“Free Speech Karaoke” is an interactive public art project that invites participants to stand upon a soapbox and recite-a-long famous American speeches. Coinciding with the 2016 presidential election, this prototype of “Free Speech Karaoke” will use speeches delivered by past presidents and will be performed at popular campaign stops throughout the US. Using a web-based application, participants will have the opportunity to select a speech and as with karaoke the lyrics will be projected on a screen so that the performer and audience can follow along. “Free Speech Karaoke” provides a fun and interactive space for everyday people to step into the role of past presidents, command their leadership and infuse new meaning into the words of American history. This project raises the questions: how does the meaning of a speech change with its’ speaker? And how do these words of the past resonate in this political moment?
Free Speech Karaoke
