PrintSound of Flight
Maroondah City Council, in partnership with VicHealth and RMIT’s international public art unit, celebrated the completion of the Celebrating Croydon’s HeART public art project with the launch of an innovative three-dimensional urban artwork in Main Street, Croydon. Sound of Flight reflects the shape of Croydon’s sounds, nature and its urban environment.
The two-year project commenced in June 2003 with Maroondah City Council receiving an $80,000 grant from VicHealth’s Arts and Environment Scheme with the main objective of promoting mental health and wellbeing. This was achieved by designing a community consultation process that utilised and united the groups identified as the key stakeholders of the project and the site.
Community consultation used the medium of sound, sound recording and interview to engage the various groups on site. Young people in Croydon were given the opportunity to be trained in interview techniques, audio production and sound recording techniques by SYN-FM, a community youth radio station, offering the benefit of industry experience and training for participants. Once trained, these young people went out into Main Street and undertook numerous interviews with traders, customers, commuters, and residents and recorded the many and varied ambient sounds of Main Street which were used to create sound sculptures.
The lead artist, Anthony McInneny from RMIT’s International Public Art Unit, isolated the key sounds which were interpreted into street signs. The installation of temporary works was displayed at the Maroondah Festival in February 2005. The creative outcomes were used to inform the overall design.
Artist: Anthony McInneny
Date: 2005
Location: Main Street, Croydon
Melways Reference: 50 J3