SOKU is the national knowledge center for sonic cultural heritage. The center is legally and administratively under the jurisdiction of of Struer Museum. It was established by Struer Museum in partnership with the National Museum of Denmark, Sound Art Lab, and Aarhus University.
In recent years, many museums, research and knowledge institutions have turned their attention to sound. It is clear, that sound and listening are today an integral part of our cultural heritage and identity. Large collections of radio broadcasts, music releases, folk memory recordings etc. have been created, some museums have begun to collect contemporary sounds, and sound is gradually becoming a central element in exhibition designs all over the world. The sensory person is becoming central - not only for the museum experience, but for our whole understanding of past, present and future.
In our work, we understand ‘cultural heritage’ as a dynamic concept consisting of both material and immaterial aspects that hold significance for individuals and groups, creating a sense of identity and belonging. Sonic cultural heritage thus encompasses both tangible objects – sound technologies, instruments, sound media, etc. – and more transient phenomena, such as the acoustics of cultural environments, musical traditions, everyday soundscapes, and listening practices, all of which contribute to cultural meaning, identity, and belonging.
SOKU was created with the vision that sound and listening should play a central role in museum work – and thereby in the broader understanding of the past, present, and future. The center’s mission is to collect knowledge about sonic cultural heritage and share it with museums, research institutions, and other knowledge-based organizations.
The National Center for Sonic Cultural Heritage focuses on three key tasks for state-recognized museums:
- Collection Development: Developing practices for the collection, registration, and preservation of the sonic as both material and immaterial cultural heritage.
- Knowledge Development: Exploring the cultural history of sound and its significance in the formation and transformation of identity, sociality, and society.
- Dissemination: Gaining experience in communicating the cultural history of sound from both historical and contemporary perspectives, as well as in sound-based dissemination practices.
SOKU collects and shares knowledge, we organize seminars and conferences, conduct research and participate in national and international networks. We run a program for visiting researchers and guest curators and experiment with collection development, knowledge development and dissemination of sonic cultural heritage.
Team:
- Jacob Kreutzfeldt, Head of Center
Phone: +4531720582 / Email: [email protected] - Daniela Bretes Maciel Elneff, Research Assistant and Sound Designer
Phone: +4561104580 / Email: [email protected] - Mads Kullberg, Curator
Email: [email protected]
Scientific Board:
Helle Sigh, Director of Struer Museum (Chair)
Jacob Eriksen, Director of Sound Art Lab (Vice Chair)
Lars Højer, Deputy director of the National Museum of Denmark
Morten Breinbjerg, Associate professor at the Department of Communication and Culture, Aarhus University
Board of Struer Museum (with legal responsibility for the center):
- Steen Kyed (Chair)
- Peter Petersen (Vice Chair)
- Ingeborg Svennevig
- Pia Stræde Palmelund
- Hans Vestergaard
- Rasmus Færch
SOKU's establishment and maturation project is supported by the Færch Foundation and Struer Municipality.
NETWORK
SOKU’s professional network was created to help us collectively become better at activating sound and listening in cultural heritage work.
Are you interested in joining?
Then send an email to [email protected] and include a few lines about why you would like to become a member of the network.
