CAMPBIENT: The 44 Hour Sound Art Residency

August 17-20, 2023

Rainbow Falls State Park, Chehalis, WA

Rolling Application Opens: February 20, 2023

Applications received by April 1 will receive priority review. Applications received after this date will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Selection Announcements begin May 1, 2023.

Maximum Participants: 22

Application Fee: None

Participation Fee: $50 (due upon acceptance)

CONCEPT

Campbient is a weekend-long sound art residency that brings together participants for 44 hours to conceptualize, produce, and record two sound art compositions on-site at a state park in Washington State. The residency includes sound-related workshops and creative activities and a start-to-finish audio production process with the results pressed in a limited run of vinyl LPs and distributed digitally. The residency is completely off the electrical grid, and all audio production and other activities are battery-powered. 

Campbient takes place on public land of Coastal Salish heritage, straddling the natural and built environments. An awareness and respect for these socio-cultural, ecological, and historical characteristics, and their effect on the soundscape, are core values to having a successful creative and communal experience.

Previous participants include a range of artists, writers, actors, conceptual thinkers, culture workers, and sound makers. Additionally, a special guest sound artist is in attendance and will present their work. This year’s guest artist is Mary Edwards, a composer and sound artist whose work encompasses environmental and architectural installations, film and theater scores and interdisciplinary projects.

PROCESS

Participants will arrive on Thursday, August 17, after 3:00pm for campground setup, introductions, and establishing the agenda. On Friday, a 44-hour production process then commences, interspersed with various sound-related workshops, activities, and communal meals. Appropriate amounts of personal and rest time are built into the schedule. Final realization and review of the finished recorded work will be complete by midday Sunday, August 20th.

Participants will be organized into one of two collaborative working groups, and each group will independently have complete artistic control of both their creative process and the content and character of the resulting recorded work. Recordings will be made on a battery-powered multitrack mobile audio workstation with a variety of transducers, with experienced audio engineers supervising the recording sessions. Participants are not required to bring any additional audio equipment, instruments, or sound-making devices of their own, but are welcome to do so (with some limitations.)

ELIGIBILITY

Campbient is open to all creative thinkers and doers over the age of 21. The residency is invitational, based on application, and is financially sponsored for participants including all meals. Camping fees are $50, and are due in advance. There is no fee for application. Diversity of all kinds is encouraged, and there is no expectation or requirement of prior musicianship, audio production, or sound art experience by participants.

EXPECTATIONS

Because of Campbient’s brief and intense duration, all participants will be expected to take an active role in the processes and activities, with consideration of their interests, abilities, and experience. Creative risk-taking is encouraged in an environment that is playful, non-judgmental, safe, and supportive. Every aspect of Campbient relies on respectful, open, and honest communication and collaboration. All participants will be expected to demonstrate these qualities to each other and to the creative process.     

FEES

Free to apply. Participants are responsible for their own travel expenses to Seattle, WA, but lots of people will be going the same way and we will help facilitate ride-sharing. If selected, there will be a participation fee of $50 USD which helps cover the cost of booking the campsite. There are no other expenses. If camping fees are a barrier to participation, assistance is available to ensure equitable opportunity.

CAMPSITE

Rainbow Falls State Park is a 129-acre camping park with 3,400 feet of freshwater shoreline on the main stem of the Chehalis River. Electricity is not available so participants will need to bring battery backup for any personal electronic devices.

Participants will need to provide their own camping supplies such as tent and sleeping bag, as well as any personal needs for comfort and safety in the outdoors. Participants should dress for inclement weather (regardless of the weather forecast!), including warm clothes, rain gear, and durable footwear. Sunscreen, bug repellent, and any other personal protective supplies will be the responsibility of the participants. If equipment or supplies are a barrier to participation, please indicate as such on your application, as it is not a reason for disqualification and the organizers will attempt to accommodate any reasonable requests or needs.

All meals will be provided by the hosts, with consideration of any dietary restrictions. Transportation from Seattle can be arranged, and carpools by participants will be encouraged and coordinated by the organizers.

EQUITY, INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, AND ACCESSIBILITY

Campbient is a safe space and is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity and access for all persons regardless of race, sex, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and disability. LGBTQIA+ friendly. ADA accessibility is based on Washington State Parks facilities; questions about special accommodations or accessibility can be addressed in the application. 

ORGANIZERS

Campbient is sponsored by:
REALMOREREAL, an art brand and cultural development organization based in Seattle, WA. 
REALMOREREAL is a project of The Creative Center for Adaptive Praxis (CC4AP).