Sound Steps - The situated audio creation European model

forthcoming

Sound Steps proposes a transnational framework for situated sound creation, combining digital innovation, artistic experimentation, and civic participation. Rooted in a growing field at the crossroads of immersive audio, public space, and storytelling, the project addresses the lack of structured tools, inclusive methodologies, and sustainable fair models in geolocated sound art—while aiming to unlock its full potential as a lever for social, cultural, and environmental transformation. Led by a consortium of 5 partners from France, Spain, Italy, Romania, and Germany, Sound Steps will empower artists and cultural professionals through training, certification, and access to a relevant shared digital creation platform. It will also engage public bodies and local stakeholders in co-creating soundwalks that explore memory, ecology, and inclusion, thus directly contributing to place-based social cohesion and new modes of cultural participation. The project is structured around Pilot Creation Labs across diverse contexts (urban, rural, industrial, architectural...), a European survey, peer-learning formats, and a series of dissemination actions including public events and 4 major symposiums. Cross-cutting priorities such as accessibility, environmental responsibility, and digital ethics are embedded throughout to ensure long-term relevance and impact. Souns Steps will deliver a fair, inclusive, sustainable, ecology-oriented and replicable model for sound-based cultural services with tangible social impact—supported by legal guidelines, digital tools and creation framework, and a certified European professional community. Its ambition is to turn artistic experimentation into systemic change, positioning audio walks as a powerful and accessible tool for cultural innovation, public engagement, and territorial resilience across Europe.