How bats see, hear and feel their way around

Numbers restricted and rain permitting. To Book £5 Tickets send a walk date between 3-13th July to: Phil@invisibledust.com

Artist Jeremy Deller is working with bat scientist Dr Kate Jones, to enable you to listen and see visuals of the incredible sounds of bats.

Bats hear in 3D and may “hear in colour” according to Prof. Richard Dawkins.

Human hearing ranges 15 to 20 kHz depending on age. In comparison, some bats can hear sounds up to 110 kHz. Bats make calls as they fly, and listen to the returning echoes to build up a sonic map of their surroundings (echolocation). The bat can tell how far something is by how long it takes the sounds to return to them.

Invisible Dust is working with Deller and Jones to enable audiences to listen to bats as they are flying each evening along the Olympics Greenway, launched at the Create Festival, 2nd July 2012.

Jeremy Deller has a continuing interest in bats since making his Turner Prize winning film Memory Bucket in 2004 and in 2007 he established a national design competition to design a bat house. In 2013 he has been selected to represent the UK at the Venice Biennale.

Although Britain’s 18 species of bat are protected, their numbers are declining. Dr Kate Jones, Institute of Zoology (see scientists) has studied bats for 20 years and believes they are the heart beat of the environment. As the Director of iBats and Chair of the Bat Conservation Trust she is concerned that worldwide biodiversity is declining but there is little monitoring going on but now new technology enables us to learn much more about their fascinating sounds.

Bats in Space is supported by Arts Council England.

More visuals, podcasts and videos for Bats in Space coming soon!