As part of the Young People’s Alternative Guide to Brownsea Island in Dorset, pupils from Ashdown Technology College wanted to work with an artist or creative agency to produce a digital installation on the island. The installation needed to connect the world as experienced by young people to Brownsea.
Brownsea island is a unique habitat with some rare and uncommon flora and fauna, this inspired Revolting to create a ‘Secret Safari’. Revolting carried out a thorough survey of the island to establish where mobile internet coverage was best so that the highest quantity of visitors could access the project. It then worked with pupils in workshops on the island and in the classroom to explore the ideas of habitat and natural selection and how a certain environment can shape the creatures that live there.
These ideas were refined by illustrator Phil ‘Biff’ Smith and the creatures’ individual stories were developed by award-winning writer Joanna Qunin working with the Poole pupils. Eventually, six new creatures were born. QR codes were then installed in each of the locations so that visitors could ‘capture’ the creatures on their phones.
The Safari now forms part of the Young People’s Alternative Guide to the island and will be used to promote the island to young people and increase visitor numbers. Revolting will monitor the success of the project by tracking the number of time QR codes are accessed. This project has also received a Lovie award from the The International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences