Music, sound, and communal creation are among the most ancient acts of human connection—ways to resist, to survive, and to thrive together.
Here, in the shadow of intensified policing on UCLA’s campus and similar institutions, this piece insists on subverting sonic + physical space through sound, play, and light. In times like these, joy is a radical act.
Common Ground is a practice of solidarity, an assertion that our struggles are woven together. It calls us to imagine a post police world- where the technologies used to oppress and divide become vestigial structures, then reconstructed into intersectional instruments of joy and collaboration. Common Ground invites you into a collective act of play and resistance: into a community strengthened by the simple, profound act of coming together, creating, and listening deeply.
Special thanks to the incredible community who supported me throughout this project: Jonathan Cecil, Chong Xu, Abhishek Chauhan, and Shivani Desai.
I am deeply grateful to my capstone mentors — Mindy Seu, Ren Burch, Victoria Vesna, Stamatis Hamouzas, and Chandler McWilliams — for your invaluable guidance and encouragement.
