From 60 countries, 197 entries were submitted to Bristol’s Watershed and from there a shortlist of seven projects was chosen.

The shortlist includes an array of imaginative and innovative installations, from a human orchestra of light through a park, natured turned musical instruments, interactive LED benches that light up buildings, and even giant clouds that would hang high above Bristol, sending messages in an exploration of cloud computing vs privacy.

See the shortlisted entries.

The winning installation will be announced on 9^th June with the winning piece of art unveiled this September in Bristol.

The winner will see their project realised in Bristol, become part of the community at Watershed’s Pervasive Media Studio, as well as have the opportunity to travel to Japan for Watershed and the British Council’s Playable City programme in Tokyo.

Playable City is run by Watershed and is supported by Bristol City Council, University of Bristol, University of the West of England, Bristol + Bath, The British Council, Catapult Future Cities and The Guardian.

Over two weeks, venues across Bristol will hold events with thousands of local musical young people.

The festival runs from Sunday 16th – Saturday 27th June and launches with a South Bristol Singing Day. Merchant’s Secondary in south Bristol will host a day of singing, with performances by local Bristol schools. This event has free admission.

Some highlights of the event:

17th June will see the Malago Musical Extravaganza at 1.30pm, St Mary Redcliffe Church. This will be a water-themed concert of song and instrumental pieces from schools linked by the river Malago, with performances from a massed choir, school choirs, and Ilminster School Orchestra. Tickets are available from the Colston Hall box office.

On 23 June at 1.15pm, at the Bristol Cathedral, an organ recital will be performed by Paul Walton and Josh Griffith, a 6th form organ student at Bristol Cathedral Choir School. 

Thu 25 Jun, 7pm, St George’s Bristol will host A World of Singing.  The 60 member Junior Bristol Youth Choir will be joined by the City of Bristol Choir and the Royal Mail Choir for a singing extravaganza celebrating our ‘wonderful world’. Tickets are available from the St George’s Bristol box office. 

The Sounds Inspiring Festival finale will be the BBC Young Musicians performance on Saturday 27^th June at St George’s Bristol. BBC Young Musician of the Year 2014 finalists, Sophie Westbrook (recorders), Eliot Gaston-Ross (percussion) and winner Martin James Bartlett (piano) will perform their competition repertoire. Tickets available from St. George’s Bristol box office.

For more information see the Sounds Inspiring Festival, Bristol brochure.