24
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it is estimated that over 140,000 people played
or listened to music from the pianos. Since then
Play Me, I’m Yours
has reached an estimated six
million people worldwide. Each new city that
commissions the artwork becomes part of this
growing international legacy.
“The idea for
Play Me, I’m Yours
came from
visiting my local launderette,” said Luke Jerram,
international artist and creator of
Play Me, I’m
Yours
. “I saw the same people there each weekend
and yet no one talked to one another. I suddenly
realised that within a city, there must be hundreds
of these invisible communities, regularly spending
time with one another in silence. Placing a piano
into the space was my solution to this problem,
acting as a catalyst for conversation and changing
the dynamics of a space.”
News of the project spread internationally
and since then, the artwork has toured the
world, acting as a high profile event for many
organisations, including the PanAmGames, 2010
European Capital of Culture in Pécs, LAChamber
Orchestra, San Jose Biennial, Sydney Festival,
City of London Festival, Faculty of Music at
University of Cambridge and Barcelona’s Maria
Canals International Music Competition.
Engage, activate and claim ownership
Disrupting peoples’ negotiation of their city,
Street Pianos are designed to provoke people into
engaging, activating and claiming ownership of
their urban landscape. Like a musical equivalent
of Facebook, Street Pianos, together with this
website, provide an interconnected resource for
the public to express themselves.
The pianos have also enticed many hidden
musicians out of the woodwork. It has become
apparent that there are thousands of pianists
out there who don’t have regular access to a
piano.
Play Me, I’m Yours
provides access to
this wonderful musical instrument and gives
musicians the opportunity to share their creativity
by performing in public.
In cities like London, hundreds of perfectly good,
working, second-hand pianos get thrown away
each year. Jerram transports dozens of these pianos
annually, to countries where the instrument is rare
andmore valued, for the public to enjoy. After being
presented as part of a
PlayMe, I’mYour
s installation
many of the pianos are donated to schools and
community groups within the local area.
The first city signed up for 2015 is Florence, South
Carolina, which will be taking place inApril. And
a number of potential partners for 2015 and new
cities will be announced in due course.
Kyrenias Avenue - piano by Nicos Kouroussis
photo uploaded by Natassa Gregoriou
Acropolis Park - piano by Christos Michlis
Strovolos Cultural Centre - piano by Hambis Tsangaris, Eleni
Panayidou and Stelios Stylianou - photo by MiRo
Mall of Cyprus - piano by Petros Papapetrou
Kyriakides Piano Gallery - piano by Andreas Charalambides
Ledra Street Barricade - piano by Achilleas Michaelides
(Paparazzi)
A.G. Leventis Gallery - piano by Andreas Ladommatos
Faneromeni Square - piano by Elena Michaelidou
