Sustainable Composing & Creative Sound Practices

In collaboration with Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (hcmf//) and Nordic Music Days, Ultima is presenting the year-long programme Sustainable Composing & Creative Sound Practices.

The initiative offers composers and sound artists a platform to explore environmentally conscious approaches to sound art and composition – with sustainability as a central focus.

In August 2025, Ultima and its two partners published an open call, through which three composers and sound artists were selected to take part in the full programme. The participants – Natalie Hyacinth, Frazer Merrick, and Luis Fernando Amaya – are engaging in a rich programme of activities, both in-person and online, that shed light on sustainability as a theme in artistic practice. Each participant receives tailored guidance and mentoring from an assigned mentor.

Through mentoring, digital residencies, workshops, and the development of new works, the participants explore topics such as:

Green sound technology
Environmental awareness through music
Sustainable choices in creative processes
Acoustic practices and guidelines for working in public spaces
Collaborative forms, participatory practices, and engaging local communities

A year-long programme

Sustainable Composing & Creative Sound Practices was launched on 30 October 2024 at Nordic Music Days as part of the Nordex Music Exchange Programme, and will run until November 2025. One of the aims is to carry out all activities and travel within the project as sustainably as possible. Some of the programme’s lectures and workshops will also be open to the public.

The programme is funded by International Touring and Environmental Responsibility—a collaboration between Arts Council England, the Danish Arts Foundation, and Arts Council Norway.

About the artists

Natalie Hyacinth

Also known as The Black Astral, Natalie Hyacinth is a sound artist and writer exploring climate justice, nature, and Black sonic life. Her work reimagines Black female presence through sound technology, drawing inspiration from Cultural Geography, Philosophy, and Afrofuturism. For this programme, Natalie plans to repurpose discarded technology into new soundscapes, using sound as activism.

Frazer Merrick

Frazer Merrick creates community-focused sonic experiences that bring together field recordings, circuit bending, and instrument building. With an emphasis on sustainability, Frazer aims to transform found objects into sound-making devices—a process he calls 'Musical Mudlarking'. His goal is to create soundscapes that reflect the environmental impact of human activity.

Luis Fernando Amaya

Composer and percussionist Luis Fernando Amaya examines collective memory and humanity’s connection to nature through music. Inspired by ecological themes, he’s developing a new piece based on interviews with environmental and Indigenous rights activists, using sound to amplify their voices and perspectives.

About the mentors

Anna Näkkäläjärvi-Länsman

Anna Näkkäläjärvi-Länsman, also known by her artist name Ánnámáret, is a Sami musician and traditional singer. Anna draws inspiration from Arctic nature and her cultural heritage, blending joik with modern elements, including the traditional Finnish string instrument jouhikko with electronic music. Her album 'Nieguid duovdagat – Dreamscapes' has received acclaim in the world music scene. In 2023, she was selected as a showcase artist at the Worldwide Music Expo (WOMEX).

Kathy Hinde

Kathy Hinde is a British artist and composer renowned for her audiovisual installations and performances that merge sound, sculpture, imagery, and light, often inspired by natural phenomena. Collaborating with fellow artists and researchers, she creates interactive works that explore the relationship between nature and technology.

Brian Bamanya (Afrorack)

Brian Bamanya, known by his stage name Afrorack, is a Ugandan experimental artist. He gained recognition for constructing Africa's first DIY modular synthesizer, the Afrorack, using locally sourced materials. Bamanya combines traditional African rhythms with electronic sounds, which celebrates African underground music. He has performed at notable events, including the Nyege Nyege Festival, CTM Festival, Rewire Festival, Sinsal Festival, and more. His work exemplifies a new wave in African electronic music.

The event series Compose, Listen, Sustain! is a three-day digital meetup within Sustainable Composing & Creative Sound Practices featuring lectures and workshops, taking place 22–24 April 2025. Participation is free, but registration is mandatory (limited spots available)!