Shazam Rainforest is a multi-sensory immersive installation created for Mindshare’s sixth Huddle in London in November 2016. The installation focused on tropical rainforest engagement and raising awareness of the conservation work of Rainforest Partnership – an international NGO who works directly with Indigenous communities to protect and regenerate tropical rainforests. The installation was designed to immerse the Huddle delegates in the Central Amazon Rainforest and use sound as tool to inspire embodied engagement with the environment. Shazam Rainforest combined sound, visuals, smell and tactile interactivity with new technologies. Leah Barclay worked with the development team at Shazam in London for six months to experiment with identification algorithms for rainforest soundscapes using the same technology as the popular Shazam app. Leah created a unique 3D soundscape for the event based on her field recordings from the Amazon Rainforest and building on the success of the Rainforest Listening project. Shazam’s technology allowed you to identify rainforest sounds from wildlife to tropical storms and take direct action (such as donate to Rainforest Partnership or learn more about a particular conservation issue). Shazam also showcased their visual recognition app. This installation developed new technologies that have a range of scientific and artistic research potential in using mobile technologies to engage global communities in ecoacoustics and climate action. 

https://leahbarclay.com/portfolio_page/shazam-rainforest-2016/