ABOUT

The Brief
To create a master, edition-agnostic sonic identity for the Islamic Arts Biennale WithFeeling drew inspiration from “All that is in between”, the theme of the Biennale’s second edition, and that reflects the unifying ethos of the Islamic Arts Biennale as the leading global platform for Islamic arts - bringing together diverse artistic expressions across eras and geographies. The piece needed to feel timeless, emotionally resonant, and culturally respectful. WithFeeling was commissioned by the creative agency .Pomelo to craft a sound that could live across ceremonial moments, digital assets, and media outputs — capturing the unique spirit of the world’s first Biennale dedicated solely to Islamic civilisation.

Medium
Original Music, Sonic Branding, Film, Digital, Broadcast, Social Media, Cultural Campaign

Concept
The Foundation sought to express its vision for the Biennale as the leading platform for cultural and artistic dialogue by developing a sonic concept that reflects its core themes. As per the Foundation's brief, the audio direction aimed to explore dualities such as past and future, the spiritual and the physical, the seen and unseen—conveyed through music. The piece was composed using a diatonic scale that rises and falls, serving as a musical metaphor for balance, transition, and reflection. The objective was to create an audio signature that is both modular and meaningful—recognizable across formats, yet always aligned with the cultural and emotional tone of the Biennale.

Execution
The track, titled “All That Is Inbetween”, was composed by Joe Dickinson and recorded at Livingston Studio 1 in London. It features a carefully curated blend of instrumentation, traditional sounds of the Islamic world (oud, qanun, Arabian flute) layered with cello to represent a broader global context. The deliverables included a comprehensive suite of audio assets, all developed under the title “All That Is Inbetween.” This included the core Main Longform Brand Track, a full-length signature composition, accompanied by a wide selection of cutdowns and edits for varied use cases. Branded variations such as “Eid”, “National Day”, and multiple Alt Mixes (including Ambient, Classical, Quirky, and Piano & Strings) were created to support seasonal, tonal, and campaign-specific needs.

A dedicated Shortform set featured refined edits and thematic variations including Cello, Oud & Qanun, and a Shortform Main version. To support deep integration and flexibility, we also delivered a complete Stems package covering all individual instrumental elements — from melodic lines like Ney, Rababah, and Violin Ens, to detailed components like Drums, FX, Pads, and High Drones. This modular approach ensured that any element of the sonic identity could be reused, remixed, or adapted across all formats and platforms, while always retaining a consistent and recognisable sonic thread.

The piece was mixed and mastered to broadcast standard, and intentionally designed so that even a small excerpt, such as an Instagram clip, would still carry the emotional and melodic identity of the full work. This ensured wide usability and long-term resonance across every brand and content touchpoint. All music development was done in close collaboration with .Pomelo to ensure conceptual alignment with the Biennale’s wider creative system.

Results
The sonic identity launched as part of the Biennale’s media campaign and has been used extensively across trailers, social media, branded videos, and other public-facing digital content. It became an instantly recognisable signature for the event. Donya Abdulhadi, Executive Director of Marketing & Communications, praised the work, stating:

“The team at WithFeeling came back to us with a sonic identity that truly captured the spirit of the Biennale — captivating our hearts and those of our audiences. It evoked memory and emotion, and we’ve been proud to use the branding across multiple formats and all our channels.”

The sonic identity not only met the creative brief but exceeded expectations, helping frame the Biennale as both forward-thinking and deeply rooted in cultural expression.

Project Credits:
Music Agency: WithFeeling
Creative Agency: .Pomelo
Composer: Joe Dickinson (Co-founder, WithFeeling)
Executive Producer: Chris Atkins (Co-founder, WithFeeling)
Musicians: Stefanos Tsourelis (Oud), Konstantinos Glynos (Qanun), Natalie Rozario (Cello)
Recording Engineer: Marenius
Studio: Livingston Studio 1, London
Production Support: Nour Mansour, Miloco
Client: Diriyah Biennale Foundation
Client Lead: Donya Abdulhadi, Executive Director of Marketing & Communications
Film Production: BTV.UK – Jake Barrett, Leah Hosker, Jake Kindred, William Browne

Other Notes
“All That Is Inbetween” is a case study in collaborative creative storytelling through sound. The Diriyah Biennale Foundation challenged every aspect of the Biennale experience, from scenography to sound, to reflect layered, non-linear expressions of identity. Donya Abdulhadi described the Biennale as a space for dialogue between civilisations, histories, and artistic voices, and expected the sonic identity to honour that complexity.

“Our request for the team at WithFeeling was to produce a sound that is metaphorical to what the exhibition is: versatile, a centralising platform that reclaims the voices of, or inspired by, Islamic civilisations across eras and continents.”

The music intentionally combines regional instrumentation with Western harmony, acting as both a literal and symbolic bridge. As Joe Dickinson notes:

“We wanted something memorable, an earworm, but also something meaningful. The descending and ascending diatonic scale serves as a kind of mirror, musically representing duality and movement. Every note was used deliberately, reflecting ‘all that is in between’ in both structure and spirit.”

The modular structure was designed to provide contrast, peaks and valleys, calm and intensity, while maintaining a consistent melodic identity. This approach ensured each version, no matter how short, retained the DNA of the full piece. The outcome is a sonic signature that lives, breathes, and evolves across mediums, one that doesn't just complement the Biennale but embodies it.