Listening Across Borders - Paul Nataraj at D6
D6 is delighted to welcome artist Paul Nataraj back to the North East as part of Contested Desires: Constructive Dialogues – an international programme exploring Europe’s colonial past through collaboration with artists, communities and cultural organisations.
Paul returns following residencies in Budapest and Lisbon, bringing his international research into dialogue with local histories and communities. An acclaimed sound artist, his work invites deep listening to explore memory, migration and identity.
At D6, Paul continues his ongoing collaboration with Sangini, a Black and minoritised women‑led community arts project based in South Shields, building on work recently presented at the Great North Museum: Hancock (July 2025) and The Late Shows at D6 (May 2026).
Drawing on exchanges with the intercultural community group MIRA during his residency at Pro Progressione in Budapest, We Sound Each Other wove together intimate sonic fragments – songs, poems and spoken memories – with recordings of political speech and right-wing rhetoric. The result is a powerful composition that holds tension between narratives of division and moments of solidarity, reflecting both local and transnational experiences.
Across the wider programme, Paul has developed a distinctive practice that combines sound, installation and participatory methodologies. In Lisbon, working with the National Museum of Natural History and Science (MUHNAC), he created Good Hope Solidarity Score, a triptych combining sound, installation and sculptural elements. Referencing the museum’s herbarium and Vasco da Gama’s 1499 voyage to Goa, the work critically engaged with colonial histories through an open call, generating a collective sound piece shaped by multiple voices.
The residency marks an exciting new phase in this ongoing work, deepening Paul’s collaborations in the region while continuing to connect the North East to a wider international network of artists, communities and institutions engaged in rethinking shared histories through collective practice.
Paul says: “I'm delighted to be back in the North East and have the opportunity to continue my collaboration with D6 and Sangini. The time I spent with them last summer was inspirational and such a joy, so I'm excited to be here to develop these conversations and collaborative making.”
Join us in conversation with Paul
Wednesday 15 July, 10am - 1pm
The Customs House, Mill Dam, South Shields, NE33 1ES
We're delighted that Paul will join Ziza for a public event of shared work and dialogue with artists from Contested Desires, revealing untold stories in the North East shaped by colonialism, alongside contributions from Sangini, African Lives in Northern England and North East of England African and Caribbean Community Association.
More information coming soon.
Find out more about Contested Desires here.
Image credits: 1-2. Paul Nataraj, We Sound Each Other (detail). Photos: Amelia Read; 3-4. Paul Nataraj, Good Hope Solidarity Score, The Late Shows. Photos: Von Fox Promotions; 5. Contested Desires conference. Photo: Amelia Read; 6-7. Paul Nataraj, We Sound Each Other (detail and exhibition view) Photos: Matt Denham and Amelia Read.
Paul returns following residencies in Budapest and Lisbon, bringing his international research into dialogue with local histories and communities. An acclaimed sound artist, his work invites deep listening to explore memory, migration and identity.
At D6, Paul continues his ongoing collaboration with Sangini, a Black and minoritised women‑led community arts project based in South Shields, building on work recently presented at the Great North Museum: Hancock (July 2025) and The Late Shows at D6 (May 2026).
Drawing on exchanges with the intercultural community group MIRA during his residency at Pro Progressione in Budapest, We Sound Each Other wove together intimate sonic fragments – songs, poems and spoken memories – with recordings of political speech and right-wing rhetoric. The result is a powerful composition that holds tension between narratives of division and moments of solidarity, reflecting both local and transnational experiences.
Across the wider programme, Paul has developed a distinctive practice that combines sound, installation and participatory methodologies. In Lisbon, working with the National Museum of Natural History and Science (MUHNAC), he created Good Hope Solidarity Score, a triptych combining sound, installation and sculptural elements. Referencing the museum’s herbarium and Vasco da Gama’s 1499 voyage to Goa, the work critically engaged with colonial histories through an open call, generating a collective sound piece shaped by multiple voices.
The residency marks an exciting new phase in this ongoing work, deepening Paul’s collaborations in the region while continuing to connect the North East to a wider international network of artists, communities and institutions engaged in rethinking shared histories through collective practice.
Paul says: “I'm delighted to be back in the North East and have the opportunity to continue my collaboration with D6 and Sangini. The time I spent with them last summer was inspirational and such a joy, so I'm excited to be here to develop these conversations and collaborative making.”
Join us in conversation with Paul
Wednesday 15 July, 10am - 1pm
The Customs House, Mill Dam, South Shields, NE33 1ES
We're delighted that Paul will join Ziza for a public event of shared work and dialogue with artists from Contested Desires, revealing untold stories in the North East shaped by colonialism, alongside contributions from Sangini, African Lives in Northern England and North East of England African and Caribbean Community Association.
More information coming soon.
Find out more about Contested Desires here.
Image credits: 1-2. Paul Nataraj, We Sound Each Other (detail). Photos: Amelia Read; 3-4. Paul Nataraj, Good Hope Solidarity Score, The Late Shows. Photos: Von Fox Promotions; 5. Contested Desires conference. Photo: Amelia Read; 6-7. Paul Nataraj, We Sound Each Other (detail and exhibition view) Photos: Matt Denham and Amelia Read.
