Matthew Sumner- MA Sound Design
GINi
I am a sound designer and creative working across soundscapes, music and immersive experiences. My practice explores how sound can create atmosphere, place and emotional connection, often combining detailed audio design with visual and interactive elements.
My current work in progress, GINi, is an immersive natural instrument exploring our relationship with the natural world through sound, movement and interaction. Using simple hand gestures, the instrument transforms movement into a living soundscape of wind, rain, birds and other natural environments. The project explores how interactive sound can encourage us to slow down, listen and become more aware of our surroundings. Reconnecting with the natural environment and the idea that the Earth has a voice of its own.
Alongside interactive work, I create detailed and dynamic soundscapes that build convincing audio worlds and atmospheres. I also write instrumental music for film and television, with a particular interest in atmosphere, emotion and musical storytelling. My practice extends into exhibition and gallery environments, where I have experience considering how sound can be shaped for a physical space and experienced by an audience.
My work is supported by a wider interest in sound theory and critical research. I have explored sound design principles in film and television, including how intentionally ambiguous breaks between a film's world and its audience can influence perception and immersion, as well as the relationship between echoic sound, memory and nostalgia. This research informs my practical approach, encouraging me to consider not only how sound is created, but how it is experienced, interpreted and remembered by an audience.