The multimedia and audiovisual device of the “Centre d’Histoire et de Mémoire de Drancy” aims at:

1. Disseminating a wide range of contents throughout limited space,
2. Creating various “content offers” depending on the audience,
3. Assisting the mediators,
4. Offering audio contents in limited spaces without disturbing visitors,
5. Handling several languages.

To this end, we have developed an “interactive multimedia companion”, an Internet tablet computer lent to each visitor. This companion features an application that enables the visitor to activate all the multimedia and audiovisual installations.

The application allows several smartphones to connect and be synchronised so that a number of visitors interconnect and follow the tour altogether. This way they can watch and listen to the same video.

The device enables the visitor to:

• select the audiovisual contents to be displayed on screens,
• use the headphones to listen to the audio track from the videos displayed on screens in the language of her/his choice,
• memorise the audio-visual contents seen on the installations (bookmark system) and get additional information on the Internet after the tour.

© Pictures: Guillaume Marais, Vincent Pfrunner and Pierre-Emmanuel Weck