Through My Eyes: Round Up

Immersive sound experience connects audiences through stories of migration and belonging

Audiences gathered at Devil’s Point over the weekend for Moimi Oczami / Through My Eyes, a powerful immersive audio experience that invited people to pause, listen and reflect on stories of migration, motherhood and belonging while overlooking Plymouth Sound.

Originally scheduled for two performances, demand for the event was so high that an additional 3.30pm performance was added after the first 11am experience sold out and the 1.30pm performance quickly reached capacity. The additional performance welcomed even more people to experience the work.

Commissioned and produced by Plymouth Culture as part of Sea for Yourself, Moimi Oczami / Through My Eyes was created by artists Agnieszka Blonska and Tori Cannell, with sound design by Ciaran Clarke, in collaboration with first generation Polish mothers living in Plymouth. Through a series of workshops, the women shared memories, stories and reflections that were woven together with the sounds of the sea to create a contemplative audio experience unlike any other.

Seated overlooking Plymouth Sound and listening through wireless headphones, audiences experienced the work as life continued around them. The movement of gig rowing boats across the water, the changing light and the natural sounds of the coastline became an extension of the performance itself, creating a collective experience that could only have happened in that place, at that moment.

Audience feedback highlighted the lasting impact of the experience, with many describing it as moving, thought provoking and deeply personal.

One audience member said: “The hidden voices and stories in the city are really important.”

Another reflected on how the work changed their own relationship with the city: “I’m not from Plymouth and don’t always feel I belong so I could really relate to the stories and feelings. It has helped me to see Plymouth in a different light and maybe try to enjoy it more than I have been.”

Others described the experience as “beautiful” and “humbling”, praising the storytelling, soundscape and the opportunity to hear voices that are not always heard.

One attendee wrote: “The celebration of migrant voices, of individual voices and stories that celebrate humanity rather than difference. As a relative newcomer to Plymouth and having at times found its people a little hostile to me, this event has made me feel a little less alone.”

The project also left a lasting impact on the women whose stories shaped the installation, creating space to reflect on identity, motherhood and the experience of building a new life in Plymouth.

Participant Karolina Garghouti-Blicharz said: “Taking part in this project was deeply meaningful to me. It created a space to explore what matrescence means when motherhood is shaped by the experience of migration – a perspective that is still rarely visible in public conversations.

I hope audiences were able to connect with some of our stories and reflect on what it feels like to build a life in a new place, to arrive as a stranger, and gradually put down roots in a community that becomes home.

Sharing this journey alongside such an inspiring group of women made the experience even more special.”

Participant Jagoda Grzonkowska added: “I’d like to say it was a very moving experience. Being able to be heard, knowing that my voice matters and can change someone’s perspective, even just a little, is priceless.”

Agnieszka Blonska reflected on the residency: “The last few months working on Moimi Oczami / Through My Eyes were filled with the recognition of how complex an experience of motherhood and migration is. It’s been deeply transformative personally and creatively. Sitting alongside audiences on Saturday listening to the voices of Polish mothers while watching the ocean and boats passing by, reminded us how important it is to hear one another; to stop in our busy lives, pause and listen, and dream together of the world in which we can coexist while embracing our differences.”

Tori Cannell added: “It was really moving to share the work with an audience and the mums who made it with us. The sea was a powerful, living backdrop to stories of motherhood, belonging and migration. I’m really grateful to everyone involved and to Plymouth Culture for their support. We’re looking forward to what comes next, and we’ve already been talking with the mums about plans for the piece and are excited about where it might go from here.”

The project forms part of Sea for Yourself, Plymouth Culture’s long term creative programme exploring our relationship with the sea through art, storytelling and digital innovation.

While the live performances have now concluded, Plymouth Culture is continuing to gather audience feedback to help evaluate the residency and explore future opportunities for Moimi Oczami / Through My Eyes to reach new audiences.

Anyone who experienced the installation and has not yet completed the short feedback survey is encouraged to do so via the Sea for Yourself website.

Moimi Oczami / Through My Eyes was commissioned and produced by Plymouth Culture for Sea for Yourself, in partnership with Plymouth Sound National Marine Park and Plymouth City Council. The programme development and delivery is supported by The Box, Real Ideas, Arts University Plymouth, University of Plymouth and Theatre Royal Plymouth. Sea for Yourself is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England Place Partnership Fund and Plymouth City Council.