and The Evelyn Glennie Foundation to raise awareness of the critical importance of listening in all its forms, and the benefits that better listening can bring to us all.

 

Collecting creative responses to the simple question “what does listening mean to you?”, we want to put art and creativity at the centre of a global conversation about listening.

 

The project is global, open to everyone and multidisciplinary – all creative interpretations, from music and field recording to video, photography, graphic art, poetry and prose are welcome.

 

HOW THE PROJECT WORKS

We are looking for creative responses to the question “what does listening mean to you?”

For the first time ever in a Cities and Memory project, we are welcoming the full range of multimedia responses – not only sound, but beyond that too.

 

 

Sound composition/music/song

Field recording

Video

Photography

Drawing, painting, image or artwork

Written responses in poetry or prose

The creative response is completely open to your interpretation of the question. Any artistic or creative style is valid – we just want to hear, see and understand where the question takes you as an individual.

 

For non-written responses (that is sound, video or artwork), we’ll also be asking you to provide a short description of how your response addresses the question from your point of view – the story behind your response.

 

We will be asking you where in the world you’re responding from, so that we can create a global interactive map of how the world views listening.

HOW CAN I TAKE PART?

The call for responses is now closed and we are assembling the project from the many hundreds of amazing responses we received from all over the world.

 

The final project, with the complete collection of all the submissions we receive, will launch in early 2027. It will be presented on Cities and Memory as an interactive, online exhibition, and we are currently planning a live launch event.

 

All sound submissions to the project will also be published as podcast episodes via Cities and Memory, and highlights from the project will be released as an album.

 

WHY DOES LISTENING
MATTER?

Listening is absolutely central to everything that both Cities and Memory and The Evelyn Glennie Foundation do, which is why we’re working together on Ways of Listening.

 

Collectively, we believe that listening to the world is essential to understanding it, and that by listening deeply to the people and to the environment that surrounds us, we can make the world a better place.

 

But of course, what it means to listen is different from community to community, and from individual to individual – and every perspective is just as important.

 

We’re hoping that this unprecedented collection of creative responses to listening will open up new perspectives and new ways to think about listening in our daily lives, its importance, its meaning and the benefits it can bring to us all.

 

About The Evelyn Glennie Foundation

The Evelyn Glennie Foundation’s vision is of a society where communication and social cohesion are improved through the act of listening. Its mission, to Teach the World to Listen.

 

Its work is built on the experiences and insights of its founder, Dame Evelyn Glennie, whose remarkable career as the world’s first full-time solo percussionist has given her a unique perspective on how to listen effectively.

 

The Foundation is a new, non-profit initiative which brings together Evelyn’s distinctive approaches, her pioneering legacy and vast career archive to inspire active, receptive listening.

 

Developing our listening practice helps us overcome dated misperceptions of disability, age, class and accessibility. This challenges us to enquire into our own culture of listening.

 

The Foundation partners with charities, practitioners and others to bring the benefits of better listening to all.

 

A conversation on listening

Evelyn Glennie and Stuart Fowkes, founder of the global sound project Cities and Memory, in conversation about listening, creativity and the importance of listening.

Ways of Listening promotional graphic

FAQS ABOUT THE PROJECT

Q. Why are you looking for creative responses?

We believe that by examining what listening means to different people through creative and artistic responses, we can offer new perspectives on listening that would not otherwise be possible.

 

We believe in the power of art and creativity to express fundamental individual truths about the world, and that this project can help us all to think about listening differently as a result.

Q. I’m not a “professional” artist - can I still take part?

Absolutely! The project is open to everyone, from all walks of life, and all ages. You don’t need to apply or be selected to take part – you can simply submit your response at any time before the deadline of 19 June 2026.

Q. Are there any age limits?

No – anyone can take part in the project.

Q. I represent a community or collective (e.g. a school, hospital or prison) - how can I take part?

You can share the project callout with any group, and they can either submit individual responses via the response form, or you can submit one group response as a collective.

Q. Can I submit a collective response for a group of people?

You can share the project callout with any group, and they can either submit individual responses via the response form, or you can submit one group response as a collective.

Q. Can I submit an existing work or does it have to be brand new?

Though we prefer new works developed specifically for this project, existing works can be submitted, provided they directly address the central question of Ways of Listening.

 

Each work must be submitted with the accompanying text describing how it answers or reflects upon the question “what does listening mean to you?”

Q. How will the project be presented?

The project will be presented online as an interactive map at citiesandmemory.com, allowing you to see how the world is responding to the question. We are currently exploring other opportunities to bring the project to life offline next year too.

Q. How can a video/photograph/sound recording/poem etc. communicate something about listening?

That’s up to you! We’re looking for creative responses that are your own reaction to the question “what does listening mean to you?”. This could be, for example, a response that expresses the emotions you feel when you listen closely (or are listened to), a response based on a favourite sound or thing to listen to, a response based on the science or biology of listening, or a more abstract response around the importance of listening in your life, or to society more broadly.

 

These are just some examples to give you an idea, but it’s your interpretation that matters!

Q. What information do you need from me?

We’ll need to know the following in order to be able to include your response in the project:

  • Where you’re from (an exact location with latitude and longitude is required so we can add you to the final map, but you don’t need to give us your home address – the locality will be fine)
  • Your name as you’d like it to appear in the project (artist name or your actual name are fine)
  • The title of your response
  • If your response is non-textual (i.e. sound, video or image), we’ll also ask for a description of how your response answers the question, so we can understand more about it.
  • Optionally, you can let us know your age and nationality to help us understand more about who’s taken part (but you don’t have to), as well as your social media handles so we can follow you and tag you in any posts including your work.

Q. Can I use AI in my submission?

Please do not use generative AI or AI tools to create your submission, including for the development of any accompanying description copy. We want Ways of Listening to represent the full range of human responses to listening, and we do not believe that the use of AI tools helps with this.