The Drone Ensemble at BALTIC - The Playground Project: Children'sPreview

Yesterday the Drone Ensemble participated in The Playground Project: Children's Preview at BALTIC.

The exhibition is really vibrant and exciting, featuring a range of works that embrace, encourage and depend upon interaction. The Lozziwurm, a giant orange snake-like tube with cut out windows, dominates the space. Children (and adults) crawl through it, slide down it and climb on it, much to the enjoyment of the gallery staff. This is an exhibition for those who love to play.

There are drawing machines, swings, a giant sandpit, a craft area, a continually growing and changing sculpture, voice performances and The Drone Ensemble were performing and demonstrating a selection of our instruments.



We had an overwhelmingly positive reception. Kids and adults were full of enthusiasm for what we were doing and it was great to see young and old take pleasure from playing with what we had brought. Children were mesmerised by the quirky sounds that they could control, and parents saw a different side to their children as they were so fully engaged in the instruments that they were no longer apprehensive about leaving their parents side. Children had a new found confidence.



There are loads of events happening throughout the duration of the exhibition so it's well worth checking out the BALTIC website to find out more:

http://balticmill.com/whats-on/the-playground-project

The press have also been very positive about the exhibition. Read some reviews here:

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/art-kids-cant-touch-no-11616999

http://www.sprogonthetyne.com/blog/2016/7/14/playground-project-the-baltic

http://www.thecrackmagazine.com/view-editorial/3638

The Playground Project is realised in cooperation with Kunsthalle Zürich Including work by Marjory Allen (Lady Allen of Hurtwood), Joseph Brown, Riccardo Dalisi, Richard Dattner, Aldo van Eyck, M. Paul Friedberg, Michael Grossert, Cornelia Hahn Oberlander, Alfred Ledermann, Yvan Pestalozzi, Group Ludic, Egon Møller-Nielsen, Palle Nielsen, Isamu Noguchi, Sreejata Roy, Niki de Saint Phalle, Josef Schagerl, Mitsuru (Man) Senda, Carl Theodor Sørensen, Alfred Trachsel and more."

The Drone Ensemble prepare for our adventure to the BALTIC

The Drone Ensemble are delighted to announce that we will be participating in the forthcoming exhibition at BALTIC, The Playground Project.

"Until the 1980s – and in rare cases until today – playgrounds were places for social experiments, risky projects, and spectacular sculptures. Architects, urban planners, artists, parents, and children were invited to leave their comfort zone and to venture something new.

A focal point for ideas about education and childhood, about urban planning and public space, about architecture and art, about creativity and control, the playground has repeatedly resisted institutional and ideological appropriation and grown in its own, sometimes anarchic, ways.

The Playground Project will bring back many exemplary, but now often forgotten playground initiatives, pioneering acts and adventures with a playground in which children (and inner children) can run, hide, climb and imagine. The exhibition includes Marjory Allen (Lady Allen of Hurtwood), Joseph Brown, Riccardo Dalisi, Richard Dattner, Aldo van Eyck, M. Paul Friedberg, Michael Grossert, Cornelia Hahn Oberlander, Alfred Ledermann, Yvan Pestalozzi, Group Ludic, Egon Møller-Nielsen, Niki de Saint Phalle, Mitsuru Senda, Colin Ward and others.

The Playground Project is realised in cooperation with Kunsthalle Zürich"

For more information please visit

http://www.balticmill.com/whats-on/exhibitions/the-playground-project

The Drone Ensemble will be at the Children's Preview on Thursday 14th July. There will be the opportunity to see a range of the handmade instruments being played, and then have a go at playing the instruments yourself!



In preparation, we reviewed our current range of instruments and decided which instruments we will take to BALTIC. Unfortunately, due to certain restrictions, we won't be able to take everything, but we have an impressive range to play with.

Joe showed us a new instrument that he is working on. He also showed us his current store of pipes. It is rather impressive! Watch this space for more instruments involving pipes.