If statues could talk, what stories would they tell? That's the question Sing London wants to answer as it launches new interactive talking statues, according to its Talking Statues website.
Sing London, a nonprofit arts organization, has commissioned writers and actors "to animate 35 public statues across London and Manchester" for its Speak Their Minds project, according to UK's The Sunday Times.
How will it work?
Simply swipe your smartphone on a Talking Statue's nearby tag and your phone will ring. The person on the other end of the line will be an actor or writer impersonating the statue and will tell you all about their achievements or mottos, according to the Sunday Times.
Colette Hiller, Sing London's artistic director, came up with the project after noticing that not many people pay attention to the statues.
"Most of us hardly notice the statues that surround us--and yet, there they are," Hiller told the Sunday Times. "I found myself thinking 'If these statues could talk, what stories would they tell us?'"
Jeremy Paxman, a former BBC Newsnight presenter, wrote and recorded the voiceover of John Wilkes' statue and agrees with the initiative.
"I like the idea of the Talking Statues project," Paxman told the Sunday Times. "We're surrounded by statues in London, but we're profoundly ignorant about who they were and what they achieved."
This isn't the first time Sing London has created fun learning projects. In the past, they have laid pianos out in public spaces to encourage people to play and have also set up outdoor Ping-Pong tables in Britain, according to Sunday Times.
Hiller said, "Like all our projects, Talking Statues aims to connect people with surroundings."
The initiative will begin today and will run for a year. But don't worry - if you plan on visiting the statues, here are links to maps of London's and Manchester's statues for easy navigating.
"Using drama, humor and location technology, Talking Statues breathes new life into the statues that surround us all," says Talking Statues' website.
