Hundreds of Melbourne workers are literally screaming in frustration – and some for joy – inside Australia’s first interactive Scream Booth, at the Queen Victoria Night Market.
Designed by Melbourne learning consortium Happy Boosters, the free Scream it Out experience lets users release a holler of joy or frustration into an interactive app, which replays the effort for maximum comical effect.
Happy Boosters co-founders Olivia Petrovska and Antoinette Ciavarella said more than 600 city workers and shoppers have “screamed it out” at two Night Market events this February.
“What started as a social experiment that explores the relationship between releasing emotion and happiness, seems to have struck a chord with hundreds of workers and shoppers,” Ms Petrovska said.
“It might be the only way to scream in public without being seen or people thinking you’re crazy, so maybe that’s been the attraction for corporates during the working week and for anyone wanting a release and a giggle.”
Ms Ciavarella described user reactions as priceless, and invited Night Market visitors on 15 February and 1 March to try the last two Scream Booth experiments at Shed E.
“It’s a bit different and that’s the beauty of it,” Ms Ciavarella said. “We knew of similar concepts overseas and wanted to innovate a bit by installing an interactive app that distorts the participant’s image and then through the release of a scream the image becomes clear.
“This technology explores the notion that releasing emotion can be good for us. Participants get to replay their video and see their image transform, which is hugely entertaining.”
Happy Boosters is a Melbourne consortium of learning experts, positive psychologists, design thinkers, tech gurus and artists.
They blend these disciplines to create unique learning solutions so organisations can quickly adapt to change, stay competitive, improve performance and increase employee engagement.
Happy Boosters’ focus is to cultivate a positive work environment through memorable corporate off-sites, interactive installations, gaming simulations, workshops and consulting.
For Media Enquiries or to arrange an interview:
James O’Loan, 0404032115, james@happyboosters.com
