Coming Up for Air in [LOCATION]: An art-research initiative exploring the critical effects of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

Description

Coming Up for Air IN [LOCATION] is an ongoing art-research initiative led by Kathryn Williams and
Bofan Ma, a duo of practice-researchers who equally share roles as composers and performers. The
initiative explores the intersection of music, technology, and environmental health, with a focus on
interdisciplinary and intermedia musical practices shaped by the critical effects of indoor air quality
(IAQ). Specifically, it integrates live performance with interactive installations, using real-time IAQ
data to generate sound and visuals from invisible particulates in the air within an indoor
environment.

The initiative is driven by a timely and crucial question: What and who is changing our air today?
Building on Williams’ solo project Coming Up for Air (2017–present, inspired by her experiences with
chronic respiratory conditions), the duo aims to position IAQ as both a critical access need for those
with respiratory conditions and a basic human right. Through artistic practice, they strive to bring
attention to indoor air pollution - one of the most significant contributors to premature deaths
globally, as identified by the World Health Organization. They are dedicated to exploring artistic
responses to this often-overlooked issue and its impact on health and well-being.

Phase 1 of the initiative took place in summer 2024 in the Rossendale Valley in North West England,
where Williams and Ma partnered with local arts venues, primary schools, and IoT Horizon Ltd. – a
leader in digital transformation through Internet of Things solutions. These partnerships enabled the
duo to have secured access to mobile IAQ sensors and an advanced dashboard API for real-time data
collection and data-informed artistic processes. This 6-month phase culminated in a series of
educational outreach activities with local Key Stage 2 primary school pupils, as well as 8 interactive
performance-installations premiered at the community-facing Waterfoot Wakes Festival 2024.

In this presentation, Williams and Ma will reflect on their experience bringing Phase 1 of Coming Up
for Air in [LOCATION] to fruition. Specifically, they will discuss a new model of artistic research that
revolves around knowledge exchange collaborations, bringing together arts practitioners, private
sector digital innovators, higher education institutions, and the local community. They will also
discuss their plans to further these research directions, and existing / potential challenges around
this novel interdisciplinary approach, as they continue to advocate for critical respiratory health
access through music-making and the creative arts.

Period	4 Apr 2025
Event title	European Platform for Artistic Research in Music (EPARM) 2025
Event type	Conference
Location	Tallinn, EstoniaShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International