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Echoes of the Ancient
Echoes of the Ancient is a cross-cultural and cross-European project funded by the European Union / Creative Europe program. It aims to develop a chain of open air studios in Finland, Latvia and Portugal. All locations are on the countryside in Heinävesi, Finland, in Armata, Laudona and Sala in Latvia and in Monchique in Portugal. The idea of open air studios means nature spots with no built structures but thorough knowledge of their acoustic conditions and ways to use them as work spaces for art.
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In order to get to the goal we use research, exploration, experimental art work and collaboration between sound artists, musicians, researchers, technicians and other professionals from Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Germany and Portugal and invited artists from UK, USA, Norway, Ukraine and Russia. A key method in all work is adapting to the environment and listening to nature.
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Besides the plan and data for functioning open air studios the project produces music, pictures, sound art, a book, video clips, seminars and a musical short film. While producing art pieces we put special attention to the needs of people with sensory constraints or other physical limitations.
In practice the work process involves exploring and researching the nature spots with both traditional, sensory methods and modern technology and creating, performing and recording music at the locations and documenting all data and experiences throughout the process.
In order to deepen and widen the knowledge we do international knowledge exchange and benchmarking in related places in Finland, Latvia and Portugal.
As a long term result the project produces an open natural forum for artists and an open, international and wide network of artists and professionals. The knowledge and data produced in the project will be published as articles, sound files and videos and they will be all gathered to a webpage which will work as a database and a forum for further cooperation. All material, including the art works, will be distributed using the networks and contacts of everyone involved in the project.








