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🇧🇪 Belgium /Culture & Society

Ghent Students Make Music Tangible for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Through Vibrations and Visuals

From VRT NWS · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Ghent University students have developed innovative prototypes to make music accessible for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals.
  • The project utilizes vibrations, visual projections, and artistic interpretations of sign language to convey musical experiences.
  • These prototypes aim to provide an equal and immersive music experience, fostering inclusivity in the arts.

In a remarkable display of interdisciplinary collaboration and social innovation, students from Ghent University have pioneered a project that promises to break down auditory barriers in music appreciation. By merging architectural, engineering, and artistic expertise, they've created prototypes designed to translate the richness of music into tactile and visual experiences for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

We want to give them the experience that is currently not possible in existing contexts.

· Gilles CalleboutGilles Callebout, coordinator at KU Leuven, explains the project's goal to provide a music experience previously unavailable to the deaf and hard-of-hearing.

This initiative, born from the 'Creative Makers' course, tackles the societal challenge of unequal access to cultural experiences. The students' work goes beyond mere functionality; it seeks to create a deeply engaging and equitable encounter with music. From vibrating vests that translate bass and other frequencies to visually dynamic projections of sign language interpretation, their solutions are both technologically advanced and artistically inspired.

Not only the bass is felt, but also the other tones can be felt using a different frequency.

· Gilles CallebautGilles Callebaut describes the functionality of the vibrating vest prototype, emphasizing its ability to convey a wider range of musical frequencies.

At VRT NWS, we are proud to highlight such groundbreaking work originating from our own institutions. While global media might cover technological advancements in accessibility, this project resonates particularly strongly within Belgium. It embodies our commitment to inclusivity and demonstrates how local talent can address pressing social needs. The collaboration between KU Leuven, LUCA School of Arts, and music organizations like Democrazy and Kunstencentrum Viernulvier showcases a powerful ecosystem dedicated to making the arts accessible to everyone. This isn't just about adapting technology; it's about fostering a society where everyone can participate fully in cultural life, enriching our collective experience.

Through the project, we also worked closely with a group of deaf and hard-of-hearing people.

· GillesGilles highlights the collaborative approach, emphasizing the involvement of the target audience throughout the design process to ensure representativeness and user satisfaction.
About this summary

Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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