Susanne Olbrich joins the Glasgow branch of Contemporary Music for All to launch the Centre for Deep Listening’s book ‘A Year Of Deep Listening’ celebrating the art of Deep Listening and the legacy of pioneering composer Pauline Oliveros. The book contains one text score for every day of the year and explores the full breadth of the practices that Pauline developed.

Deep Listening supports creativity in art and life, plus it’s a lot of fun. It is for musicians as well as for participants from other disciplines and interests. Everyone who enjoys sounds and silence, relaxation, exploration and creative play is welcome.

We will have a presentation from Susanne on Pauline’s work, the ongoing legacy of Deep Listening, and her own journey with the practice. This will be followed by Q&A, and then a short practical workshop before finishing up for our full-day workshop the next day.

Copies of the book will be available (cash pament only).

Date & time: Friday 24 October, 6.30-9pm, light refreshments provided.

Venue: Listen Gallery, Glasgow

Fee: Free, but booking is essential due to limited capacity

Registration: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-year-of-deep-listening-book-launch-with-coma-glasgow-tickets-1780758118469

Deep Listening supports creativity in art and life, plus it’s a lot of fun. It is for musicians as well as for participants from other disciplines and interests. Everyone who enjoys sounds and silence, relaxation, exploration and creative play is welcome.

There’s more to listening than meets the ear. In this immersive workshop we will explore Deep Listening®, a practice developed by visionary composer and performer Pauline Oliveros. At the heart of it is training our awareness of sound by paying close attention to sounds in a number of ways. We take time to really listen: to the sounds around us, the sounds within us, and the soundscapes we will produce together. We can become ‘full-body listeners’ We listen together with open ears and form a community of listeners. Together, we respond to what we hear with our own creative sounding, guided by Deep Listening pieces designed for discovery, exploration and sonic adventures.

A large body of Deep Listening exercises and sound pieces evolved since the 1970s. Practices we will draw on include sonic meditations, interactive performance, bodywork, listening to ambient sounds, to our own thoughts and imagination, and listening to listening itself. We will play Deep Listening pieces by Pauline Oliveros and others, using our voice in ways that feels comfortable and natural. We will also use the instruments you bring, as well as found objects. We cultivate a heightened awareness of the sonic environment, both external and internal, and take time for experimentation, improvisation, collaboration and playfulness, while building our creative skills.

Date & time: Saturday 25 October, 10am-5pm (includes a one-hour lunch break 1-2pm)

Venue: Listen Gallery, Glasgow

Fee: £27.50 (some concessions available)

Booking and info: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/deep-listening-a-creative-sound-practice-for-all-tickets-1780449003899

Landart © Dietmar Voorwold, https://www.landart-creations.com

“In each one of us is an artist. The artist is very important. The artist can bring freshness, joy, and meaning to life.” 
 Thich Nhat Hanh

We all have seeds of creativity inside, and during this retreat we will water them. Together, we’ll explore ‘play’ as one of the four pillars of Plum Village practice. As we come home to the present moment and allow body and mind to relax, the natural world will become our teacher and guide. Through creative explorations indoors and outdoors we’ll nourish qualities of openness, aimlessness, aliveness and connection.

At the height of summer, nature is inviting us to come out and play! What a wonderful time of year to come home to the present moment and connect with the Earth through mindfulness and creativity. This retreat invites you to rediscover your innate creative flow through meditation, nature immersion, and playful exploration.

Slowing down through mindful breathing, sitting and walking opens doors to our natural creativity. You’ll have time  to experiment with colours, sounds, words, and materials from the natural world. Time to explore, to play, and to be surprised by what emerges.

Thich Nhat Hanh encouraged us to embrace the energies of creativity and play as part of our practice. Mindfulness and creative exploration have a lot in common, they reach beyond words and touch the heart. They benefit from curiosity, beginner’s mind and non-judgment. Creativity supports our mindfulness, and mindfulness nurtures our creativity.

In our time together, embodied mindfulness practices, nature immersion and creative exercises help us touch the heart and source of our creative energy. We will listen deeply to the sounds of nature around, the creative stirrings within and the pieces we create together and individually. Along the way, we might meet our inner child with its playfulness, innocence and wisdom, and we might also meet our inner critic. This is a precious chance to befriend them both and to uncover their gifts.
Playfulness and ease are an essential part of our creative journey together. Meditation, gentle movement, deep relaxation, creative exploration, songs, humming, toning, deep listening, sharing circles and plenty of time outdoors will all be part of this retreat.

Date: 7-12 August 2026

Venue: Being Peace Practice Center, Abenhall, Gloucestershire

Booking and info: Registration opens 24 February

For a free download of Susanne’s chapter, please contact her.

Price: eBook £9.75 (worldwide), paperback £24.75 including p&p (UK only). All proceeds go to the Everyone Project, helping fund mindfulness courses to groups who otherwise wouldn’t have access to them, for financial or other reasons.

Available here: Please email Vin Harris, .