The Free Scene, A Free Acoustic

This chapter poetically captures a scene of social struggle, giving narrative to the ways in which hearing and being heard are vital to processes of recognition and solidarity. Through weaving together a number of scenarios that take guidance from the recent history of social movements as found in Greece, Spain and Chile, the chapter oscillates between the affective, micropolitical dynamics found in protest encampments and the political challenges surrounding confrontations with state governments. From attending to the embodied strain of illegal assembly to figuring precarious solidarities across sites and communities, the issue of collective agency is drawn out. While hearing and being heard become a fundamental ground for social recognition, the chapter ultimately considers acoustics, or acousticking, as impactful onto what comes to count as speech and action. In doing so, a question of acoustic care emerges, highlighting the work of listening as what affords greater forms of mutuality.