KneeHIGH Tower / Project description

Tower designs

Creative Dev't -2004
Production for AFYP / Comeout '05
Director/ Design coordinator: Tony Hannan
Artists: Jaqui Hunter, Helen Crawford, Stuart Day, Juniper Van-den-Ende.
Animatronics: Leigh Milne
Access consultant: Tony Doyle
Bicycle power consultant: Paul Anderson
Alternative Energy consultant: Bruce Steer
Funding source:Development Arts SA industry Dev't

Major sponsor : Builtenvirons


Tower project: (See drawings attached)
A multi arts installation, combining hi tech, musical and growing facets. School students will contribute kinetic and musical sculptures driven by wind, water, electricity and mechanical energy all generated within the installation. The tower will be inhabited by an actor playing "Auntie Tower" and will have interactive elements designed to be accessible for people with disabilities.

This is development project to explore aspects of a large scaffolding installation that is a grid on which to install a variety sculptures provided by school children and the creative team..
The inspiration came from a 17th C European Town square mechanical clock tower with rotating figures and music.
Our tower would have similar attributes:

• be a large centerpiece for the festival in an outdoor setting
  
• A focal point for festival goers to gather and watch as it evolves
  
• have kinetic elements that are changing and evolving over time.
  
• Auntie Tower: a actor/s would be in residence bringing the installation to life. eg a cantankerous old woman perhaps attempting to shoo people away .( two actors in rotating shifts over 4 - 5 hours)
  
• 4 quadrants: growing organic, mechanical, water / hydro
  
• 4 quadrants: water driven, electrical, organic and wind / mechanical.
  
• Each quadrant would house kinetic sculptures and musical installations.
  
• the musical elements either hand played or run by the natural forces eg mechanical music box that plays water filled bottles
  
• Schools could contribute kinetic sculptures either original designs or following patterns we distribute.
  
• School groups could view the tower from outside a roped area or book time to walk around and engage with the interactive elements on the 4 quadrants
  
• their sculptures could be set on one of the 4 quadrants running on wind, water, or electricity
  
• Autonomous energy tower
  
• all energy is produced by the tower either by people peddling fixed bicycles or wind generators or solar panels or manual pumping of water or a sand mill
  
• t: a group of experienced teenage rock climbers (in appropriate costume) could be harnessed up and be scaling up and down installing kinetic artifacts from arriving children and checking that all runs to plan.
  
• Local video game developers will be invited to contribute software that will then run by foot cranked electricity for screen based enthusiasts if no current is forthcoming from the solar panels or wind generators.
  
• some individual, musical and kinetic items will be triggered by movement sensors as individuals approach.
  

The Tower concept would be most effective at full height of 9 meters.

The development process would draw on the experience of the artists, technicians and school project and kit designers listed and bring them together for brainstorms, planning and distillation sessions and prototyping onto a small demo tower.

The Tower was specifically proposed for Comeout '05 the concept however could be remounted at other festivals. Initial installation for Comeout could be followed by seasons at the Investigator Centre.

Tower development talent:
Jaqui Hunter: landscape artist, children' garden designer
Helen Crawford: sculptor, installation artist
Stewart Day: interactive music development
Leigh Milne: mechanical and electronic systems, animatronics, programming
Juniper van den Ende micro inflatables, windsocks, mini kites
Bruce Steer: alternative energy engineer, wind, photovoltaic, control systems
Paul Anderson: bicycle engineer
Tony Doyle: access opportunities consultant

There are many arts/ technology links and partnerships possible. kneeHIGH has relationships with most listed below already. These links will be explored in detail during the development phase:

Business Support:

Virtual Artists: install software, website
eLabtronics: educational electronics kits
Life Cycle Kensington: bicycles parts, mechanics time
School of the Future possible integration with their technology awareness programme
SA State Gov't. : energy awareness Centre, sponsor
Irrigation company: sponsor hydraulic systems, pump
Adelaide City Council: Dev't support funds in April 04 round

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