DIVAcontemporary STUDIO is an artist-led space situated in rural Dorset close to the Jurassic Coastline. Since its inception, the studio has developed a special interest in the use of sound and video in the depiction of ‘landscape and the language of place’. The studio offers support to artists through expertise, space and equipment to develop creative, experimental outcomes. The adaptable nature
of the studio allows artists to explore the potential uses of audio and video within their practice and a space to present ‘work in progress’ or completed works to an invited audience. Collectively, the ‘core team’ covers a wide range of creative areas, sound, video, contemporary composition, installation, performance, arts administration, education and archaeology. Since 2012 the studio has developed a network of associate artists and collaborators nationally and internationally. Individual artists have worked with organisations, galleries and performers in venues across Europe and in the USA. The studio is a regular contributor to worldwide acoustic ecology networks, World Listening Day, Dawn Chorus Day (soundcamp), aporee maps, framework radio, Cities and Memory and Green Field Recordings. The archived ‘sounds’ collected by artists and participants during the ‘seasonal sound walks’ project have been labelled as one of the ‘collections highlights’ (Natural Sounds) by The British Library in their Directory of UK Sound. Associate artists, supported by the studio have been able to develop works for inclusion in a varied range of national and international projects, festivals and conferences including Whitstable Biennale [Satellite], STRANGELOVE, Printemps Japonais and The Observatory artists’ residencies.
