Powerhouse Castle Hill presents a free day of demonstrations, workshops, tours, drop-in activities and fun for people of all ages, inspired by the Sounding the Collection project.
Sounding the Collection is a Powerhouse program focused on capturing the sonic possibilities of select objects from the Powerhouse Collection. Sounding the Collection is a response to the Powerhouse Digitisation Project, which between 2019‒23 captured digital images of more than 338,000 objects, facilitating new levels of access to the Powerhouse Collection.
Sampling the Collection with Ableton 10am–3.30pm
Experience how the sound of objects from the Powerhouse collection can be sampled and made into music. Alongside DJs and music producers Setwun and Ed Rollo, both Ableton Certified Trainers, you’ll be able to play the sound of automatons, steam engines and more as percussion or harmonic elements to pieces of music.Moving in the Collection with Hurrah Hurrah 10am–3.30pm
Join performance makers, Hurrah Hurrah on a journey of movement throughout the Powerhouse Collection and be inspired by the sounds of all sorts of objects.Radio Contact Cards 10am–3.30pm
Be inspired by Radio Contact Cards in our collection then make your own. During the early days of radio broadcasting, listeners would mail radio stations to report they had received a signal. As the volume of reports increased, stations sent contact cards that acknowledged receiving a report. Collecting the cards was popular in the 1920s and 1930s.Minecraft Music 10am–3.30pm
Create digital music using note blocks in Minecraft Education — a game-based learning platform that promotes creativity, collaboration and problem-solving in an immersive digital environment. Please sign-up when you arrive on the day as places are limited.Sound Sandwich 10am–3.30pm
Dive into the fascinating world of sound as you craft your own unique instrument using everyday materials.Family Threads 10am–3.30pm
Visit our Family Atelier this Autumn school holidays to play, create and imagine the possibilities of fabric and design. Use recycled fabric and safety pins to design your own outfit on a mannequin and customise and create unique outfits out of paper.Mystery Object Challenge 11.30am and 2.30pm
Calling all budding historians, archaeologists and those with curious minds. Drop-in and test your sleuthing skills in this family-friendly activity to see if you can identify some historic mystery objects.
Mars Rover 1.30pm
Meet our quarter-scale Mars Rover Curiosity. Rovers specialise in exploring the red planet to collect samples and images. Hosts will be available to answer questions and talk about autonomous robotics.Discovery Walkthrough: What's that Sound? 11am, 1pm and 3pm
Some sounds provide help, such as alarms and sirens. Others we choose to hear because they enrich our lives, such as the noises made by gaming consoles, clocks, and of course, musical instruments. Be taken on a tour of the many sounds surrounding us.