The Shape of Sound
Positive Ambisonics is an approach to listening and working that treats space, ecology, and attention as active collaborators. It begins with spatial audio, but it extends far beyond it — into writing, fieldwork, movement, and any practice that benefits from slowing down and noticing more.
Listening as a way of working
Ambisonics encourages an awareness of vertical space, shifting weather, and the subtle movements of the environment. You don’t need to work with sound to take part — listening can be a way of attending to atmosphere, memory, texture, and place.
A practice shaped by landscape
The residency sits between shoreline, woodland, and the Atlantic rainforest. These environments shape the work: their quiet, their depth, their changing textures. Sound is one way of engaging with this landscape, but not the only way. Many residents use it as a space for writing, mapping, observing, or exploring ideas that unfold slowly.
One‑to‑one mentoring
Support is available if residents want it. Mentoring sessions are shaped around each person’s practice — technical, creative, or a mix of both. The aim is to offer clarity without directing the work, and to help artists move through questions of process, structure, or spatial audio with confidence.
John brings a combination of deep technical knowledge and a calm, practical approach to problem‑solving. He works collaboratively, helping residents untangle workflows, refine ideas, or design systems that feel reliable and expressive. Sessions can focus on spatial audio, field recording, editing, writing, or simply finding the next step in a project.
Mentoring is optional, responsive, and always centred on the resident’s way of working.
Space for experimentation
The studio is a place for listening, sketching, editing, and exploring. It adapts to your practice — whether you’re working with sound, text, research, or interdisciplinary forms. There is no curriculum and no required outcome. You are free to drift, test, return, and follow the work where it leads.
Attention, presence, and care
Positive Ambisonics is ultimately about attention: how we notice, how we relate to place, and how creative work can emerge from quiet, patient observation. The residency supports this through clarity, independence, and gentle guidance when needed.
