A groundbreaking new multimedia art trail launches in Dover today (Sept 9) – transforming the town into an open air gallery, using the latest technology to deliver a unique blend of community video operas and art to your mobile phone.
The trail, funded by the European Space Agency, uses GPS triggers and QR codes to instantly deliver content to your digital devices. The project follows partnership work between Dover District Council, Music in Mind and Gazooky Studios.
By simply scanning a QR code or stepping into a designated GPS zone, people can access the specially created works, inspired by the landscape.
The trail uses content from the Coastal Voice project, a year-long series of interviews, workshops and creative sessions in Dover, Grimsby and Sefton.
Coastal Voice aimed to capture the accent, identity and natural environment of the coastal towns and includes interviews with people from Dover and artwork from local school children. The interviews were set to music in a full-length video opera, performed by musicians from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. The project was funded by the National Lottery.
The immersive art trail is free to access, and posters for the project, including the QR codes, have been placed at:
- Dover Museum – on the railing outside the museum
- The Western Heights – on an information panel in St Martin’s Battery car park
- Dover Seafront – near to the Crest of a Wave sculpture
- Biggin Street – in the window of the Help Our Town shop.
Rose Kay, CEO of Gazooky Studios, said: “We’re delighted that our technology is being used for this groundbreaking project. This pioneering tech allows us to bring a new art form to life in Dover, making storytelling and cultural experiences easy for local people and tourists to access right on their personal devices.”
John McHugh, Artistic Director of Music in Mind, said: “Coastal Voice has been a highly enriching project. We’ve worked with 900 people across the three areas and it’s really exciting to see the augmented reality experiences come to fruition for the public to enjoy.”
Anita Sedgewick, from DDC’s tourism team, one of the people interviewed as part of the project, said: “We were delighted to be involved with this innovative art project. This will provide another valuable asset for the town as a range of creative regeneration projects continue to come together for Dover.”
For more details on the Coastal Voice project, please see www.musicinmind.org.uk/ or more details on the art trail, please see www.whitecliffscountry.org.uk/things-to-do/experiences/the-coastal-voice-trail
Notes:
John McHugh is an award-winning composer, performer and the Artistic Director of the charity Music in Mind. He is known for works for theatre, the concert hall and a series of groundbreaking video operas that use the melodies of everyday speech to tell the real-life stories behind important issues.
Gazooky Studios is a BAFTA award-winning production company specialising in creative immersive digital experiences and interactive platforms. With a focus on combining world-class technical skills with creative storytelling, the studio aims to make art and culture more accessible and engaging for everyone.
Posted on 09 September 2025