Events Fun News

Slough Estate Trail App Launches

Jamie AndersonMay 4, 20183 Mins read530 Views

The recently launched Slough Estate trail app includes a stop at Ipswich Road (original site of AP Films, now Protyre) with interactive content all about Gerry Anderson’s amazing decade on the estate in the 1960s, and is available to anyone through the Zappar app.

On Thursday 22^nd March, Resource Productions commenced the Estate Trail App (abbreviated as ETA Slough) at SEGRO HQ as 8 teams set out across Slough Trading Estate on an interactive digital trail created in collaboration with Mix Up Reality. The treasure trail, mapped out with eleven stops, utilised actors and QR technology to introduce local businesses to the history of the estate, which is two years away from celebrating its centenary.

Over the past three months, Resource Productions and Mix Up Reality had worked with ten local businesses to create and commission digital artwork that explored the heritage of Slough Trading Estate. Oliver Laurenson-Gore, who led the project at Resource Productions said: “This has been a fantastic project that we have wanted to do as a local social enterprise for 20 years. I hope businesses and the wider community will engage with this unique digital art installation. I’m sure the competitive spirit of Slough businesses will make this a unique competition.” The trail is now accessible for members of the public — using the ‘Zappar’ app, available on all mobile devices, lamppost banners with the ‘Zappar’ symbol can be ‘scanned’ which will

Teams from across Slough competed to win prizes such as 4 cinema tickets courtesy of Pinewood Studios as well as £500 to support local creative charities; Aik Saath – Empoword, SWIPE Music, Arts Excite, Art Beyond Belief and Resource Youth Film. Renowned checkpoints included a stop about AP Films / Century 21 (the creators of Thunderbirds, Stingray, Captain Scarlett and more) and a scan of the 1948 Olympic Torch from the Slough Museum collection.

Resource Productions worked in partnership with HOME Slough, Arts Council England, SEGRO and Slough Borough Council.

Neil Impiazzi, Partnership Development Director, SEGRO, said: “Using digital technology in this engaging way to celebrate the rich heritage of the Slough Trading Estate and the inventive and cutting edge work taking place there today is an initiative we are proud to support. The event brought together a wide range of customers and stakeholders from across Slough for a stimulating and enjoyable afternoon. The Slough Trading Estate is an integral part of Slough and we are pleased to be able to offer an opportunity to explore its history in this unique way.”

Arts Council’s Creative People and Places Project, HOME Slough’s Director Ian Whitaker commented,

“This imaginative response by Resource Productions to the landscape of the Trading Estate brings alive some of the surprising inventions and industry created in Slough that has had impact – and continues to have impact – on our day to day lives. The ETA app they have created, with Mix Up Reality, we hope will create fresh connections to our town for people living, working and doing business here.” Continuing he said, “The on the ground support of SEGRO we hope will be extended to ensure that more and more people can explore and discover the Estate Trail App and will have a lasting legacy as part of the Trading Estate’s centenary celebrations in 2020”.

The overall winners of the launch event were a team from CLEAN (based 774 Buckingham Avenue) whom represented Aik Saath – Empoword. The lamppost banners will remain up for the foreseeable future, so any community or voluntary group can take part in the trail for free!

Want to get involved?

Visit www.etaslough.com – download a map and start scanning at each of the checkpoints

—