Victoria Rogers

What is the value of dreaming? Dreams are not equally accessible to all. Health, stress levels, environment, and opportunities for rest determine who has the opportunity to dream. Dreaming can be characterized by dichotomies. Dreaming is an exercise in vulnerability, letting the mind wander. It is also an act of empowerment, allowing room for the imagination. Dreams can be ephemeral, opening up a portal to a fleeting alternate world. Dreams can also persist by recurring. Dreams reflect the waking world, yet they are private: unpoliced spaces in which the dreamer can reflect. The ability to dream, to have the confidence and space to produce visions, can be a mark of privilege. Dreaming is also free of monetary cost: Everyone has the potential to do it. Everyone can dream. Designed to support Black dreamers, BLACK NOISE is a pair of soundscapes that encourage dreaming in both waking and sleeping life. Using sound to support dreaming, BLACK NOISE is designed to close the race gap in dream space and to investigate dreams as a means to explore freedoms not available in daily life. Creating equal access to dreaming is a step toward attaining broader equality.