SOUND HOPPERS

SoundHoppers is a sound exploration and deep-listening programme developed for children between 5 and 11 years old... We started out delivering our sessions at a parent-led nursery in Hackney London with the aim of focusing on sound (rather than music) for early years learning. Over the years, those initial sessions have developed into a fully-fledged program in itself with a small team of sound artists and early-years educators delivering them to community venues, arts and music venues, science and arts festivals, libraries, schools and nurseries... The SoundHoppers approach emphasises learning through hands-on discovery, allowing workshop participants to use all their senses to express their thoughts, understandings, and creativity. The programme was developed to challenge the primacy of visual culture, especially within the so-called ‘digital native' context, in which parents are rightly concerned about the impact of children's excessive smartphone and mobile device use. Whilst,..