Berlioz Trip Orchestra - A digital journey through the world of Berlioz
Organisations
Orchestre national Avignon-Provence
The Orchestre national Avignon-Provence is a 39-musician symphonic orchestra based in Avignon and founded at the end of the 18th century. In 2009, the Orchestra launched its “Nouveaux publics” (new audiences) department, which reaches more than 25,000 children, teenagers and adults each year.
Les Clés de l’écoute
Les Clés de l’écoute is a Paris-based company that specialises in orchestral performances and digital outreach for new audiences aged from 5 to 45.
Le Grenier à sel
Le Grenier à sel is a cultural centre that offers a multidisciplinary visual and performing arts programme that combines art, science and technology.
Project
The project combines Berlioz Trip Orchestra, an orchestral performance inspired by Hector Berlioz’ Symphonie Fantastique, and an exhibition using an augmented reality app to guide visitors through the sensory, creative and historical context of the work.
Participants
The exhibition was aimed at secondary school pupils as well as the beneficiaries of local community centres and students of the Université d’Avignon.
Key persons
Camille Girard-Roquel, Education Manager, Orchestre national Avignon-Provence
Géraldine Aliberti, Artistic Director, Les Clés de l’écoute
Project outcomes
Highlighted the ability of digital tools to complement traditional outreach methods, without reducing in-person contact.
Enabled visitors to explore and understand the work independently rather than having it explained to them.
Rejuvenated the image of the symphony orchestra for younger audiences.
Context
This project was carried out in partnership with the Conseil départemental de Vaucluse as part of its "Collèges au concert" scheme, which enables secondary school pupils to attend symphonic concerts and discover works from the symphonic repertoire while attending cultural events. Originally, the project aimed to involve only secondary schools taking part in the "Collèges au concert" scheme, but the scope evolved in 2021 to involve Le Grenier à sel, a local cultural centre focusing on arts and technology. This led to the creation of an immersive exhibition based on an augmented reality application that would enable visitors/audiences to discover Berlioz Trip Orchestra and the historical context of La Symphonie fantastique.
Approach
The project aimed to change young people’s perception of symphonic orchestra while enabling them to immerse themselves in the historical and creative context of La Symphonie fantastique. Rather than offering a passive listening experience, the exhibition allowed visitors to discover the work in an interactive manner, through audio, movement and sensory elements such as fragrances and tactical materials.
The augmented reality app was pre-loaded onto digital tablets provided by the venue, while facilitators were present to answer questions, guide visitors and resolve any technical issues. Teachers and educators were offered specific support and training before school group visits and given access to the app ahead of time.
Results
The partnership enabled all three organisations to increase their reach and welcome new and more diverse audiences. The exhibition was attended by Le Grenier à sel’s usual visitors as well as family audiences from Orchestre national Avignon-Provence.
Feedback from visitors was globally very positive: school children especially enjoyed having the chance to discover the exhibition on their own terms and in their own time and were impatient to attend a performance of Berlioz Trip Orchestra at a later date.
The exhibition’s focus on audio and sensory elements made it accessible to visually-impaired visitors as well as those with low literacy or who speak French as a second language. In the future, the team would be interested in working with specialised educators to make the project more accessible to people living with intellectual disabilities.
Lessons learned:
Co-construct the project by taking each partner’s needs into account. “There was a lot of listening and knowledge sharing between Les Clés de l’écoute, who came up with the project, and the Orchestra, which had specific needs but didn’t know how to approach them,” says Camille Girard-Roquel, Education Manager at the Orchestre national Avignon-Provence.
Account for preparation time with educators and teachers. Teachers were offered training sessions around the main themes of the exhibition, which they would then explore with their learners.
Digital should complement in-person outreach work. In-person contact remains essential. Digital tools can help us make the spectator central to a performance and enable people to interact with a work in a way that differs from the usual concert-going experience, but should not substitute face-to-face contact.