Next month we will give memory to Bristol’s city lights, enabling them to record and play back the shadows of those who pass underneath. As we turn twilight into playtime, we need your help in picking our final street light.
Shadowing by Jonathan Chomko and Matthew Rosier is the winner of the Watershed’s Playable City Award 2014 and will let your shadow carry on exploring the city once you’re tucked up in bed. From 12 September, as you walk under certain lights in Bristol, the shadow of the previous visitor will walk beside you. While you interact with the shadow, your movements and actions are recorded, becoming a shadowy companion for another visitor.
We have seven streetlights ready to transform, and now we’re looking for our final location in South Bristol. So if you know of an area that could use a dose of playfulness, then help us bring that sense of magic to your community. As with all games, there are a few rules. The streetlight can’t be near a main road, we don’t want any dancing shadows distracting the drivers. So parks and pedestrian side streets are perfect spots. Also, for technical reasons, it needs to look a bit like this streetlight:
Any ideas? If you’re not sure what your street lamps look like, now is the time to find out. As you walk home tonight look up at them, instead of down at your phone, and see if you can find our final, magical light. Then if your streets are ready to play, get in touch by emailing or tweeting us with the location of your street light.
We’d love to bring all of your street lamps to life, but unfortunately we can only choose one more. With lights across the city gaining these new powers, there’s sure to be one nearby. So make sure you discover your nearest Shadowing location when it launches in Bristol on 12 September and leave your shadow behind for someone else to find.