BirdofHope

About

We are Victoria Bennett and Sheena Graham-George — an author and artist living in Orkney. Although we live on an archipelago between the North Sea and the Atlantic, we are connected across the world through the migration of birds who mark the seasons with their arrival and departure. Their song is woven into our daily lives. Yet, in the noise of the world, at this time of uncertainty and conflict, as we bear witness to suffering and pain, it can be hard to hear it and we find ourselves feeling overwhelmed and wondering: what can we, as creatives, do?

At times when things feel hardest, when the loudest voices are ones of destruction and division, it is the small, radical acts of hope we must hold onto, because it is in them that we find strength. Bird of Hope is an act of collaborative creative resistance.

Our first project Birdsong is launching 22 March 2025.

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Birdsong

Birdsong is a collaborative sound project gathering spring birdsong from Ukraine, Russia, Israel, and Gaza/Occupied West Bank, as well as from those countries where people are displaced or affected by these conflicts.

Through the simple act of collective listening, of gathering the voices of birds, we hope to bring together these small moments of song in a shared chorus, -- a reminder that even in the darkest times, hope keeps singing.

If you are someone living in these areas, or have been displaced due to these conflicts but are now living elsewhere, or you are living elsewhere but directly affected by these conflicts through family, work or other connections, or stand in solidarity for peace in these areas -- we invite you to join us, to help create a chorus of hope that will sing loudly across the world.

Wherever you are, record 1 minute of birdsong using your phone’s voice memo app or simple recording device, and email it to: vik@wildwomenpress.com

Sheena Graham-george · Vik bird song website

22 March 2025

Listen

We invite you to participate in this collaboration by recording 1 minute of birdsong wherever you are, and sending it to us.

A simple act of hope.

Because whatever is happening, the birds keep singing.

22 June 2025

Composition

The Summer Equinox marks a point when the sun is highest in the Northern Hemisphere. At this time, we will gather all the recordings together to weave them into a collaborative soundscape of birdsong that stretches beyond borders in an expression of resilience and unity.

22 September 2025

Final Concert

The final piece will be shared online and in locations where we can gather to listen and reflect.

Together, we create a chorus of hope.

How to take part

Record one minute of birdsong using your phone’s voice memo app.

Email your recording to vik@wildwomenpress.com

Subject line Birdsong.

Include your location (just city or region, no personal details).

Optional: Share a short note about what the birdsong means to you.

All recordings will be combined into a single sound piece that will be shared online and in public listening spaces worldwide.

Subscribe to Birdsong Newsletter keep in touch with project updates

Requirements for Participants

The project is open to:

-- anyone currently in Ukraine, Russia, Israel, or Palestine (Gaza/Occupied West Bank).

-- anyone who has been displaced due to these conflicts but are now living elsewhere.

-- anyone living elsewhere who is directly affected by these conflicts through family, work or other connections.

-- anyone who stands in solidarity for peace.

You must be able to record 1 minute of birdsong using the voice memo app on your phone or any other simple recording device.

You must be able to email the sound file to vik@wildwomenpress.com (subject line 'Birdsong')

About Bird of Hope

We are an artist and an author living in Orkney. Although we live on an archipelago between the North Sea and the Atlantic, we are connected across the world through the migration of birds who mark the seasons with their arrival and departure. Their song is woven into our daily lives. Yet, in the noise of the world, at this time of uncertainty and conflict, as we bear witness to suffering and pain, it can be hard to hear it and we find ourselves feeling overwhelmed and wondering: what can we do?

At times when things feel hardest, when the loudest voices are ones of destruction and division, it is the small, radical acts of hope we must hold onto, because it is in them that we find strength.

Bird of Hope is an act of collaborative creative resistance.

Our first project Birdsong is launching 22 March 2025.Through the simple act of collective listening, of gathering the voices of birds, and bringing them together in a shared chorus, Birdsong is a reminder that even in the darkest times, hope keeps singing.

Press Pack

About the Artists

Victoria Bennett & Sheena Graham-George

VICTORIA BENNETT

Victoria Bennett is an award-winning writer, creative facilitator, and literary activist is dedicated to building creative spaces that empower people to share their stories. Her creative practice spans poetry, memoir, digital storytelling, and interdisciplinary engagement, with a focus on nature, identity, and creative resilience.

Her debut memoir, All My Wild Mothers: Motherhood, Loss and an Apothecary Garden (John Murray Press, 2023), was recognised with the Nautilus Award for Memoir (2024) and selected as an Aladin ‘Best Book of the 21st Century’. It received the Northern Debut Award for Narrative Non-Fiction, was shortlisted for the Lakeland Book of the Year and The People’s Book Prize and longlisted for the Nan Shepherd Prize for Nature Writing. Her poetry has previously won the Northern Promise Award, Andrew Waterhouse Award and she is a Millennium Awards Fellow for her work in highlighting positive mental health through poetry.

As the founder of Wild Women Press (1999), she has worked to support underrepresented voices, ensuring that literature remains a space of inclusion, discovery and empowerment, championing community-driven literary initiatives that amplify voices and foster connection.

Victoria lives and works in Orkney. Read more..

SHEENA GRAHAM-GEORGE

Sheena Graham-George is a visual artist, researcher and educator conscious of making art accessible often through socially engaged projects. She works in film, alternative photography, text, sound, painting and journeying.

She holds a PhD from Glasgow School of Art and a MFA from Southern Illinois University and has been the recipient of many grants, residencies and prizes including Creative Scotland, The British Association of Irish Studies, Scottish School of Arts & Humanities and was shortlisted for the John Muir Creative Freedom Prize.

Her sound work has been hosted by SARC, Belfast, Radiophrenia, Glasgow, St Magnus Cathedral, Orkney, Dunquin Church, Ireland and Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral. Sheena lives and works on the Orkney Islands.. Read more..

Bird of Hope