Two Hearts 2021 UK/Japan

#TwoHearts…

This ground-breaking project follows profoundly deaf Paralympic medalist Laurentia Tan as she prepares to compete in the 2021 Olympics in Japan.  London-based Singaporean Laurentia and her horse, Sherlock, will be working with a team of deaf musicians, technology specialists, artists, and writers at Audiovisability to explore ways of supporting her full understanding of music.

Laurentia is a Paraylmpic equestrienne medal winner but her scores in the third discipline, Dressage, have always been lower than the other disciplines. Laurentia knows that to improve she must interact with music.

Dressage music specialist and renowned composer, Tom Hunt, will work with Ruth, Laurentia and Dame Evelyn Glennie to create a new track which speaks to the heart of what it is to be a deaf rider. This track will explore the contrasting themes of sound and silence, hearing and deafness, and East and West. Composed with significant deaf input it will truly be a unique piece full of deaf culture.  This track will be performed at the Paralympics and broadcast to a world audience.

Technology will play a key role in supporting Laurentia in achieving her aim of a second medal-winning performance in Tokyo.  Always ones to push boundaries, Audiovisability had to lobby the Paralympic committee to allow Laurentia to wear a Subpac to enable her to follow the music.

This project is kindly funded and supported by
Arts Council England, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Decibels, Deaf Explorer, Eubel Volker at Dressurstall, Lerchenhof , Singapore Sports Institute and SUBPAC.