A guided headphone audio work led by the artist along the promenade and beach at St Leonards on Sea. Meet Camilla at sunrise for a walk and if you’re brave enough - a swim.
Across the Sea is a sound walk by Australian audio producer Camilla Hannan, created especially for this year’s XMTR Audio Arts Festival.

Part soundscape, part sonic correspondence, Across the Sea is an audio love letter between two communities of ocean swimmers — one in St Leonards-on-Sea in the UK, the other in Williamstown, Australia.

Over three months, swimmers from both sides of the world and in contrasting seasons, recorded and exchanged voice notes capturing their daily ocean rituals: the slap of bouncy waves, the pull of strong currents, icy dawn plunges, glimpses of seahorses and dolphins. These recordings trace a shared rhythm of immersion — not only in water, but in place, routine, and kinship.

During the festival, step inside the installation and listen in on these cross-continental exchanges. You’re also invited to add your own story of the sea.

In the ocean, the connection between heart and body is real — and it can be strong enough to be carried across the world.

Camilla Hannan is an Australian audio producer, sound artist and field recordist. Her art and radio works have been exhibited, performed, installed and broadcast in Australia and internationally.

Underlying all her work is a deep fascination with the nature of the sonic environment, how we listen to that environment and the ways in which this listening impacts on our micro and macro worlds. She is interested in the ways in which we can transgress the traditional division between audience/listener and performer/broadcaster, seeking to build connections between communities and individuals through sound.
Camilla Hannan

Festival Pass Holders Only