Observations: London's artistic vision of Joannas

It's not often you come across a piano in a street but next Friday in London you just might. As part of the City of London Festival, the "Play me I'm Yours Streets Piano Project," is taking place with 15 second-hand pianos dotted across the city, everywhere from the British Library to Portobello Road (another 15 will follow later in the month). Organised by artist Luke Jerram, the project is designed to encourage impromptu recitals and sing-a-longs on the way to work as people find music in unexpected places.

Site-specific songbooks will be left on the pianos (so those at Liverpool Street station can sing about trains while passers-by the Millenium Bridge can stop to play a water-inspired ditty or two) and decorating the pianos is allowed.

According to Jerram, the idea is that the pianos are a blank musical canvas. "It's like a YouTube facility; a place for people to express their creativity and claim ownership of a public space."

The pianos, which were the highlight of this year's Sydney Festival and will appear in Bristol in September, are being donated to community groups when the project is finished. So, all budding pianists, here's your chance – take part in a little tinkling of the ivories and upload your performance onto the project's website.

www.streetpianos.co.uk