Five Telegrams was a unique collaboration between Anna Meredith, one of the country’s most exciting contemporary composers – widely acclaimed for her album Varmints, which seamlessly crosses classical and pop – and 59 Productions, the Tony Award-winning design company whose work includes the London 2012 Opening Ceremony and the National Theatre smash hit War Horse.
Part of 14-18 NOW, Five Telegrams was presented at the BBC Proms on 13 July at the Royal Albert Hall and was part of the Standard Life Opening Event at the Edinburgh International Festival on the 3 August– the first time these two major cultural organisations have worked together in this way.
The Virtual Reality Prom Experience
For the first time ever, virtual reality was seen at the BBC Proms, as Anna Meredith and 59 Productions’ Five Telegrams was transformed into an immersive experience.
The project was in two iterations: Nothing to be Written – a seven-minute immersive experience inspired by one of the First World War’s primary communication modes, the ‘field postcard’; and a 25-minute experience from ‘within’ the Royal Albert Hall featuring Five Telegrams.
- Tuesday 21 August, 19:00 – 23:30, in the Metric Bar, Beit Venues Imperial College Union, London.
- Friday 22 August, the experience featured as part of the BBC Proms Inspire day before heading to further events associated with 14-18 NOW.
Co-commissioned by 14-18 NOW, BBC Proms and Edinburgh International Festival
