Afternoon Sounds

Maxine Fay's soundscape Afternoon Sounds responds to a child's plate in the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. The small, rather damaged plate was excavated in the centre of Cambridge in the early 2000s. It features two alphabets, British Sign Language and English, and hints at the rich and complex history of Deaf culture not often explored in archaeology museums. Maxine writes that she took her inspiration from "The idea that not only could deaf people not hear everyday sounds but once they were not allowed to communicate using signs. I wanted a quiet piece to show how even the small sounds of an afternoon can be significant, when you can hear them. I also wanted to try something related to ASMR - an interesting idea that I am uncertain how to achieve!" This track is part of the Museum Remix: Unheard project. Find out more at: www.museums.cam.ac.uk/museumremix. You can find out more about the British Sign Language plate at https://www.museums.cam.ac.uk/magic/british-sign-language-alphabet-plate