The Sound Hive
Photo provided by Ricebox Studio
The Sound Hive is launching at Beckton Globe Library on Saturday 5 April from 12-3pm. Reserve a free place
Overview
The Sound Hive is an interactive sound and light installation inspired by nature, which was designed by Ricebox Studio in collaboration with primary school-aged children from Newham. The artwork tells the adventures of one very special bee, and uses a ‘traffic light system’ to encourage users to think about recycling and sustainability. The artwork aims to capture Newham’s soundscape from the perspective of our youngest residents.
The Sound Hive was developed as Culture Within Newham’s Winter Commission, in collaboration with our Children’s Board and students from Gallions Primary School, Rosetta Primary School, and New City Primary School. Culture Within Newham set up the Children’s Board to give young voices input into Newham’s cultural and creative offering. They selected the winning proposal, participated in creative workshops, and voted on the final visual style for the table – our latest public art commission.
Developing the artwork
Ricebox Studio ran workshops with the children which encouraged creativity and meaningful dialogue, with participants using everyday objects to discuss their environmental impact. From these sessions, students collaborated with each other to create sounds and visuals for the synth table! Ricebox Studio also partnered with freelance senior motion designer, Aliya Akram, to support the development of the project and to bring the visuals on the table to life.
The interactive synth table is designed to encourage children to collaborate, make music together, and reflect on how everyday objects influence the environment.
Upcoming Events
Join us for the launch of The Sound Hive by Ricebox Studio at Beckton Globe Library on Saturday 5 April from 12-3pm. Light refreshments will be provided. Reserve a free place here.
The Sound Hive will be hosted at a number of locations in Newham in Spring 2025. This will be an opportunity for children, young people and their families to interact and play with the synth table, while learning how children have helped to commission and co-create the artwork.
Keep an eye on the Events section of our website for updates.
About the team
Ricebox Studio is an award-winning design practice studio founded by four Asian women, that uses visual communication and creative technology for positive change. Their mission is to create alternative forms of education, raise awareness of social issues, and encourage creative, impactful conversations. Ricebox Studio is made up of:
Safiya Ahmed, an expert in inclusive design and education;
Bristy Azmi, the mastermind behind our design systems;
Anna Tsuda, our whizz in creative computing and user experience; and
Maria Than, the creative tech producer and illustrator whose signature you'll find at the bottom of most of their emails!
Learn more about each member of the team, and the freelance artists who worked with them on The Sound Hive, below.
Safiya Ahmed
A designer, lecturer in BA Graphic Design at University of Westminster and University of the Arts London (UAL), and co-founder of Ricebox Studio. Safiya has collaborated with organisations such as Samsung, Plan International, Tate, and Somerset House, to name a few. She is also a supporting director for Secrets Worth Sharing CIC, a platform providing approachable advice on talking about childhood sexual abuse, with serious joy. Outside of work, you can find her playing with her ginger cat and roller-skating when the sun’s out!
Maria Than
A creative technologist, educator and designer. Using augmented reality (AR), illustration, moving image and creative AI, she explores fragmented identity, buddhism, mental health and escapism. She exhibited in London, Paris, New York, Toronto and South Korea. In 2021, she became a Fellow at the Royal Society of Arts, an award for her period activism with Ricebox Studio and AR work. She lectures in graphic design, ethics of AI, emerging technologies and social activism at Central Saint Martins and Camberwell College of Arts and is a Digital Designer at Child Rights International Network. She was recently resident artist at arebyte Gallery’s Hotel Generation in London, UK where she launched her first solo art exhibition in 2024 exploring her Vietnamese Buddhist heritage called 'Homage to Quan Âm'.
Bristy Amzi
A designer and maker. She works across branding, publications, bookmaking, 2D animation, and accessible design. As the Senior Graphic Designer at the Maternal Aid Association (MAA) and a freelance designer at UAL. When she’s not designing, you’ll find Bristy trying out new recipes, getting lost in a good book, or music that fuels her creativity.
Anna Tsuda
An experience designer at Capgemini Engineering, passionate about co-designing people-friendly products and services through being curious and empathetic. She is an ambitious learner, always searching for ways to develop her research to visual design skills to become a true hybrid experience designer! Outside of design, you can find her Hawaiian & Tahitian dancing and exploring good food around Tokyo.
Project partners
Aliya Akram
Aliya Akram is a Senior Motion Designer and Illustrator specialising in innovative design, branding, and storytelling. Her portfolio features clients such as HP, Maersk, Global, and Enfuce. Her expertise extends to video editing, illustration, 3D, and graphic design.
With an interest in using design for good, at Ricebox Studio, she is a Freelance Motion Designer for the Culture Within Newham project.
Mélanie Laffiac
Mélanie Laffiac (Melanie.lfc / M4) is a french AV artist currently based in Lisbon. She has studied piano and musical theory since age 7, and has been producing and composing for 6 years. In 2019, she left France for London where she started producing music and volunteered as a piano teacher at Soapbox Youth Centre. She's now working as a freelance graphic designer and sound designer/composer.
She’s participated in several audiovisual projects such as MAPP Montreal with Tomoya Miwata in 2022 and 2023, 1mn Projection Mapping (Tokyo) or Lumen Prize. In 2024, she was a finalist for AI Odyssey Project with her movie [別れ wakare].
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