Soundcamp 2026 - Listening to the woods

For the second year running, Sawpit Woods hosted Soundcamp over the first May bank holiday weekend — and once again, the woods did not disappoint.

The first May bank holiday marks what many consider the peak of the dawn chorus, and we timed our gathering to make the most of it. This year we also took part in Reveil, a worldwide movement that follows the dawn chorus around the globe using microphones placed in locations across every continent — our 24-hour sound broadcast from Hodore Farm joining the chain as it travels west with the rising sun. If you haven't come across Reveil before, it's well worth a look.

The weekend itself centred on deep listening — slowing down enough to actually hear what's happening in the woods around us. Alongside guided listening activities and time to simply be in the space, we used green woodworking skills to make simple instruments together, leaving them in the woods as a small, collective gift to the place. The bluebells were at their peak. The birds were loud. The pace was slow in the best possible way.

We tried some new approaches to engaging with sound this year, and not everything we experiment with will stick — but that's part of what Soundcamp is for. It's a chance to explore, share and stay curious about what this kind of listening can offer, both to the individuals who come and to the community we're building around the woods.

We'll be back next year with more to explore. Until then, we'll keep deep listening.