“Listen to the Voices of the Fen” is a project by Kathy Hinde in partnership with Wicken Fen, National Trust and Babylon Arts. Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

Listen to the Voices of the Fen invites you to actively listen to the voices of many different species at Wicken Fen. Activities and installations will reveal hidden soundworlds we may not usually notice, from underwater, underground and inside trees. Listen from a new perspective by joining us for a listening walk, or wander at your own pace to explore sounds installations, all focussed on the intriguing and captivating soundworlds at Wicken Fen.

Launched in 18 July 2024, to mark World Listening Day, this summer you can experience a new installation ‘Sound Pools’, listen in to a live hydrophone stream on line and on location and join Kathy for a Deep Listening Walk.

Sound Pools installation

Wander along the boardwalk and find yourself being bathed in the hidden sounds from the Fen. Sounds from underwater and underground are elevated into a series of overhead speakers, inviting you to step in and out of different soundworlds as you approach the Roger Clarke Hide pond. Become immersed in the chirping sounds of underwater invertebrates and crackling sounds of fish from the ponds and lodes. Become curious about sounds hidden deep inside the peat where carbon and time are held.

Recordings have been made from the beginning of 2024 to explore the underwater and underground soundworlds through the seasons. Showing every day until 29 September during Wicken Fen’s usual opening hours.

Live Hydrophone Stream

At the Wicken Fen the visitor centre, you can listen live to an underwater microphone submerged in a watery ditch running alongside Sedge Fen. This underwater soundscape is also being live-streamed as part of ‘locus-sonus’ soundmap, streaming soundscapes from all over the world to explore the ever-evolving relationship between sound and place.

Deep Listening Walks

Kathy is leading Deep Listening Walks over the opening weekend of the 2024 installation, Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 July, at 11.30am, 2pm and 4pm. Tune in to more of the natural world, and immerse yourself in the sounds you cannot normally hear. You’ll be wearing wireless headphones to pick up the many voices of the Fen via her microphones. As places are limited, book here. More walks will be announced throughout the project.