Jack Arts

Empathy Museum and Hard Art: The Ear of Britain

Created by the Empathy Museum and Hard Art, The Ear of Britain is an interactive travelling art installation designed to capture the mood of the nation. Launching as part of The Fête of Britain, a four-day event hosted by Factory International in Manchester, The Ear of Britain aims to invite more voices to the table in a polarised world by inviting passers-by to leave their audio response to the question “if Britain was listening, what would you say?” Spearheaded by artist Clare Patey, the project’s aim is to spark dialogue and introspection around the current state of the nation, all ‘contributing to a rich tapestry of national discourse.’ 

Ahead of the event at Aviva Studios, JACK ARTS hosted The Ear of Britain on our poster site in the centre of Manchester and locals shared stories around war, knife crime, privatisation, equality and naturally… the weather. Even local journalist and musician John Robb visited to leave his message for Britain. For those unable to visit in person, messages can be recorded and sent via WhatsApp. The recorded snippets will then form an evolving soundscape curated by Matt Black, founder of visionary record label Ninja Tune, that reflects the collective consciousness of the country.