A guided listening experience exploring language, grief, circular time, and acceptance through Jóhann Jóhannsson's ‘Arrival’ (2016) score.
Join us for an intimate two-hour journey through first contact, where voices without words, low drones, and returning motifs make understanding audible before it becomes clear. Jóhannsson lets communication emerge slowly from texture while memory and future begin to fold into one another.
Listen for unfamiliar sounds starting to carry meaning and for motifs returning changed. As private grief and global consequence enter the same musical space, ask whether knowing an ending changes the value of choosing the experience.
The experience
Connect, relax and quietly settle in with 30 other guests in the intimate and comfortable surroundings of the Margate Arts Club.
Rather than watching the film, we’ll listen to the score as a story. Expect a focused soundtrack listen, minimal non-distracting visuals and text to set context, and a relaxed discussion about how music gives form to language, grief, circular time and acceptance on screen.
For Arrival fans, soundtrack lovers, film fans, DJs, selectors and anyone interested in intentional listening.
The venue
The Margate Arts Club is a joyful, DIY, inclusive, intersectional, community organisation running since 2015. They have a world class sound system, set up with a nod to David Mancuso’s audiophile loft parties. Welcoming and friendly.
Program:
7:30pm - 7:45pm - get settled, grab a drink and meet the other guests.
7:45pm - 7:50pm - short intro from event host.
7:50pm - 8:20 - Guided listening experience - Part 1
8:20pm - 8:30pm - Interlude and share your thoughs.
8:30pm - 9:00pm - Guided listening experience - Part 2
9:00pm - 9:30pm - discuss, connect and share.
Exclusive post-event channel
Post-event all guests will also have access to an exclusive 'Identity | Memories of Being Human ' Discord channel where you can continue the discussion with other guests for 7 days.
About us
Socialcreatures is a small team of creatives, musicians, audiophiles, technologists and therapists who create guided music listening events.
We create smaller connected experiences for 30-60 people. We use intentional listening and often explore the psychological themes within music and their therapeutic benefits. We focus on artist curated music so albums, film scores and other experimental forms.