A day of talks, workshops and unique performances sharing the stories of nature, climate, and biodiversity through music is coming to Manchester Museum.
Happening on Sat 22 Nov, EarthSonic Live will feature discussions and workshops from speakers and organisations including the RSPB, Wildlife Trust, Music Declares Emergency, Andy Cato (Groove Armada), Tinuke Oyediran and Tori Tsui, with evening performances from Groove Armada (DJ set), Werkha, Natural Symphony and more.
Hosted by In Place of War’s global project EarthSonic and supported by funding from the Wellcome Trust and Arts Council England, free events and workshops will happen throughout the day across different museum spaces and are open to all, offering sessions where participants can learn how to sample the sounds of nature, create beats and make music.
Workshops and installations include Sam Lee on Nightingales & Music, a biosonification workshop from Brian De’Souza (Auntie Flo), singing with The Climate Choir, paper lantern making with the RSPB, designing your own container garden with The Cloud Gardener, and using Ableton equipment to make music from frog sounds.
The daytime events will be followed by a ticketed evening show, featuring Saturama, a new immersive audio-visual experience from Manchester-based artist Werkha exploring the lesser known landscape of our isles: temperate rainforests; Natural Symphony – an electronic artist who uses plants as instruments; TAKKUUK, the audio-visual installation from BICEP and EarthSonic exploring the lives, communities and challenges facing artists Indigenous to the Arctic Region; performances from the artists behind Tu’úa, a new project telling the diverse stories of water worldwide through music made by female artists from around the globe; ending the night with a DJ set by the internationally renowned electronic duo Groove Armada.
Ruth Daniel, CEO at In Place of War, said: “It’s incredibly special to bring EarthSonic Live to Manchester — a city with deep roots in creativity, activism, and community. In Place of War started in Manchester over 20 years ago, and to return with a project that unites global artists, scientists, and changemakers around climate action feels like coming full circle. Manchester has always been a city that uses culture to challenge and inspire, and EarthSonic Live continues that legacy — showing how music and art can connect us to the planet, to each other, and to hope for a better future.”
Hannah Hartley, Environmental Action Manager at Manchester Museum, said: “Manchester Museum’s collections have underpinned vital conservation work, research and learning for more than 130 years, helping to develop greater understanding of how our future is deeply connected to the wellbeing of our natural world. In Place of War and Manchester Museum share rich experience in co-curation, working with communities to bring multiple cultural perspectives to social and environmental issues.
“We’re so excited to host the EarthSonic Live programme, which highlights how artists play a critical role in telling stories of the climate and nature crisis that help us imagine different futures and inspire action. By drawing on the Museum’s research and the collections we care for, those stories can become even more compelling.”
For more information or to book tickets to EarthSonic Live at Manchester Museum, click the button below.
- Words:
- Bradley Lengden
- Published on:
- Thu 6 Nov 2025
