Acoustic Territories(The Shoemaker’s Guest)

Title: Acoustic Territories(The Shoemaker’s Guest)
Place: StrandLAB Almere
Date: 10/8/2024 - 22/9/2024
Format: Listening workshop and sound walk

<The Shoemaker’s Guest> is a sonic fiction release from the Acoustic Territories project in 2024. The story follows a shoemaker who roams the streets of his city every night, testing the shoes he carefully crafts. After a mysterious storm blankets the city in sand, the shoemaker unknowingly carries a single grain of sand home on his foot. Over time, this small particle grows, transforming both his surroundings and his life .

This project began with a listening workshop at Almere Strand, led by sound designer and musician Minji Kim. It was further developed in collaboration with writer Mila Narjollet, illustrator Leif Czakai, and local resident Indra Silar, who serves as the voice narrator. The sonic fiction emerged from embodied listening sessions, where participants shared their experiences of Almere’s unique coastal environment—a city with a young, artificially reclaimed urban history.

The narrative explores themes of sound, movement, and transformation, with Almere’s artificial coastline—where urban life and ecological voices converge—serving as the backdrop. The Shoemaker’s Guest weaves together fictional and real-world elements, highlighting the dynamic interplay between human existence and the environment.

Sound designer and musician: Minji Kim (Unknown Kim)
Writer: Mila Narjollet
Illustrator: Leif Czakai
Voice narrator: Indra Silar
Coordinator: Frédérique Donker

Co-organized by Acoustic Territories
Sponsored and organised by StrandLAB