Arts Council England and London 2012 announced that artists’ collective Owl Project, and north east based producer and musicianEd Carter have been selected as the north east winner of a £500,000 commission for Artists taking the lead, one of the major projects for the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.

FLOW is an environmentally sustainable floating water-wheel and interactive artspace on the River Tyne. A floating millhouse alongside the water-wheel will contain a range of sensors, combining traditional and new technologies to monitor key environmental details, including water temperature and speed, salinity, and pollution. FLOW is in effect a musical instrument, powered by the tidal river and manipulated by the audience.

Flow can be thought of as a ‘water organ’, in both the musical and biological sense: an instrument that processes water into useful energy, information and sound. The piece will generate its own power, and use sustainably-sourced materials throughout its construction. The project will highlight the importance of the waterways and their industry to the region.

Artists taking the lead, London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.
Owl Project and Ed Carter’s ‘Flow’ was selected by an independent panel of artists and producers from the five projects shortlisted in August from a total of 83 regional entries.
Flow is an environmentally sustainable floating water-wheel and interactive artspace on the River Tyne.

Flow is one of 12 commissions that will be realised across the UK over the next three years, each inspired by their location and celebrating the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. There is one commission for each of the nine English regions and the nations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.