“Plantón” is the word in Spanish for a sapling, a young tree that is ready to be planted into the ground. It is also the word for a sit-in. This project takes on both: the green to be planted and the peaceful protest. It is about giving plants and trees the opportunity to “walk” down the streets of a city that is also theirs. This walking forest performance culminates with the creation of a public green area.
I was lucky enough to work with children at Willow Brook Primary in East London, recording them playing percussion and chanting during a workshop with Artist Lucia Monge. I then used these recorded sounds to create a soundscape to be played out of megaphones placed in the ‘human plant connectors’ during the Planton Movil walk.
The challenge came in designing a soundscape that was interesting and dynamic but would not clash when played over multiple unconnected mono speakers at changing distances. I did this by creating patterns that would blend together regardless of the timing and create a polyrhythmic effect used in combination with sounds of the children’s percussion playing and chanting as well as pads and jungle sound effects. The soundscape created a unique and interesting atmosphere for the walk and was very well received by the artist, children and teachers at the school.