The project started about a year ago in Apr 2021 at an outdoor location with everyone socially distanced and all wearing masks.
It was a lovely day with blue skies and little fluffy white clouds sailing across the flat fenland landscape.
Talking between the artist and project backer we had the concept of doing an interactive art project. The problem was to decide how to make it interactive. After further conversation an app called ECHOES was mentioned. It was agreed I would go and explore the use of the app as the artist Genevieve Rudd would go and plan out the art exercises.
The project was intended to create an interactive experience at Brandon Country Park, in Suffolk, where people and families could walk around a route and activate a verbal narrative that would provide instructions.
First thing was to find out more echoes.xyz and get registered with the app. The app is mainly designed for integrating audio files with GPS locations, so as you move around it all works together to create wonderful soundscapes.
The only problem is to test GPS projects, you have to actually be there. So, it became apparent very quickly to make a test project on my door step so I could make changes quickly, even on the fly, and go test it.
I did some quick research on the local community and found 10 places with something interesting. I wrote a paragraph for each place and recorded them. Once edited, they were uploaded. Over the next couple of days, I walked around the town trying out different combinations of audio settings and seeing how different types needed a different approach. Some locations need to be played all the way through; some only play while you were at the location but would stop as you left. There was a lot of planning to how to construct the final soundscape.
Once the testing was complete, we were confident in using the app. Genevieve had finished a first draft and off to Brandon we went. Armed with audio recorded and mics we followed the intended routes. We stopped at suitable locations, recorded the dialogue and took notes of the locations using the GPS locating device on my mobile phone.
Once back in the office and downloaded all the data, I took all the GPS coordinates and plotted them on Google Earth. This was matched to the internal mapping supplied by the ECHOES app and zones were setup. The audio was edited and soundscapes were then added to each location. Photos were taken at each location and finished each package.
Unfortunately, the only way to test was to go back to Brandon. Which we did. We did a couple of tests and each time it highlighted technical issues which we overcame. Parts were recorded again as we weren't happy with how it came across.
But, eventually it finally came together around October time. It was the handed over to several local groups who went out into the forest to beta test everything from downloading the app to how it was being used. Also making sure that the right amount of details were provided to the user on the welcome page.
Now we are at a place where the app is about to go live 10 months later.
The final part of this is the legacy and we are looking to share the details and run courses to help other people to get started. There we will be able to walk new users through the process and hopefully avoid some of the problems we encountered. But there are new applications available now that we didn't have so it will be great to explore them.
Having used the app I can see so many applications of it with many projects around the country. It's down to your imagination and being able mental visualise activities in sound.
Can't wait to do more.
If you have an idea, get in touch and we can look at the practicalities of it.
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