A Story of Hope
I was approached by the charity The Refugee Buddy Project & asked to create audio tracks for a geocache to be secreted in the hills surrounding Hastings. This was part of an ambitious project: England’s Creative Coast. I collaborated with local artist and architecture graduate Fatima Esayli, who designed & built a physical cache for the first ever geocache art tour.
We wanted to share the story of a member of our refugee community & allow people who find the cache to listen to it (via a QR code) on their phones. The location of the cache overlooked the English Channel, in which many refugees seeking safety have lost their lives. We invited listeners to pause within this poignant location and hear this story of hope.
I recorded & edited two tracks for the cache. Included is the story of a man who was forced to leave Syria and found his place in the local LGBTQ community. We hear him in his own words as he speaks with anonymity and bravery. Also included is simple a soundscape of waves hitting the local beach shingle, & the beautiful singing of a Kurdish woman who now also lives in Hastings.