Coming Up for Air in [LOCATION]: An Art-Research Initiative Exploring the Critical Effects of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

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.