For the Islamic Arts Biennale, WithFeeling created an award-winning sonic identity that transformed faith, culture and memory into sound, earning Bronze at the Clio Music Awards and Winner recognition at the International Sound Awards.
- Client
- Diriyah Biennale Foundation
- Agency
- dot Pomelo
- Awarded
- See Awards
Sound
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AN AWARD-WINNING SONIC IDENTITY FOR ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST SIGNIFICANT CULTURAL EVENTS.
WithFeeling created the sonic identity for the Islamic Arts Biennale, a landmark cultural event in Jeddah celebrating centuries of Islamic art, faith, craft and expression.
Commissioned by .Pomelo, in collaboration with the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, the brief was to create a musical identity that felt distinctive, emotional and deeply connected to the spirit of the Biennale. It needed to work across films, social content, installations, events and national moments, while still feeling like one coherent musical world.
The result was a modular sonic identity built around emotional storytelling, cultural sensitivity and live musical craft.
The project went on to win Bronze at the Clio Music Awards and was named a Winner at the International Sound Awards 2025 in the Audio Branding category.
THE CHALLENGE
The Islamic Arts Biennale needed more than a soundtrack.
It needed a sound that could hold space, evoke memory and emotion, and reflect the depth of Islamic art without falling into cliché. The music had to feel spiritual but modern, rooted but universal, powerful but never overwhelming.
It also had to be practical. The sonic identity needed to adapt across multiple touchpoints, from long-form exhibition moments to short-form digital content, campaign films, event use and special cultural occasions.
THE APPROACH
WithFeeling developed a modular musical system that could flex across different uses while keeping the same emotional centre.
Led by composer and WithFeeling co-founder Joe Dickinson, the composition explored duality through a descending and ascending diatonic scale, reflecting ideas of past and future, earth and spirit, memory and ambition.
Middle Eastern instrumentation was combined with Western harmony to create a sound that felt timeless, cinematic and emotionally resonant. The final piece featured live performances on oud, qanun and cello, recorded at Livingston Studio 1 in London.
This was not music added at the end. It was sound designed as part of the Biennale’s identity.
THE RESULT
The final sonic identity gave the Islamic Arts Biennale a recognisable musical voice that could live across physical, digital and ceremonial moments.
It became a flexible system of themes, variations and sonic logo treatments, allowing the Biennale to maintain emotional consistency across every touchpoint.
For WithFeeling, this project represents exactly what sonic branding can be when treated with intent and craft: not background music, but a meaningful layer of identity.
A sound for faith, culture, memory and connection.
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