ISA SUÁREZ
PACA_ Artist In Residence 2025
15 oct – 5 nov 2025
Originally from the Basque region and a classically trained musician, Isa Suárez is a London based composer and performer with over 15 years experience, making site-specific, participatory artworks, installations and soundtracks for performance and film.
My works stem from my passion for how music and sound can impact feelings and respond to nature and the human condition. My focus is to articulate diverse lived experiences and bring together new dialogues, musical techniques and audiences often designed with community input. From my various experiences working with adults in critical need, I am fascinated with how sounds from nature and music resonate and impact human emotions.
I have created numerous projects that explore human rights, ecology and mental health through crossart forms-installations, performance, audio-walks, songs and film soundtracks often devised with community input, – born of partnerships and collaborations with numerous artists, musicians, vulnerable groups and grassroots organizations, NGO’s. Collaborations and commissions include: Ackroyd Harvey, Artangel, Amnesty International, Greenpeace, People United, WarChild; Camberwell Arts, CoolTan Arts; Arlington House; St Mungo’s; The London Contemporary Chamber Orchestra, The Marsyas Trio Ensemble; Musicians from The English National Opera, SouthBank Sinfonia; Inner Vision Ensemble, Transglobal Underground…
Key to my practice is collaboration and participation. I have worked with Syrian refugees living in camps in Lebanon in My Dreams for tomorrow/2019; with township choir the New Teenagers Gospel Choir for my project Taxi Voices, Cycling Voices, Cape Town Art Biennale, SouthAfrica/2013-2009; The Kaos Signing Choir for Deaf and Hearing Children (the London 2012 World Olympics Opening ceremony choir) (Artangel/2014); the Human Rights Jukebox, London/2012-07
Her compositions have been broadcast, performed and released worldwide on radio, television and online. Her works have been exhibited at Tate Britain, Barbican, Whitechapel Art Gallery, South London Gallery, MAC/ UK; Berlin and Cape Town Art Biennales… Discography includes three albums and tracks released on numerous compilations in the UK and worldwide.
Artist residencies: Elan Links (2022) Rayader – Wales/UK – Arts Council Wales; Neighbourhood Commission (2015) Arts Council England ‘s People Places Funded project – Barking&Dagenham/UK; International Fellowship (2008) award by Arts Council England and The National Lottery, Cape Town/ ZA; Southwark Artist residency (2007 – 2006), Arts, Council England, Southwark Council, London/UK;Domaine d’Abbadia (2002) – National Coastal Protected Area, The French Ministry of Culture and The Regional Environmental department, Hendaye, France.
ISA SUÁREZ
De origen vasco y formación musical clásica, Isa Suárez es una compositora e intérprete afincada en Londres con más de 15 años de experiencia en la creación de obras de arte participativas, instalaciones y bandas sonoras para performances y películas atravesadas por su interés en la ecología y los derechos humanos.
Mis obras nacen de mi pasión por cómo la música y el sonido pueden influir en los sentimientos y responder a la naturaleza y la condición humana. Mi objetivo es articular las diferentes experiencias vividas componiendo nuevos diálogos, técnicas musicales y audiencias, a menudo diseñadas a través de procesos comunitarios. A partir de diversas experiencias de trabajo con adultos en situaciones de vulnerabilidad, me fascina cómo los sonidos de la naturaleza y la música resuenan y repercuten en las emociones humanas.
Isa Suárez ha creado numerosos proyectos que exploran los derechos humanos, la ecología y la salud mental a través de diversas formas artísticas -instalaciones, performances, paseos sonoros, canciones y bandas sonoras de películas, a menudo concebidas con la participación de las comunidades interpeladas-, proyectos nacidos gracias a colaboraciones con artistas, músicos, grupos vulnerables y organizaciones de base, ONG.
Entre sus colaboraciones y encargos se incluyen: Ackroyd Harvey, Artangel, Amnistía Internacional, Greenpeace, People United, WarChild; Camberwell Arts, CoolTan Arts; Arlington House; St Mungo’s; The London Contemporary Chamber Orchestra, The Marsyas Trio Ensemble; Músicos de The English National Opera, SouthBank Sinfonia; Inner Vision Ensemble, Transglobal Underground…
«La colaboración y la participación son la clave de mi trabajo. He trabajado con refugiados sirios que viven en campamentos en el Líbano en My Dreams for tomorrow/2019; con el coro del municipio New Teenagers Gospel Choir para mi proyecto Taxi Voices, Cycling Voices, Cape Town Art Biennale, SouthAfrica/2013-2009; The Kaos Signing Choir for Deaf and Hearing Children (coro de la ceremonia de apertura de los Juegos Olímpicos de Londres 2012) (Artangel/2014); the Human Rights Jukebox, London/2012-07.
Sus composiciones se han emitido, interpretado y publicado en todo el mundo en radio, televisión y online. Ha expuesto en la Tate Britain, Barbican, Whitechapel Art Gallery, South London Gallery, MAC/ UK; Bienales de Arte de Berlín y Ciudad del Cabo. Su discografía incluye tres álbumes y temas publicados en numerosas recopilaciones en el Reino Unido y en todo el mundo.
Residencias artísticas: Elan Links (2022) Rayader – Gales/UK – Arts Council Wales; Neighbourhood Commission (2015) Arts Council England ‘s People Places Funded project – Barking&Dagenham/UK; International Fellowship (2008) premio del Arts Council England y The National Lottery, Ciudad del Cabo/ ZA; Southwark Artist residency (2007 – 2006), ArtsCouncil England, Southwark Council, Londres/Reino Unido; Domaine d’Abbadia (2002) – Zona Costera Nacional Protegida, Ministerio de Cultura de Francia y Departamento Regional de Medio Ambiente, Hendaya, Francia.
photo: SOUNDTRACK FOR A LANDSCAPE immersive outdoor solo performance 2023.This piece was developed during Suarez’ artist in residency at the Elan Valley/Wales/UK, following her research on waterways resonance and ecological strategies at the Valley .
FOREST VOICES Sound Installation – 2023 Sound and text/ Watershed Art Exhibition/ Midland Arts Centre. Birmingham – 2023 Sound (fragment): https://soundcloud.com/isasuarez-works/forest-voices-fragment/s–
Esta residencia cuenta con el apoyo de la Fundación Municipal de Cultura y UP del Ayuntamiento de Gijón a través del programa de convocatorias de «ayudas a la producción artística 2025».