International Journal of Education & the Arts

Citation: Kenny, A., & Jaber, H. (2025). Hearing and creating soundscapes to explore agency and belonging in intercultural schools. International Journal of Education & the Arts, 25(26). http://doi.org/10.26209/ijea25n26

This article explores the potential of place-based, relational, and collaborative musical practices in school to foster agency and belonging. A soundscape project within two highly diverse Irish primary schools is the focus of the discussion. Employing both qualitative and arts-based methods, data were gathered over a seven-month period from fieldnotes, soundscape compositions, children’s reflective notebooks, audio recordings, photographs, drawings, and focus group interviews. The findings highlight the opportunities for musical agency and belonging in the classroom through the lens of a soundscape project with children. They also highlight missed opportunities and challenges for such agentic and relational experiences. Hence, the discussion illustrates that both hearing and creating soundscapes in school can act as a means to participate with agency, as well as build relationships through socio-musical practices, but such outcomes are not easy to achieve.