Entrepreneur

Peter Gregson, Peter Gregson

Academic Partner

Helena Gaunt, Guildhall School of Music and Drama

Project Title

‘Even the building is a performer’ 

Project Description

Across my composing and performing work I have an interest in ambient noise, noise pollution, acoustics and how these affect the way in which we inhabit public space and experience it. While architects and urban planners think about space and visual issues, little or no thought is applied to urban acoustics. Milton Court, the Guildhall School’s new facility, has three performances spaces. However these spaces are hidden from the public and audiences, residents and day workers can walk past the building without ever realising or hearing the work that goes on there. I want to explore the notion of allowing the building to leak some of the music and sounds resulting from the rehearsals and the performances the building houses.

In this way the building can start to interact and communicate with a range of audiences. It becomes a performer itself. Part of Milton’s Court’s vision is as a laboratory for the performing arts where concepts and new ideas are trialled and tested. The project’s other aim is to explore the effects of music and sound on human behaviour. I believe that feedback and research from this project could be applied artistically and commercially to other projects and other clients.