Theatre Jukebox

Imagine a Jukebox that plays stories instead of records, and allows you to choose only the chapters you want. Stand + Stare Collective have already imagined such a machine, and they have called it Theatre Jukebox.

Theatre Jukebox is an arcade-style unit that uses technology to tell stories in a unique way. The unit displays a selection of picture-postcards which users can choose. Once a card has been selected, users are then invited to place it into a projected box on the Jukebox’s surface. The postcards contain RFID tags which are read by an RFID reader embedded in the top of the unit, which in turn triggers a visual projection to the table’s surface, and audio story to be played through headphones attached to the unit. Users can choose to select just one of the postcards, or all of them, and they also have control over what order they wish the stories to be played in.

The project was developed as part of an Arts Council England-supported micro-residency at the Pervasive Media Studio, and combines pervasive technology with stories to produce an immersive, interactive theatre experience without the need for actors. Micro-residencies enable artists to rapidly develop ideas, within the collaborative environment of the Studio. They provide a platform for critical and technical investigation and experimentation, and a forum in which new ideas can get off the ground.

Stand + Stare Collective is a theatre company founded by brother-sister duo Lucy and Barney Heywood, who create immersive theatre in which their audiences play an active part.

Related Links:
Pervasive Media Studio
Stand + Stare Collective