Waltham Forest London Borough of Culture has announced the launch of We’re All Bats, a new events programme offering exploratory, creative, meditative and fun ways of connecting with our often overlooked sense of hearing. We’re All Bats was selected as part of the Make It Happen Fellowship Funding grants programme which offers grants to support artists and organisations during Waltham Forest’s year as London Borough of Culture.

The programme of events offers something for everyone, including deep listening workshops, concerts exploring music to create hypnotic states and family and children’s activities including instrument making workshops.

Highlights of the festival include sub-aquatic music experience Wet Sounds and a Recording Hidden Sounds workshop by world renowned sound recording artist Jez Riley French.

In this rare opportunity to be taught by master craftsman Riley French, workshop attendees will develop recording skills using different kinds of microphones and seek out hidden sounds including electromagnetic waves, underwater sounds, infra-sound and ultra-sound.

Wet Sounds represents another rare opportunity. This critically acclaimed aquatic music experience has been delivered to critical acclaim at festivals across the world and makes a return to London where its shows have always sold out. Taking place at Walthamstow’s Feel Good Centre, the swimming pool will be transformed with light, sound and performance. Aquatic adventurers of all ages are invited to jump in the pool and listen to music above and below the water surface.

Joel Cahen, event organiser and sound artist, said: “In this age of short attention spans and immediate gratification, a reminder of our natural faculties for attention to subtleness in aural perception is called for. Listening is essential for cooperation, empathy, tolerance and inner peace. It is a beacon for change and transformation through new music, technological sounds and language. We believe that the practice of listening is at the root of fruitful interaction and meaningful discourse and so it is a useful and important skill to develop. We should all learn to #BeMoreBat!”

Part of the Waltham Forest London Borough of Culture programme of events, We’re All Bats begins with Riley French’s Recording Hidden Sounds workshop on Saturday, October 5, and finishes with one of four Surround Sound Listening Sessions on Sunday, November 3.

Visit wereallbats.co.uk for tickets and the full programme of events.