In May 2013 we commissioned Colour Keepers an innovative new street game which was designed to help re-invent perceptions of the Enterprise Zone - the area surrounding Bristol's Temple Meads Station.

Using the BikeTAG system of LED lights, proximity sensors and a Smartphone app, originally created in 2012 by artists from our Pervasive Media Studio, Colour Keepers saw members of the public playing on bikes and co-creating light trails in the city.

Once players had selected a colour for the lights on their bike, those who'd chosen the same colour join forces and head out to explore the area. As you explore the area, your route is tracked via GPS and recorded live to an online map in your chosen colour. When you come close to another rider, the lights on each bike temporarily turn green before you can tag the other player with your colour. Each time you tag a player with your colour you score points and there are five colours to encounter.

Part exploration, part battle, part collaboration, part art experience, Colour Keepers proved popular with members of the public who'd come to test it at this event. Hear from them and see photos and films from the night on our Storify.

Artists who contributed to BikeTAG include: Tine Bech, a visual artist and researcher who likes to create immersive, playful experiences; Julian Sykes, co-founder of brand and strategy agency Hoffi and thinkARK, a voluntary social design group; and Bang & Lee - Jayoung Bang and Yunjun Lee - from in Seoul in South Korea, who travelled to Bristol to participate in Colour Keepers.

Related links:
Storify

BikeTAG Play Test: Colour Keepers was part of a series of Bristol Temple Quarter commissions, coordinated by Watershed, Knowle West Media Centre and MAYK, with support from Bristol City Council and Arts Council England. The projects were designed to pop up, excite and re-invent perceptions and potentials. 

Photography © Max McClure 2013

Ended in June 2013

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