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In conversation with Bijita Barman Today we’re spotlighting Bijita Barman, one of the artists shaping Two Places at Once. Bijita is a visual storyteller from Dhaka, working across painting, comics, animation, illustration and design. Her practice blends vibrant colour, spirituality, whimsy and personal narrative — using art as a way to process, heal and stay connected to the world around her. For Two Places at Once, Bijita has been thinking about sound as something emotional, embodied and deeply connected to everyday life. From the bells of rickshaws to the rhythm of nature, kitchen sounds, mental noise and the sounds we suppress inside our bodies, her reflections ask us to listen more closely to what is already around us. “I realised I was not in tune with my present sensations, especially my hearing. After my workshops I decided to observe the sounds and noises around me more.” Two Places at Once is a cross-border SoundRoom project connecting Dhaka, London and Gloucester through sound, memory, place and exchange. Created by state of the [art] and BACK Art Foundation @backartfoundation Supported by the British Council @britishcouncilbd #TwoPlacesAtOnce #DhakaSoundRoom #BijitaBarman #BangladeshArtists #DhakaArtists SoundArt VisualStorytelling SoundRoom CrossBorderCollaboration BritishCouncil BACKArtFoundation StateOfTheArt

Meet the Bangladesh artists of Two Places at Once Across Dhaka, these artists are working with sound, memory, climate, migration, ecology, identity, ritual, movement, painting, performance, installation and everyday life. Together with artists in the UK, they are helping us build a shared listening space between Bangladesh, London and Gloucester — a place where stories, textures, atmospheres and lived experiences can travel across distance. Two Places at Once: Soundroom is a headphone-led public installation created by state of the [art] in partnership with BACK Art Foundation @backartfoundation , supported by the British Council @britishcouncilbd and Strike A Light @strikealightfestival More soon on how their work is shaping the Soundroom. #TwoPlacesAtOnce #Soundroom #BangladeshArtists #DhakaArtists #StateOfTheArt BACKArtFoundation BritishCouncil StrikeALight SoundArt ParticipatoryArt InstallationArt ClimateAndCulture Diaspora Migration Memory ContemporaryArt

✨ From Sound to Music. From Technique to Transformation. From Meditation to Healing.✨ The Dhaka Soundroom workshops were more than just a learning series—they were a deep dive into the soul of sonics. We explored the bridge between technical mastery and creative flow, finding the harmony where meditation meets healing. Led by incredible specialists, our community engaged in a participatory journey to investigate sonic impacts in our lives, art, and well-being. By stripping back the layers of noise, we found a much deeper expression waiting underneath. Thank you to @britishcouncilbd and @satorimeditations for hosting these workshops! 🙏🍃 Thank you to our Dhaka Soundroom artists for joined us in this exploration. The resonance continues!✨

Exploring the layers of connection through healing sound and spirit. ✨✨ We are currently immersed in the Dhaka SoundRoom workshop as part of the Two Places at Once project. Our participating artists are exploring unique audio-sensory exchanges, fostering connection and creative resonance between Dhaka and London. A special thanks to @mankeo.limar and @satorimeditations for facilitating this incredible workshop today! ✨🍀 . . Mankeo is a meditation facilitator who works across a range of modalities, including Sound Therapy, Active Meditations, Reiki Healing, Hypnosis, Tai Chi & Qi Gong, Theta Healing, and Breath-work. Her approach is rooted in creating grounded, supportive spaces where individuals can explore their inner landscapes with awareness and curiosity. Through this process of observation and experience, for participants what unfolds is clarity, balance, and a more open relationship with themselves, allowing internal barriers to gradually soften. . . "Two Places at Once" is a cross-border Soundroom project that connects Dhaka and London.

✨ Connecting Dhaka + London Through Sound We are diving into the workshop for the participating artists of Dhaka SoundRoom! We are honored to have Nahid Masud, an accomplished educator and sound designer, facilitating this workshop Today. 🎧 This session is a core part of Two Places at Once, a cross-border soundroom project designed to explore audio sensory exchange and connection across cities. This project is made possible through the support of the British Council, State of the Art, and Back Art Foundation. Stay tuned for more updates as our artists dive into this immersive sound journey! 🌏✨

✨ Two Places at Once: Dhaka SoundRoom ✨ Today we embarked on a unique sonic journey! 🎧 We’re thrilled to have hosted an immersive skill-sharing workshop at the British Council, Dhaka✨ Facilitated by the brilliant Jannatul Ferdous, Assistant Professor at the Department of Music, University of Chittagong. As part of the "Two Places at Once" cross-border project, we are exploring the invisible threads that connect the soundscapes of Dhaka + London. 🇧🇩🇬🇧 This is just the beginning of the Soundroom's evolution! Stay tuned for updates and glimpses of our sonic explorations.

"We’re here, and also somewhere else." We’re excited to share the 'Name' of selected artists for “Two Places at Once: Soundroom” 🎧 Bringing together voices from Dhaka and London, this project explores how sound can carry memory, distance, and presence—holding multiple places at once. ✨ Selected Artists For Dhaka Soundroom : Ahmed Ayman Jarif Ahsana Angona Anandita Khan Artina Mumtarin Bijita Barman Faiza Fairooz Jarin Chakma Mubtasim Alvee Naznin Ahmed Nodi Judith Gomes Partha Sen Gupta Suman Biswas For London Soundroom: Iftikhar Latif Juice Cui Lauren Scott Mercedes White This is just the beginning. A space will form, connections will travel. Stay with us as the Soundroom unfolds. #twoplacesatonce #soundroom #stateoftheart #backartfoundation #britishcouncil

Deadline Extended 23rd FEB 2026 TWO PLACE AT ONCE A Cross-Border Soundroom Project Dhaka + London Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh Project Timeline: March – May 2026

APPLY SOON ! Deadline: 16 FEB 2026 Bangladeshi Artists 18-30 age

Open Call: BD Artists (Ages 18–30) TWO PLACE AT ONCE A Cross-Border Sound-room Project Location: Dhaka, BANGLADESH Project Timeline: March – May 2026 1. About the Project Two Places at Once is an international sound and storytelling collaboration connecting artists and communities in Dhaka and London. Through this project, we will collectively create “Sound-rooms” — living-room–style listening spaces installed in public parks — where sound becomes a medium to explore climate, memory, migration, healing, and belonging. We are inviting ten early-career, Bangladesh-based artists to take part in shaping and realizing the Dhaka Sound-room. Selected artists will be involved from the beginning: co-designing the project, participating in experimental workshops, and creating original sound-based works that will be presented as a public installation. This opportunity is open to artists from all disciplines and backgrounds. You do not need prior experience in sound design or audio production. We welcome practitioners working in visual arts, performance, theatre, poetry, music, digital storytelling, dance, film, and related fields — anyone who is curious, collaborative, and willing to explore new tools and ways of working. Two Places at Once is both a creative and a learning-oriented process. It offers space for experimentation, skill-building, and exchange, supporting artists to develop new approaches to sound, storytelling, and public engagement while contributing their own voice and practice to the project. 2. Selected Artists will receive: Honorarium: 20,000 BDT per artist + Other Supports 3. Eligibility We are looking for: ● Bangladeshi Artists aged 18–30 ● Open to working with sound, storytelling, and socially engaged practice 4. Key Dates ● Deadline to Apply: 16 February 2026 ● Artist Selection Announced: 23 February 2026 5. How to Apply Please send the following: A) A short-written statement (max 300 words) B) A short CV C) Your 10 artworks (image, video, audio clips) Please upload required materials on google drive, and share the link to this email: [email protected] Deadline: Sunday 16 February 2026 at 11:59pm @britishcouncilbd @stateassuch

Upcoming..... Dhaka Live Art Biennale | 2025 | D'LAB 28 November – 07 December Venues: University of Dhaka and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy

OPEN CALL : WORKSHOP PARTICIPATION ‘DHAKA LIVE ART BIENNALE | D'LAB 2025’ Workshops on PERFORMANCE ART Application Deadline : 18th November 2025 * Open for only Bangladeshi participants Workshop dates: 29th NOV - 5th DEC Venue: Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (To get the application guideline (Google Form) please click on the link below.) /.../1FAIpQLSeF0vHdR0pA0R.../viewform