Anthem Anthem Revolution

Art, sport and robots in Festival Park. It’s game on!

In Anthem Anthem Revolution participants battle a table tennis robot to hear a new national song written by children, an anthem that reflects the hopes and dreams they have for their country.

Inspired by rhythm games such as Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero, each time a ball is returned, we hear a child’s voice accompanied by a new musical element. As the experience progresses, this builds into a musical track for a new generation.

Anthem Anthem Revolution was first developed for the Birmingham 2022 Festival to sit alongside the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. Responding to the sports brief, Terrapin took table tennis as a jumping off point and added puppetry (a table tennis robot) and audience participation (self-explanatory) to create an all-inclusive game for any setting. An enthusiastic group of young Tasmanians shared how they thought of themselves, their place in the world and their hope for the future. Pakana songwriter and performer DENNI worked with composer Thomas Rimes and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra to set their words to music. That's where the audience comes in: it's your role to beat the increasingly defensive robot and unlock the new anthem. Step up to the plate.