Bird Songs (Imagined)

Bird Songs is a touring installation of delicate and bright holographic birds, accompanied by a moving soundtrack mixing human voices with bird songs. It is inspired by our desire to build and cross bridges, both physical and metaphorical. In most cultures, birds are seen as messengers, crossing frontiers and oceans, and overcoming physical or spiritual barriers to reach out to loved ones.

“We worked with Lou to create a bird for our community, we created a beautiful dove, its bright body shining in the dark, with blue and yellow feathers. I hope it can send a message of peace.” (Ukrainians in Worcester community group)

For Worcester’s Bridges of Light Festival 2025, new species of birds were invented and hand-drawn in collaboration with diverse community groups, then brought to life using AI tools. Their soundscape created a chorus for environmental and social justice.

For Nightfall Festival 2025 (Middlesborough), the bird birds appeared along one of the woodland paths at Stewart Park, providing little bursts of comfort during the cold evenings. The robins remind us of the approaching winter and the warmth of light, a tribute to the well-known saying ‘When robins appear, loved ones are near’.

For Loftus Village of Light, people were invited to pause with the majestic European Eagle Owl.

“My bird is for my grandad, it is a robin with a rainbow belly, because he always made me laugh!” (participant, Worcester)