Overview
This project investigates how the soundscapes of coastal religious and heritage sites shape spiritual experience, cultural identity and community wellbeing. Combining acoustics, spiritual studies, environmental humanities, and heritage theory, the PhD explores how people “live well with water” and how sonic heritage can support resilience in changing coastal environments.
About this opportunity
Coastal and estuarine communities in the UK have long been defined by their relationship with water. Religious and heritage sites located on tidal rivers, estuaries and shorelines function as places of reflection, identity and continuity – yet they are increasingly exposed to environmental pressures, erosion and social change. While heritage studies often prioritise the visual and material, this project focuses on sound as a vital but understudied dimension of how people experience, remember and derive meaning from coastal sacred spaces. Bells carried across an estuary, the resonance of wind within a stone nave, or the shifting rhythm of waves can evoke spirituality, belonging and emotional wellbeing. Understanding these sonic environments is essential for preserving intangible heritage and for supporting communities confronted with water-related change.
This PhD investigates how the soundscapes of coastal religious sites shape spiritual and affective experience, and how digital reconstructions of these environments can contribute to heritage preservation and community resilience. It approaches spirituality as embodied, relational and often non-doctrinal – emerging through sensory engagement with place. Bringing together environmental acoustics, spiritual studies, environmental humanities, and heritage theory, the project offers an interdisciplinary framework for listening to the coast as both a cultural and ecological environment.
A mixed-methods, interdisciplinary design will combine scientific and qualitative approaches:
- Site selection: Three to four coastal or tidal-river religious or heritage sites (e.g. in Merseyside or East Yorkshire) will be selected.
- Field recording and acoustic analysis: Environmental and architectural sounds will be recorded using spatial microphones and measured for acoustic properties such as reverberation, background noise and spectral characteristics.
- Soundwalks and interviews: Local residents, visitors and faith communities will be invited to participate in soundwalks and interviews exploring how they perceive and interpret the auditory environment. The analysis will employ a phenomenological approach, using phenomenological reflections to identify the essential nature of people’s spiritual and emotional connections to coastal heritage sites as shaped by sound.
- 3D modelling and auralisation: This project will create 3D models and immersive aural reconstructions to simulate and share the acoustic heritage of these sites.
- Laboratory experiment: VR experiments will be carried out to investigate the impacts of soundscape on people’s psych-physiological responses. These quantitative data will be integrated with qualitative data to understand how sonic experience supports spirituality and wellbeing.
The project will be co-supervised by Dr Pyoung-Jik Lee (University of Liverpool) and Professor Rina Arya (University of Hull). Dr Lee is an expert in environmental acoustics and psychoacoustics, focusing on how sound influences perception and wellbeing. Professor Arya specialises in religious and material culture, exploring intersections of spirituality, art and embodiment. Together, they offer complementary expertise spanning science, humanities and creative practice. The student will benefit from cross-disciplinary training in acoustics, cultural theory, digital heritage, and community engagement.
The project will produce new understanding of how sound mediates spirituality and wellbeing in water-shaped environments and will demonstrate the value of sensory heritage in supporting adaptation to environmental change.
This project is offered as part of The AHRC-NERC Living Well with Water [LWwW] Doctoral Focal Award at the University’s of Hull and Liverpool, in partnership with National Trust, Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) and Tate Liverpool. By applying for one of our fully funded interdisciplinary doctoral awards you will explore the relationship between water, culture and community in coastal regions and become part of a new generation of researchers shaping solutions to urgent human and planetary health challenges.
You will participate in our innovative doctoral training programme, undertake a placement with one of our partner organisations, and learn research skills transferable to a variety of future careers.
https://www.hull.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/funded-opportunities/living-well-with-water