Footy culture
Sep 18, 2020, 12:40 PM
Swansea beach rugby reimagined by Henry Reese.
"Both Australia and Wales are host to a brawny football culture. All too often, this is a world of toxic masculinity, violence and exclusion. But within this culture there is also space for community, growth and diversity.
"I wanted to bring the macho sounds of the beach rugby of Swansea into conversation with a more inclusive soundscape — that of the annual Pride Week match in the women's league of Australian rules football (AFLW). This match took place at Whitten Oval in Footscray, Melbourne on 22 February 2020.
"Like the athletic bodies of the footy players, the sounds of the beaches of Swansea are warped and twisted and mixed into the earthy world of the AFLW.
"I recorded a special moment. We hear the warm sounds of a diverse community using sport as a vehicle for family and community, as well as my friends gently teasing me about my eccentric field recording kit, joining an irreverent conversation on both sides of the microphone.
"I was part of the crowd like everybody else. It was a peaceful Saturday afternoon, and I wanted to do this sunny moment justice. This piece is intended as a gentle tonic to hypermasculine footy culture."
"Both Australia and Wales are host to a brawny football culture. All too often, this is a world of toxic masculinity, violence and exclusion. But within this culture there is also space for community, growth and diversity.
"I wanted to bring the macho sounds of the beach rugby of Swansea into conversation with a more inclusive soundscape — that of the annual Pride Week match in the women's league of Australian rules football (AFLW). This match took place at Whitten Oval in Footscray, Melbourne on 22 February 2020.
"Like the athletic bodies of the footy players, the sounds of the beaches of Swansea are warped and twisted and mixed into the earthy world of the AFLW.
"I recorded a special moment. We hear the warm sounds of a diverse community using sport as a vehicle for family and community, as well as my friends gently teasing me about my eccentric field recording kit, joining an irreverent conversation on both sides of the microphone.
"I was part of the crowd like everybody else. It was a peaceful Saturday afternoon, and I wanted to do this sunny moment justice. This piece is intended as a gentle tonic to hypermasculine footy culture."