Sound Artwork 'Go Find Miracles' Debuts at London Waterloo Station

LONDON — A new sound artwork titled "Go Find Miracles," created by Turner Prize-nominated artist Rory Pilgrim, was launched at the Waterloo Tube station in London on [insert launch date here]. The installation, commissioned by Transport for London (TfL), features a blend of music and spoken word, with lyrics partially crafted by inmates at HMP/YOI Portland. This 10-minute auditory experience will be accessible to commuters along the moving walkway connecting the Jubilee and Northern lines on weekdays until July 25.

The project is a collaboration among TfL, the Feminist Library in Peckham, and the Prison Choir Project, as well as the Mayor of London’s culture and community spaces at risk programme. It aims to highlight the connections between London and the Isle of Portland in Dorset, where the stone used in many iconic London buildings, including Waterloo station itself, originates.

Eleanor Pinfield, head of Art on the Underground, emphasized the project's significance, stating, "Pilgrim's collaborative approach has brought together voices from London and Portland to consider the miraculous in the everyday." The performance was recorded in an underground quarry and on a disused Jubilee line platform, exploring the intersection of law, daily life, and environmental impact. The piece is constructed around a prayer of call and response, bridging the two locations.

Holly Upton, neurodiversity support manager at HMP/YOI Portland, remarked, "This has been an inspiring experience for both staff and prisoners. We’re looking forward to seeing it come to life on the Underground." This initiative is part of a broader effort to use art as a means of rehabilitation and community engagement, thereby enhancing the cultural fabric of London’s public transport system.

As the installation continues to attract attention, it reflects a growing trend of integrating art into everyday public spaces, encouraging reflection and dialogue among diverse audiences. The project also underlines the importance of community involvement in the arts, particularly in contexts that include marginalized voices.

The sound artwork will be available for public listening until the end date, prompting many Londoners and tourists alike to engage with the unique auditory experience and its underlying messages about connection and resilience.