“Sounds of Places” is an annual residency-based sound gathering that focuses on the sonic aesthetics of place.



Originally the idea was born as an experimental music festival in 2023, it was launched then by Wonder Cabinet in 2024 in an original revised format conceived in response to the political situation in Palestine, with a focus on the Cremisan Valley, one of the last accessible green spaces around the city of Bethlehem in Palestine.





 disappearing  sounds 

Is the focus of Sounds of Places  2025

Sounds of Places 2025 will be dedicated to the disappearing rituals and cultural sounds inhabiting the Palestinian landscapes and heritage sites. These forms of cultural expression, with holders of the ancient knowledge of the local communities, are often excluded from the institutional cultural landscape due to a folkloristic, often negative, connotation.

The vanishing landscapes of Palestine, on the contrary, embed a rich auditory tapestry that is highly representative of the Palestinian heritage, and identity. As such, they do not only need to be preserved and archived, but rather studied, interpreted, and reactivated.

The residency involves sonic artists, artisans, designers, visual artists, researchers, religious figures and the people of Palestine.




Open call for sound artists  

September - October 2025

Deadline July 1, 2025

 

APPLY HERE


For this sound art residency you will share the artistic work created during the residency in Sept. 2025 in the    context of an exhibition, or a performance, hosted    at     The    Wonder Cabinet            in       Palestine in       late 2025,    or   into    2026.



Residency Support & Selection


One sound artist will receive financial support of $2,500 (CAD) to join the residency in Sept. 2025 and accommodation in Bethlehem, organized by The Wonder Cabinet for a period of up to six weeks. 

The selected artist will also be connected to the logistical and operations hub at The Wonder Cabinet that facilitates both the residency and the broader cultural programming at the space.

The selection for this residency will be made by a collective jury of artists from around the world working in collaboration with The Wonder Cabinet, home to the Sounds of Places project and where the celebrated Radio AlHara is physically based. 

Thank you to Small Scale Music through the No Silence compilation project and the Justseeds artists' cooperative project Imaging Apartheid for supporting this initiative. 



For any questiion about this open call, please contact: soundsofplacesresidency@gmail.com
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For any inquiries, please contact: office@wondercabinet.space
 










 THE WONDER CABINET Karkafeh Street, Bethlehem, Palestine (next to Arij) Location office@wondercabinet.space IG & FB Whatsapp