What is nature if you cannot see it? How high is the cedar tree when the eyes cannot climb its boughs? What sounds that gather around you in the blue dawn of a summer morning?
Nature Unseen is a powerful new event developed by University of Sussex researchers and artists, featured in the official Brighton Festival 2025 programme. And you can experience a snippet of it – right now, wherever you are – through sound.
At the heart of the event is an immersive soundscape capturing the sensory richness of Wakehurst’s wild botanic garden, home to the Millennium Seed Bank. Created by sound artist and composer Chris Sciacca, the composition draws from field recordings and lived experiences shared by a group of sight-impaired collaborators.
Led by Dr Karis Jade Petty, Assistant Professor in Anthropology, the project explores new ways of connecting with the natural world beyond the visual – inviting us to engage through touch, texture, memory, and sound.
Now, you’re invited to pause, listen, and step into that same soundscape.
Whether you're walking through campus, sitting on the bus, or curled up at home – take a few minutes to explore nature as you’ve never heard it before.
Nature Unseen, Chris Sciacca, Wakehurst 1:
Nature Unseen, Chris Sciacca, Wakehurst 2:
Nature Unseen, Chris Sciacca, Crunching Pinecones: