The Talking Statues concept, which launched on Tuesday (19 August) and has been funded by independent charity Nesta, was created by arts organisation Sing London.
The capital-wide project enables members of the public to interact with sculptures by tapping, typing or swiping their smartphones over signage nearby. This then results in voices of famous personalities telling the stories of the statues.
Statues at Broadgate, including the Leaping Hare on Crescent and Bell, Rush Hour, The Broad Family and Eye-I, feature the voices of comedians Frank Skinner, Sarah Pascoe, and Maisie Williams, known for her role on TV show Game of Thrones.
Samantha Rush, head of marketing, communications and events at Broadgate, said: "Talking Statues is a fantastic initiative that supports our belief that art should be accessible to all.
"Broadgate houses an impressive art collection and we’re keen to see it brought to life through this initiative, encouraging people who live and work in the area to stop and take a closer look."
She added from September until November Broadgate will be hosting a range of art and culture events, encouraging people to look at the destination and the City from a different perspective.
The Talking Statues project will aim to animate a total of 35 statues across London and Manchester over the next year. Other statues on the London trail include Isaac Newton, Sherlock Holmes, Peter Pan and Dick Whittington’s cat, with their stories being voiced by the likes of Jeremy Paxman, Patrick Stewart, Jacqueline Wilson and Anthony Horowitz.
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