Brendan Howell

Commercial Works
Sound Walk - Jewish Life in Esslingen

A location-based audio tour of Jewish history in Esslingen, Germany.

Youth Participants

This hybrid (augmented?) sound walk lets participants with an internet-connected device walk around the city of Esslingen, Germany seeing historic locations while listening to artistic musical responses to past events. The project celebrates 1700 years of Jewish history in Germany through a range of voices, often experimental and critical in their content.

There are two versions of the project, a “pure” version with that artistic works triggered at specific geographic locations and the second version with accompanying journalistic podcast commentaries.

Screenshot of the Interface

My role in the project was to create the web site. The design was conceived such that it would work on both mobile devices and desktop browsers for users who could not come to Esslingen. The system integrates a dynamic map and automatic location-based playback. SWR has done a radio report (in German) about the project.

Even if you can’t go to Esslingen you can explore the work here with your browser. Just click on the locations. (Parts may go offline sometime in 2022.)

Organized by Podium Esslingen

Contributors:

Artistic Direction:
Steven Walter & Joosten Ellée
Research and Dramaturgy:
Lena Fritschle
Composition:
Shasta Ellenbogen, Rike Huy, Elischa Kaminer, Paulina Kiss, Marco Mlynek, Mary Ocher, Amir Shpilman
Podcast:
MUJK // Thilo Braun, Maria Gnann und Marie König
Management PODIUM Education:
Wiebke Rademacher
Management PODIUM Digital:
Julian Stahl
Audio Engineering:
Simon Heinze
Generative Audio Programming:
João Pais
Editorial Support:
Steffen Greiner
Project Management:
Pamina Rottok