What is the role of sound in archiving disappearing spaces? WonderCabinet, the creative hub hosting Radio Alhara on the hills of Palestine, sought to answer this question through its annual residency, Sound of Spaces. The residency’s first edition focused on capturing the sonic essence of the Cremisan Valley, the last green space surrounding Bethlehem, soon to be annexed by Israel as part of its ongoing settler-colonial project. In response, sonic artists, artisans, designers, visual artists, and the nuns at the Cremisan monastery, to create a repository of sounds that potentially speaks to the spirits of other environments, landscapes, both close by and on the other side of the world.

Behind this initiative stands the same visionary team behind Radio Alhara, the iconic Bethlehem-based webradio, which will take over the radio booth of Nuits Sonores Lab for an exceptional six-hour broadcast. Navigating similar themes, Yousef and Elias Anastas will weave together discussions, listening sessions, and DJ sets to explore the importance of cultural production as a fundamental part of Palestinian resistance to settler-colonialism. It will highlight initiatives that transform sound into a living archive of place and identity, using sonic narratives to reflect on displacement, memory, and resilience. Through this takeover, Radio Alhara will reaffirm its commitment to collective listening and exchange, carving out a space for sonic exploration, storytelling, and artistic defiance.

Wonder Cabinet and Sounds of Spaces: Sound archiving from the hills of Bethlehem

With Julmud (Artist | PS), Baraari (Artist | PS) et ABUL3EES (Artist | PS)

Moderated by Yousef Anastas (Radio Alhara | PS) and Elias Anastas (Radio Alhara | PS)

Mahalla: A Platform for Emerging Music from South West Asia & North Africa

With Aura Anahita (Mahalla, curator | FR)

Moderation by Yousef Anastas (Radio Alhara | PS) and Elias Anastas (Radio Alhara | PS)