In the experience, your shadow – clear and sharp - is joined by another shape that matches your own – an abstract form that can be similar in shape to your human one, or shards of light and blobs of jewel-like colour. This shape becomes your companion, your adversary, your ghost self, your aura as it changes shape and form, reacting to your movement. The sounds respond too, swelling and speeding with large gestures and constantly shifting in tone and feel. The sound is an immersive element that supports play, drives character and drama, and holds the child in a total, imaginative world. The ever changing and complex variety of tonal shifts sit behind, under and in between the child, their shadow and their shadow’s shadow.
It’s a magnetic experience that sees participants perform extraordinary moves to active response, without self-consciousness or inhibition.
Once the relationship between the live human and the digital image is realised, the drama begins. Imagination takes over and suddenly you are fighting a giant, or gently reaching out to a shy alien, or filled with crackling power as another shadow crouches at your feet. As more people join the play, the world created becomes complex and interconnected as all the single journeys and choices are linked and changed by more bodies in the space.
Sound Shadows has endless possibilities. Because each participant is mapped as they enter the space, their physical contribution is picked up no matter what their engagement. Little or no movement elicits a satisfying response as well as big and fast. The experience is deeply enjoyable, compelling in its endless offer, and enormous fun.
We have seen it work for children aged 6 to adults – the play is very similar, the relationship between strangers in the shared space easy and joyous. The spectator to the work is treated to a strange, wonderful often hilarious visual extravaganza, as the three worlds work together – the live human, their shadow and the shadow of the shadow.
“That was SO fun” Hux aged 8
Steph O’Hara - lead artist, creative coder and sound artist
Peter Walker – visual programmer
Tina Douglas - interactive sound and visual artist
Inspired by the mysterious life and work of bees, this re-imagining of public space involves the slow uncovering of an intricate unseen world. Children are immersed in the sounds, shapes and scents of the bee world, from their familiar buzz to honeycomb houses. Bees uses ritual, non-verbal communication and the secret world of bee movement to provide a range of access points for children to participate.
The sound design was developed using Raspberry Pi Zero 2W, running Supercollider generating sound in real-time. An IMU was used to track movement of the performers. Elements of the sound score were controlled using this movement data.
This is a collaborative project between Australian artist Steph O’Hara and Papermoon Puppet Theatre (Indonesia), and The Artground (Singapore). Exploring this powerful concept and engaging with communities across three countries. The Little Nests will take the form of an immersive, interactive installation, informed by all the nests the children have created.
It was so lovely to take this show out. After spending a few days resoldering the control boards, doing some extensive testing, re-designing and coding battery level checking and a better battery level management system, this short season was enjoyed by all. This season also saw a new light system i’ve been wanting to try out.
Skate (2019) : BighArt on Vimeo.
Performer
Sound Design
The Cabin was a dream project, collaborating with JoF making a horror show written by kids for adults. Yep. Blood, Death and a rendition of Philip Glass’ Knee Play 1, sung by the Yarra Voices. I got to compose, record, collaborate with kids, build a wireless audio screaming thermos, a robot-barn door, work with video and make lots of scary sounds. With an amazing creative and production team, working on the project was a joy.
Built using Supercollider, iOS software/hardware and a Raspberry Pi, this retro text-based adventure interactive work was so much fun to make. Working closely again with Nick Barlow, it was great to be able to support the vision and come up with a really unique show. Audeinces are asked to communicate with Nuku through a text-based terminal. The commands of the text-advneture are then wirelessly communicated to the performer. The performer can then hear the generated spoken audio commands. Performed in a vacant shop, this quirky show offers an out-of-game experience.
A moving, theatrical spectacle created by goldfields theatre-makers Rebecca Russell and Ken Evans, with performers Janette Hoe (dance artist), Christy Flaws and Luke O’Connor (physical theatre performers) with Clunes farmer, Christine Rowe and Dja Dja Wurrung elder Aunty Linda Ford.
Hard hitting truths, dance and destruction.
DEMOLISH promo from Rebecca Russell on Vimeo.
Using motion and audio sensors, data is sent over WIFI to be processed and transformed into musical phrases. Custom software was designed to process data as streams and triggers, wireless device software for sending data and a gesture recording tool for capturing video and all the data. Using capture video of play, interactive composing can be done using this ‘virtual’ setup.
Between the Trees, part of Neon Playground at the Melbourne Zoo.
Download here from the App Store. |
Between the Trees (2018) - 1 min clip from Melinda Hetzel on Vimeo.
Custom software was developed to capture touch interactions, generate music and lights.
Each interactive eco-sphere had an ESP8266 as it’s controller, monitoring touch capacitance and controlling 4 light fixtures. Using an interactive generative machine to drive both the lights and sound using Abelton Live as the sound engine. A custom simulator was also developed to compose the work without installing the installation.