Playable Streets is your participatory arts company sparking creativity and spreading joy. We are a collective of theatre makers, composers, engineers, visual artists and interaction designers at the forefront of contemporary arts practice. Together we utilise technology, design, dramaturgy and sound to build environments for meaningful connections.
Our interactive works invite people of all ages and abilities to play, collaborate and reconnect in public space. From intimate pop-up installations to large-scale projects developed with communities, our practice is as diverse as our audiences.
Playable Streets has presented work across Australia and internationally, in contexts spanning street festivals, cultural institutions, schools, aged-care centres and community celebrations. Led by Artistic Director Glen Walton, we continue to explore how play and performance can inspire connection, creativity and care, offering memorable experiences that resonate across cultures and communities.
THE PLAYABLE STREETS TEAM
Glen Walton
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Glen Walton is the founder and artistic director of Playable Streets, creating surprising, sensory public installations that spark what he calls “norm-bending connections.” His curiosity about how people interact in public spaces has taken him from global tours as a performer and musician to a PhD exploring how technology and music can encourage touch, creativity, and social connection. Since 2004, Glen has been crafting joyful experiences that invite people of all ages to play, connect, and say, “well, I didn’t expect to do that today.”
Chloe Smith
CREATIVE PRODUCER
Chloë is a performing artist, theatre maker, educator, and musician based in Naarm (Melbourne) and Gunai Kurnai Country (Gippsland), passionate about sparking creative play and storytelling in people of all ages. With a background in theatre performance, musicology, and education, she has worked with companies including Barking Spider Visual Theatre, Arena Theatre Company, and Malthouse Theatre, creating experiences that blend music, puppetry, and performance. Since 2017, Chloë has led workshops, designed soundscapes, and collaborated on school residencies that inspire young people to share their stories through art.
Cayn Borthwick
COMPOSER AND SOUND DESIGNER
Cayn Borthwick is a Melbourne-based composer and multi-instrumentalist whose music is shaped by place, story, and collaboration. He has toured internationally, performed at major festivals including Meredith, Falls, and Dark Mofo, and written for film, theatre, advertising, and contemporary music. Playing with acclaimed acts such as No Zu, Mighty Duke and the Lords, and Sui Zhen, Cayn creates work that balances intellectual rigour with an instinct for beauty.
Bob Jarvis
DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY
Bob Jarvis is a Melbourne-based audio-visual artist whose work spans live video performance, music, animation, and software development. With creations exhibited at institutions including the NGV and ACMI and at festivals around the world, he is known for award-winning works such as Concerto for Light Sculpture and Luminesce, as well as open-source tools like VIZZable used by artists globally. Bob’s practice blends technical mastery with artistic innovation, developing everything from large-scale performance systems to experimental music videos and interactive experiences for humans (and occasionally orangutans).
Playable Streets works are developed with a wide range of associated Artists.
You can find out more about our associated artists here