Inclusive sound walk in Lößnitz 06. July 2025

#unheardsounds

In June 2025, the foundry in Lößnitz became the stage for a very special sound adventure: under the title “I Hear Something You Don’t Hear”, students from the State School for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Chemnitz and employees of an industrial company came together with sound artist Jonas Urbat to explore the acoustic world of industry. The project was funded by the Gemeinschaftsfonds Zukunftswege Ost and organized by Buntmacher*innen e.V. in cooperation with 1:1 CONCERTS e.V.

Diversity as a source of richness

The aim of the project was to make diversity and variety tangible as a form of social wealth and to bring people from different walks of life into creative exchange. The meeting between students with visual impairments and company employees was at the heart of the project: guided by sound artist Jonas Urbat, they used recording devices and microphones to collect sounds, exchange perspectives, and rediscover the foundry as a space of sound.

Jonas, who with SoundWERK Productions specialises in making the sounds of industrial locations audible, describes the sound walk as a particularly special experience:

The iron foundry is one of those places whose visual size and aesthetic are fully reflected in its sound. That is why it was especially wonderful to watch the children’s excitement as they experienced it purely on an acoustic level. The students were super open and curious, moving through the new surroundings with great ease - I was also impressed by the teachers’ thoughtful calmness.

Creative participation and self-empowerment

The sound walk offered participants the opportunity to contribute their individual perceptions and to experience themselves as experts of their own acoustic world. Sven Müller, occupational safety officer and works council member at the Lößnitz Foundry, describes his auditory impression:

The most distinctive sound for me is still that of flowing iron - it really sounds like water. […] This trickling of molten iron […]. And always having in the back of your mind the sheer force it takes, the natural power that must be unleashed, to make such a hard material flow like water.

The recorded sounds and conversations form the basis for a piece of documentary sound material that will be publicly presented in an inclusive concert in November 2025. In this way, the connective potential of shared artistic experiences will be made audible to a broader audience.

A strong network for inclusion

The project is part of the UN:HEARD SOUNDS OF INDUSTRY festival by 1:1 CONCERTS and stands as an example of the work of Buntmacher*innen e.V.: since 2018, the association has been volunteering its efforts for diversity, democratic values, and social cohesion in Chemnitz and the surrounding region. The cooperation with the State School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and local companies opens up new paths for participation and inclusion.

Sincere thanks go to the Gemeinschaftsfonds Zukunftswege Ost, whose support makes innovative, inclusive cultural projects in Eastern Germany possible. Without this funding, the realization of this special sound walk would not have been possible.