Part of UCL's programme for The Music Is Black Festival from East Bank, the event responds to the themes of The Music Is Black: A British Story, the inaugural exhibition at V&A East. Inspired by the exhibition's immersive use of sound to connect visitors with the stories, histories, and people behind Black British music, The Urban Listening Room extends these ideas through moving from individual to collective listening and spatial audio.

Hosted in the Black Box at UCL East Marshgate, the programme transforms the space into a shared listening environment. Audiences will experience a sequence of original compositions created by students from the Designing Audio Experiences MA, using spatial audio, field recordings and performance to explore how sound is encountered and interpreted collectively.

A drinks reception will follow the programme, offering an opportunity to meet contributors and continue conversations around sound, listening and spatial practice.