The Manchester Museum of Science and Industry invited us to bring the Chronarium to the 10th Manchester Science Festival 2016. It was an incredible opportunity to develop the initiative further by collaborating with some of the worlds leading scientists in the field of sleep and neuroscience. We also engaged with thousands of people in Manchester about their sleep routine as they experienced the UK premier of the Chronarium for the first time. We were given a prime spot at Arndale Shopping Centre for 10 days where shoppers were given the rare opportunity to step inside a haven of calm to recharge their batteries in cyclical restorative sleep sessions throughout the day.
As our public and private spaces become increasingly controlled by technology, it’s often hard to switch off when everything is always switched on. However, the answer isn’t always leaving technology behind, but sometimes finding new ways to make it work better for you.
We designed The Chronarium as a sound and light environment to improve one of the most important parts of our daily lives – sleep. Originally commissioned for and by the FutureEverything Festival Singapore 2015, this stunning and atmospheric creation offers a fully immersive experience and is aimed at providing an antidote to non-stop city living. On entering the sleep lab, visitors lie down, rest and relax inside suspended hammocks to partake in an exclusive audio-visual experience – with a specially commissioned soundtrack composed by acclaimed artist Anna Meredith.
During each restorative session, visitors are exposed to different environmental stimuli aimed to reset internal circadian rhythm for better, more harmonious sleep. The cyclical audiovisual programme has been developed in consultation with leading sleep scientists that look to entrain the brain by encouraging a deep relaxation and rest, using pink noise and a wash of coloured light.
The Chronarium provided a platform for different groups of sleep scientists to share their research and meet visitors to discuss sleep routines after some of the sessions.
This provided valuable insight into why we sleep and the effects disturbed sleep has on mental and physical wellbeing.
As Manchester Science Festival Director, Antonio Benitez comments, “People living today sleep significantly less than generations before with sleep disorders on the rise. We are only just beginning to understand the impact that sleep disorders have on people’s lives and society at large. With the quantity and quality of sleep being constantly challenged by round the clock communications and globalised business, it’s becoming increasingly important to improve the quality of our resting time and develop the necessary skills for sleep. So we are thrilled to be able to offer our MSF visitors the opportunity to experience and be a part of this intriguing and spellbinding scientific experiment and the chance to enhance their mental well-being”
The Chronarium is a project by Loop.pH, commissioned and produced by FutureEverything as a part of FutureEverything Singapore.
