Bins that burp, scooters that go faster when you scream and a bench that warms your backside when you talk are coming to Coventry next week.
The scheme is designed to make the city more ‘playable’, say organisers.
Coventry-based arts organisation Ludic Rooms is hoping to inspire fun and conversation when its takes over the city centre from October 16 to October 22 with its Open Citizens project.
Ludic Rooms, with support from Coventry City of Culture Trust and Arts Council England, says it engaged with more than 1,000 Coventry people to help devise works of art that would ‘spark a sense of fun and humour across the city.’
A Buddy Bench will be situated within Coventry Cathedral ruins and features warming seat pads and massages – but they will only be activated once people begin to talk to one another.
Scream If You Wanna Go Faster features two motorised scooters that will be in Millennium Place on Thursday (October 19).
The helmets will be hooked up with special microphones that will pick up the shouts and screams of the riders, which will control the speed of the scooters.
Six Nod Bins will be placed in different locations around the city centre and will react when people place rubbish into the bin by omitting a range of sounds – from laughter to music and from a ‘thank-you’ to a burp.
The most ambitious part of the week-long playable fun is the Neverending CanCan. The You Can-Can capture booth will be in different places each day with a green screen and a green mannequin and will get people to let go of their inhibitions to create a short clip of themselves dancing.
These clips will be pieced together to create an infinite line of Coventrians dancing to the CanCan and it will be available to view online, with plans to project the finished article onto a building in a city centre location.
Dom Breadmore, of Ludic Rooms, said: “Open Citizens is all about making the city a more playable place, to create fun, laughter and conversation.
“We want as many as people as possible to take part, enjoy the works and get Coventry playing!”
Laura McMillan, Manager of Coventry City of Culture Trust, said: “Open Citizens is going to be a great way of showing that art and culture is for everyone and that it’s fun and engaging.
“It can bring a smile to your face or start a conversation with someone you’ve never met.
Ludic Rooms has been appointed Digital Artists in Residence as part of Coventry’s bid to be UK City of Culture in 2021,
Details of where each work will be and when are below:
Nod Bins:
– Monday, October 16 – Sunday, October 22: Six city centre locations.
Buddy Bench
– Tuesday, October 17 – Sunday, October 22: Cathedral Ruins, 10am to 4pm.
Scream If You Wanna Go Faster:
– Thursday, October 19: Millennium Place 2pm to 7pm.
You Can-Can Booth:
– Monday, October 16 – Tuesday, October 17: Cathedral Lanes, 12pm to 5pm.
– Wednesday, October 18: Coventry Market, 10am to 4pm.
– Friday, October 20: Coventry University Library, students only.
– Saturday, October 21 – Sunday, October 22: Lower Precinct Shopping Centre, 10am
to 5pm (Saturday) and 11am to 4pm (Sunday).
Coventry City Council, The University of Warwick, and Coventry
