PLAY.orchestra recreates an empty orchestra pit of 60 seats.
Passers-by can take the stage and experience a musical piece
from the player's perspective. By taking a seat, the public triggers
a recording of the correspondent musical instrument. As more people
sit down, the composition is progressively revealed in its whole.
They can further engage with the piece through their mobile phones,
by receiving ringtones of the experience they just created, or sending
their own sounds. These will then be part of a new composition
to take place within the installation, for other passers-by to discover.
After the success of the Gamelan Playtime and Hidden Love Song
interactives they developed for the Royal Festival Hall's Keeping
In Touch program, the South Bank Centre was inspired to commission
an even more ambitious interactive installation. The SBC again
invited Arlete Castelo and Melissa Mongiat, as part of the Central
Saint Martins team, to develop PLAY.orchestra. It is the biggest
and boldest interactive installation yet, and so far has been featured
on BBC Radio 4, BBC Newsround, The Times, The Daily Telegraph,
Radio 5 (see "press" section).
This project is in collaboration with the Philharmonia Orchestra,
who wanted to promote their website's Sound Exchange project —
where the public can download sounds of the orchestra or upload
their own. Using wireless technology, the installation provides a real life experience for the Sound Exchange to take place in the most playful
and meaningful way.
Research, concept and design development:
Arlete Castelo, Dan Harris, Melissa Mongiat, Rakhi Rajani, Charlie Ward,
Hannah Lewis, Satoko Onisi and Suki Beg
Production management and supervision:
Arlete Castelo, Dan Harris, Melissa Mongiat, Rakhi Rajani, Charlie Ward,
Neill Quinton and Debbie Buttler
Software development:
Matthew Olden
Content development:
Neill Quinton, Richard Slaney, Rakhi Rajani, Melissa Mongiat and Charlie Ward
Sound samples provider:
Philharmonia Orchestra
With special thanks to:
Stuart Jones and Tricia Austin from MA Narrative Environments; Richard Nowells; Rick Eggleton, Andy Hogan, Martin Riches, from the South Bank; Interior Exterior; Matt Jones and Tom Jenkins from Nokia