Anjunabeats, a well-known electronic dance music label, collaborates with MIT’s Environmental Solutions Initiative on an original and ground-breaking project to engage music fans in sustainability and climate change awareness, with the ultimate goal of communicating practical solutions on a personal level.
This pilot study was carried out by Egyptian-born recording artist and MIT PhD candidate Norhan Magdy Bahomi (aka Nourey) at Grammy-nominated band Above & Beyond’s massive “Gorge Weekender” event this summer in an effort to increase awareness through the universal language of live music and installation art. Over 500 participants interacted with the augmented reality “Art Wall” experience throughout the experiment’s 16-hour runtime, and nearly 400 responses to a climate identification survey were collected. In the words of the main researcher and Anjunabeats artist Nourey ‘music unites us, and so can science and Technology. This year’s ABGT weekend gave us the wonderful chance to collaborate with Anjunabeats and the Involved Group on a pilot initiative for climate communication. Fusing AR technology with collaborative arts, we believe this could be a stepping stone in a broad space where audiences can better engage in climate change issues during live events.’
Partnering with MIT’S Environmental Solutions Initiative enables Anjunabeats to apply scientific rigor in our sustainability efforts. Music events provide an opportunity for testing new ideas and experimentation around pressing global challenges. We hope the Gorge project contributes to a growing body of research with the objective to scale-up sustainable behavior change. – Anna Johnson, the label’s Sustainability and Environment Officer
Working with Anjunabeats at the Gorge was a unique experience in projecting into the future – a more climate aware, sustainable and equitable future. Bringing science into the heart of a music experience is not only a powerful way in which to engage people on the challenges of climate change but also inspires the potential for transformation. Anjunabeats has been a leader on these issues and MIT has deep expertise and engagement activities on climate change and many other environmental challenges. Working together at the Gorge proved that there is much we can do to enhance learning and prompt real action for a better planet. – Professor John E. Fernandez, head of MIT’s ESI program
As part of an ongoing sustainability project started by the record label, Anjunabeats and MIT will organize a live-streamed event on Zoom and Twitch on September 21 at 16:30 BST (11:30 EST) to officially reveal the study’s findings.
