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Sonic Postcards

03/03/2004

"Sonic Postcards has the potential to greatly enhance participants' learning opportunities in the classroom environment by using ICT in a fresh and imaginative way."

Sonic Arts Network will equip school children and teachers with the skills to create their very own 'sonic postcards' that will present a visual and auditory snapshot of the UK. The main objective of the project is to offer pupils a new insight into their environment and the environments of others. Schools in contrasting settings will be paired with the aim of highlighting the difference between urban and rural settings.

The project will link to a number of curriculum areas at Key Stages 2 and 3 including music, geography and ICT. There is also a link to the Citizenship and English curriculums.

Founded in 1979, Sonic Arts Network encourages people to experience sound in new ways and is the lead national body for experimental approaches to sound and technology. They also act as a consultant to bodies such as BECTa and the QCA.

NESTA's award will fund a pilot year of what is intended to be a three-year project. The bulk of the funding will to towards equipping the participating schools with the technology and the training they require to take part in the project. It will also support the placement of an artist at each school who will help to inspire the pupils and teachers in the work they produce.

Sarah Macnee, Acting Learning Director, said: "At NESTA we are committed to supporting pioneering initiatives that can add real value to the curriculum as well as engaging the public in science, technology and the arts.

We are delighted to be supporting the Sonic Postcards project which has the potential to greatly enhance participants' learning opportunities in the classroom environment by using ICT in a fresh and imaginative way. It will also encourage greater communication between schools and their communities."