Leading wildlife recorder sounds out Devon

Chris Watson, one of the world's leading wildlife recorders, is preparing to bring sounds from rural Devon into the heart of RAMM.

When using the stairway linking the garden entrance to the Down to Earth gallery, visitors in 2015 will be treated to soundscapes from nearby coast and countryside.

Chris is currently capturing sounds from rockpools and estuaries, farmland and meadow, pebblebed heathlands and oak woodlands. Four seasonal recordings from each location will be used to create a changing soundscape evocative of Devon’s diverse ecosystems.

Chris has worked with the BBC on many of their best-known natural history productions including Tweet of the Day, Frozen Planet and The Life of Birds.

Passionate about sound, Chris was a founder member of the influential Sheffield-based experimental music group Cabaret Voltaire in 1971. Since 1981 he has made a career recording the wildlife sounds of animals, habitats and atmospheres from around the world.

Recording Devon soundscapes was made possible by New Expressions 3, a national programme fostering collaboration between contemporary artists and museums to provide fresh approaches to collections and visitor engagement.

The programme will allow 20 artists to present specially commissioned work in partnership with 15 museums across England. New Expressions 3 is supported by the National Lottery through Grants for the Arts.

Arts Council England provided additional funding through the creative digital component of RAMM’s Major Partner Museum grant. The RSPB helped identify suitable recording locations.