Reinstating the Past: Sound repatriation through performance

This thesis provides a critical examination of sound repatriation through performance as a practical and effective means for enriching communities’ shared sense of cultural identity. I argue that performance-based sound repatriation provides unique solutions to the challenges of recovering and transmitting intangible cultural heritage. Employing a multidisciplinary methodology that includes archival research & analysis, and case study analysis, this study compares three cases of sound repatriation that utilized performance, in one of which I actively participated. Autoethnography not only enabled me to reflect and document my personal experience of engaging with repatriated sounds, but as an analytical tool for understanding their impact. Based on the findings, this thesis proposes a best practices model for doing sound repatriation through performance, ensuring culturally sensitive and ethically responsible approaches to engaging with archival recordings.