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York conference explores new ways of engaging with data through sound

York conference explores new ways of engaging with data through sound

Posted on 10 September 2014

A major multidisciplinary conference at the University of York will bring together experts from science and the arts to uncover new ways of exploring complex data through sound.

SoniHED Conference logo.

Researchers from the fields of sonification, sound design, health sciences and environmental science will meet at the Conference on Sonification of Health and Environmental Data (SoniHED) to discuss innovative ways of using sonification. For example, how sound can be used to communicate the health risks of alcohol to young people, or how it could influence our behaviour to reduce carbon emissions.

Taking place on Friday, 12 September, the conference has attracted speakers from the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm and the Institute of Research and Coordination Acoustics/Music IRCAM, Paris, as well as experts from York’s Departments of Health Sciences and Electronics, and the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI).

The event, which will also feature a selection of peer reviewed papers by researchers from Australia, Germany, France, Italy and the UK, includes a programme of artistic events. Highlights will include the premiere of an installation by Sheffield-based electronic artist Mark Fell, a sonification-based audiovisual performance by Radek Rudnicki and his ensemble, a 3Sixty immersive audiovisual animation, and sonification musical works based on emotion data.

The one-day free conference has been organised by Dr Sandra Pauletto from York’s Department of Theatre, Film and Television, and Howard Cambridge and Dr Radek Rudnicki from the Stockholm Environment Institute. It is funded by the Centre for Chronic Diseases and Disorders (C2D2), with support from the Department of Theatre, Film and Television and the Stockholm Environment Institute.

Dr Pauletto said: “This promises to be a very exciting event in which art and science meet to uncover new ways to explore complex data.

“Sonification is concerned with displaying data in sonic form so that listeners, whether experts or non-experts, can perceive and engage with the structures and the properties of the data set and their meaning. Sound can be a particularly effective way of displaying and exploring big data, monitoring processes and representing complex information in creative and engaging ways.”

The Conference on Sonification of Health and Environmental Data (SoniHED) will take place at the Holbeck Cinema, Department of Theatre, Film and Television, University of York on 12 September from 9.30am to 7.30pm. For further information or to register for the free event visit www.york.ac.uk/c2d2/seminars/sonihed/

Further information:

For more information on the University of York’s Department of Theatre, Film and Television visit www.york.ac.uk/tftv
For more information on the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) at the University of York visit www.york.ac.uk/sei/
The University of York is committed to research into alleviating the world-wide burden of chronic diseases and disorders. With the support of the Wellcome Trust, the University has established the Centre for Chronic Diseases and Disorders (C2D2 - www.york.ac.uk/c2d2) to coordinate and maximise the impact of this key interdisciplinary field of research.