Street piano

The painting on each piano was chosen to suit its location. Fifteen street pianos were located in and around Bristol in September 2009. In Sheffield, The Street Piano was a piano on the pavement on Sharrow Vale Road. A website was set up for the public to upload and share their films, photographs and stories of the pianos being played. In June and July, 2009, thirty Play Me, I m Yours-painted pianos were installed across London for members of the public to play.

The best known examples is the Play Me, I m Yours project by artist Luke Jerram. Artist Luke Jerram installed street pianos in various cities. A street piano is a piano placed in the street which passers-by are encouraged to play.

It prompted members of the public to use the piano, regardless of skill and popularity. It was originally left outside temporarily because the owner could not get it up the steps into his new house.

As of July 2006 a spokesman said in an interview for the National BBC Radio 4 that the piano was no longer under threat of removal. . As a social experiment the owner and a friend then attached a sign inviting passers by to play the piano for free.

It has so far survived for over a year, including being stolen and subsequently replaced by a newer model (having 4–5 separate volunteers willing to provide a new one). It became the center of a local campaign once the council decided it constituted an abandoned item, and the campaign to save it spread quickly to local news outlets, and several articles on Indymedia. Typically, a musician would have been stopped from playing outside the City of London and Sing London festival. In 2007, artist Luke Jerram installed 15 street pianos throughout Birmingham, United Kingdom, for the public to play.

In just three weeks, 140,000 people across the city played, listened and connected with one another. Jerram said Questioning the rules and ownership of public space Play Me I m yours is a provocation, inviting the public to engage with, activate and take ownership of their urban environment. Thirteen pianos have been installed in São Paulo. Thirty street pianos were set up across Sydney for the Sydney Festival 2009. The project intended to challenge the prohibition of playing music in public places without special arrangement.

This offer was taken up by a great many people and the piano became a part of the local community.
 
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