Sound and Vision Event

28 High Street, Leighton Buzzard | Drop-in and ticketed events throughout the day

Curated by Fiona Garden of South Side Studios, SOUND / VISION invites visitors into a one-day exploration of sound, vision and sensation at the Co Lab, part of the Culture Co:LB summer activation transforming the former Wilko building at 28 High Street, Leighton Buzzard.

The event brings together internationally recognised artists, local collaborators and immersive installation work in a space like no other. With its original sound system, vast shop floor and haunting acoustics, the former Wilko offers a rare and resonant setting for creative listening, community gathering and sensorial rest.

At the heart of the experience is a fabric and light installation by international textile designer Susie Carlino, transforming a blank, everyday retail unit into an extraordinary sensory environment. Suspended textiles and shifting light reshape the space, creating a distinct atmosphere for deep listening, reflection and shared presence. The installation serves as the backdrop and foundation for the day’s sound-based programme.

The day features:

A sound bath by Sky and Sound held within the installation.

Using crystal bowls, gongs, chimes, drums and percussion, in Sound Serotonin, practitioner Stacey Tang  invites you to completely switch off and let healing vibrations do all the work. Some gentle breathwork and movement will help open your body to receive the sound more deeply — no experience needed. 

Between sound bath sessions, the space becomes a listening chamber for Marco Parisi’s 2021 ambient album [untitled], played in full twice through the original Wilko sound system. Parisi, one half of the internationally acclaimed Parisi Brothers and a Leighton Buzzard resident, offers a rare chance to experience an ambient work as it was intended — spacious, layered and site-specific.

In the early evening, Imogen Heap’s latest video project, directed by Daria Korsak, will premiere at the Co Lab, followed by a live Q&A with the director. A second screening will take place later in the evening. The night may close with a DJ set (TBC), inviting visitors to stay, connect and linger within the transformed space.