Dial-A-Diva

• Main Authors: Irvine, Zoe, Stavanger, European Cultural Capital
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: 2005
• Subjects: Global singing event; Sound art; Teleconferencing technology; Mobile phones; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://discovery.dundee.ac.uk/portal/en/research/dialadiva(2d2cb67c-d36f-4d8e-8857-0e11e675cb74).html; http://www.zoeirvine.net/diva.htm

DIAL-A-DIVA is a 24hr telephonic global singing event developed with the assistance of a Creative Scotland Award. Research explored an historic model of broadcasting where the emerging telephone network was used to connect opera houses and theatres to listeners prior to the wireless (1885 ? 1920). This is the first instance of a remote audience and a little known area of broadcasting history. As such it formed the basis of DIAL-A-DIVA, the first global project of its kind using teleconferencing technology to link singers and listeners live by telephone for a 24 hour global concert programme. Primary aims of the piece were to tap into the mystery and excitement of the pioneering age of telecommunications and re-enchant this contemporary communications medium. During this event the phone?s role as a near ubiquitous, cheap broadcasting device came into play. Both the audience and the performers were all using the same technology: The Male Voice Choir of Wellington, the Whitney Houston cover singer in Addis Ababa, the rapper in New York and the Favela singing group in Rio were all using their mobile phones to connect with listeners from all over the world who dialled in to hear them. Event started with singers in the East at the international dateline, moving through Australasia, Asia, Africa, Europe, Antarctica and the Americas ? back to the dateline. There were over 80 participating performers from every time-zone in every continent and a total listenership of over 1000 callers, the average listener call duration was 15 mins.