Unlocking the British Music Experience with AI

University of Liverpool & British Music Experience Hackathon

Friday 4th, Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th April 2025

Registration Closed

About the Hackathon

What if you could step inside the history of British music, not just read about it? What if you could remix the classics, uncover hidden connections between your favorite artists, or even "chat" with the legends themselves? At the hackathon, you'll have the chance to explore how AI can enable more meaningful and creative explorations, transforming how the world experiences the British Music Experience (BME) museum.

The University of Liverpool, in collaboration with the BME, invites you to a unique interdisciplinary hackathon, a melting pot of creativity and technology where the vibrant history of British music meets the cutting-edge power of AI and Immersive Technologies.

Come along and experience this School of EEE and Computer Science hackathon. This event offers students the opportunity to work directly with the BME's extensive collection, applying their unique skills to enhance visitor experiences and unlock new avenues for research and engagement. Its not just for coders 💻 but also for storytellers, designers, musicians, historians and anyone with a passion for innovation and musical heritage.This hackathon isn't just for coders it's for storytellers, designers, musicians, historians, and anyone with a passion for innovation and musical heritage 🎶

Eligibility: Open to all students from the School of EEE and Computer Science and from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Liverpool! A prize 🏆 will be awarded to the winning team and all attendees will receive HEAR

British Music Experience Interaction
UoL Careers Logo AM Lab Logo British Music Experience Logo

One theme, 4 challenges 🤘

The core theme is “AI for Knowledge Discovery and Immersive Engagement”. We aim to move beyond traditional museum experiences by leveraging AI and immersive technologies to create personalised journeys through musical history, fostering deeper engagement and understanding.

We have identified 4 key challenges. Each challenge offers a unique opportunity to make a real impact. Don't think of AI as the main goal - think of it as part of the solution!

Archive boxes and digital connections
Living Archive

Use AI to streamline data management and connect items with external knowledge, ensuring collection accuracy.

Tools overlayed on a museum exhibit
Hacking the BME

Reimagine an existent exhibition at the museum, enhancing it with AI without losing its original charm.

Personalized pathway through music icons
Personalised Storytelling

Leverage AI to create personalised museum experiences that cater to individual tastes.

Sound waves and game controllers
Musically Immersive Exploration

Use games and gamification to create immersive experiences to explore the BME knowledge base.

Event Format

Day 1 (Afternoon, Fri 4th Apr): Exploration and Ideation: Visit the British Music Experience, team formation, and brainstorming.

Day 2 (Mon 7th Apr) & Day 3 (Tue 8th Apr): Hackathon: Intensive development and prototyping at the University of Liverpool's Career Studio, with mentor support. Sessions on Responsible AI use and concept generation will be provided.

Day 3 (Afternoon, Tue 8th Apr): Final Presentations: Short presentations to a panel of judges, followed by awards and networking.

Prizes : We will award a prize to the most innovative and impactful project. All participants contributing significantly will be eligible for HEAR recognition.

Draft Event Programme

Day One, Friday 4th April - Kickoff at the BME
Time Activity
2:00 PMMeet outside the British Music Experience (Cunard Building)
2:30 PM - 2:45 PMWelcome Briefing & BME Introduction (Kevin McManus)
2:30 PM - 2:45 PMIntroduction to the hackathon and challenges (Jacopo)
3:00 PM - 4:00 PMExplore the BME Museum & Identify Opportunities
4:00 PM - 5:00 PMInitial Brainstorming, Team Formation Discussions (Informal)
Day Two, Monday 7th April - Hackathon Day 1 (Career Studio, Foundation Building)
Time Activity
9:00 AM - 9:30 AMArrival, Registration & Coffee
9:30 AM - 10:00 AMOfficial Welcome, Hackathon Goals & Logistics
10:00 AM - 10:30 AMChallenge Deep Dive & Team Finalisation
10:30 AM - 12:30 PMHacking Session 1 (Mentors Available)
12:30 PM - 1:30 PMLunch (Provided) & Informal Networking
1:30 PM - 5:00 PMHacking Session 2 (Mentors Available)
5:00 PMEnd of Day 2
Day Three, Tuesday 8th April - Hackathon Day 2 & Finale (Career Studio)
Time Activity
9:00 AM - 9:30 AMArrival & Coffee
9:30 AM - 12:30 PMHacking Session 3 (Focus on Prototyping & Presentation Prep)
12:30 PM - 1:30 PMLunch (Provided)
1:30 PM - 3:30 PMFinal Hacking Session & Presentation Finalisation
3:30 PM - 4:00 PMSubmission Deadline & Tech Check
4:30 PM - 6:30 PMProject Presentations (Short Pitch Format)
6:30 PM - 6:45 PMJudges Deliberation & Refreshments
6:45 PM - 7:00 PMAwards Ceremony & Closing Remarks

Hackathon Projects Showcase

See what our amazing teams built during the hackathon! Click 'More Details' for summaries and links.

TalkToTheBeatles
Team: Blue and Grey (Vans)

Interactive experience, speaking or texting with each of the four Beatles. Uses generative AI with a knowledge base linked to the Beatles and to the BME to give realistic conversations.

Gamifying the BME
Team: Codeplay

Creating a game revolving around the history and items in the BME to make the experience more interactive, accessible, memorable, and fun for all visitors.

Smart Museum
Team: Ctlr and See

Making use of computer vision to track user movements within the museum and provide personalised insights based on their journey.

Holomentor
Team: DRS

An instructive tool that teaches users how to play instruments like piano, guitar, or drums, providing instructions and feedback based on user responses.

MuseMix: Your Soundtrack Through the BME
Team: Echo Tales

Blends Spotify listening history with BME stories. Discover featured artists, explore via an interactive map, and get personalized recommendations.

The Chain
Team: Fleetwood Hack

Connects your personal music library or streaming history to the related displays and artifacts within the British Music Experience.

Wembley Rewind: The Live Aid Experience
Team: Let It BME

An immersive, AI-powered installation letting visitors relive the Live Aid 1985 concert, exploring the event timeline and asking questions.

Calliope
Team: Shortcake

A web app offering a customizable audio tour via a floor plan interface, with detailed artist info and an AI chat box for exhibit questions.

Enhanced UK-US Influence Dashboard
Team: Staccato

Using AI, knowledge graphs, and multimodal analytics to uncover deeper lyrical and region-based cultural influences between UK/US music.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

No, diverse skills are welcome! While coding/AI skills are useful within a team, we strongly encourage participation from students with backgrounds in music, history, design, storytelling, and more. The goal is interdisciplinary collaboration. We recommend teams have a mix of skills, including at least one member comfortable with some prototyping/coding.

Yes, absolutely! Using AI assistants like Copilot or ChatGPT for coding and ideation is permitted and encouraged to help you build quickly. Remember to use them responsibly – understand the code generated and focus on the overall solution's quality and innovation. More guidelines on responsible AI use will be provided.

While you can come with friends or colleagues in mind, official team formation will happen during the kickoff session on Day 1. This ensures teams are interdisciplinary and balanced. We aim for teams of 3-5 members. Use the kickoff to meet others with complementary skills!

We recommend teams of 3 to 5 people to ensure a good mix of skills and manageable collaboration during the event.

Projects will be evaluated by a panel from the University of Liverpool and the British Music Experience based on criteria including: Originality & Innovation, Impact & Relevance to BME, Quality & Execution, Relevance to Chosen Challenge, Responsible Use of AI, Technical Feasibility, and Presentation Clarity. The detailed scoring rubric will be shared at the start of the hackathon.

Yes, lunch will be provided on both full hackathon days (Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th April). Coffee, tea, and water will also be available. Please specify any dietary requirements during registration.

Please bring your own laptop, charger, and any specific peripherals you might need (mouse, headphones, drawing tablet, etc.). Ensure your laptop can run the software you intend to use. Wi-Fi access will be provided at the Career Studio venue. Enthusiasm and ideas are also mandatory!

Details regarding specific datasets from the British Music Experience or relevant APIs (potentially related to music information, knowledge graphs, etc.) will be provided during the hackathon kickoff and briefing sessions. Assume standard web APIs are accessible.

No, this hackathon is designed as an in-person event to foster collaboration and direct interaction with mentors and the BME context. Physical presence is required, especially for Day 1 at the BME and Days 2/3 at the Career Studio.

Registration

Registration for the hackathon is now closed. Thank you for your interest!

Registration Closed