Where did January go?
February 1, 2010
Posted by Clare in: Watershed | Ideas | Bristol | Add a commentOver the last few months the Watershed team has spent a lot of time thinking about how we can a) be more joined up and b) communicate the thinking behind the ideas and people we work with, rather than just the end results. The process was started through the re-development of DShed (and how to represent a wide breadth of projects, artists and content), but also fits into the thinking being done as part of Watershed's Sustain funding. My new year's resolution then is to spend more time capturing what I am up to, as much for myself (maybe it will help me manage my diary better?) as for a wider audience to see what might be coming up.
So, highlights of last week:
Ed Cookson of The Sancho Plan emailed to ask if we would be interested in the large scale augmented reality installation they are producing. The meeting with Ed (and Phil Stenton and Tarim) was exactly the kind of meeting I like - clear ideas, a good reason to collaborate and lots of mutual value all round. The turn-around is a bit quick and I was obviously ignoring my 'no new projects post-it' but looks like we are going to make something together in early March. Hopefully this project will also bring all of Tarim's hard work to fruition and finally get some interactive work on Bristol's BBC Big Screen (in advance of The Pervasive Media Studio artists residencies in April).
Quite a lot of my time is spent showing people around the Studio, a role I refer to as Dancing Monkey. We host these visits for many reasons (to remain open to new ideas/contacts, to profile projects, to please funders). Whilst sometimes they feel like they are taking me away from 'real work' they often bring valuable and serendipitous contacts and Friday's visits were particularly good, especially as the studio was buzzing with Mobile Pie's Global Games Jam. First came Caroline Thomson, Chief Operating Officer of the BBC and then Paul Gough and Guy Orpen, Vice Chancellors of Research at UWE and University of Bristol respectively. Residents informally presented their projects and fed back on the value of the studio with sincerity and generosity. I am hopeful that UWE, University of Bristol and BBC will all become more involved in the Studio over the forthcoming months and the tour certainly helped establish some common interests.
A couple of years ago we started some interesting work (with Demos) on the public spaces around Watershed but a changed economy forced us to put this work on hold. This week it was really exciting to re-visit this thinking and get together a team from across Watershed to plan a series of Light Graffiti Workshops with Tine Bech. I met Tine when she was taking part in Method (Cultural Leadership Programme) and last year she secured a PhD place with UWE's DCRC. She is now partly based at the Studio and is researching the creation of interactive installations which enhance our engagement with our environment. With DCRC funding we are working with Tine to produce three light drawing workshops to explore how staff, audience and people who don't come to Watershed feel about the space outside of our building. The results will feed in to the eventual creation of a new installation by Tine for this space. Details of how to get involved will be posted soon on the Watershed website.
Other good things: Seeing the footage of AntiVJ's latest work (will post when it's online), Studio advisory group (two years in!), more Theatre Sandbox planning, interviewing for the DCRC Knowledge Transfer associate and catching up with Luke Jerram on his Aeolus project.
The bad bits - having to pull out of assessing for EPSRC's Research in the Wild Call and the Bristol Media digital dinner due to sporting a terrible cough and having to retire to bed.
Meanwhile this week brings a Watershed board meeting in which Mark, Louise and I will present the work we have done towards re-presenting our curatorial policy, and my final interview for the UK Young Interactive Entrepreneur award (which weirdly British Council seem to have taken down the website for).
Bristol visits SXSW
March 17, 2008
Posted by Clare in: Innovation | Ideas | Technology | Bristol | Add a commentLast week I headed to the South by South West Interactive Festival in Austin, Texas, with four other digital agencies from Bristol. The Festival celebrates the creativity and passion behind the coolest new media technologies and featured keynote talks and panel sessions covering everything from web design to bootstrapping to social networks.
Traveling with Mike Bennett of Bristol Media, Benjamin Hostler of Beef, Hazel Grian of Licorice Media and Andy Parkhouse of Team Rubber, our mission was to research new business opportunities, spot emerging digital trends and explore what Bristol can learn from one of the biggest international conferences and festivals of the year.
The hot topics at the Festival were mobile, creativity, collaboration and ARGs (with Hazel of Licorice being recognised across the Festival for her MeiGeist ARG). You can read our blog, which covers general impressions of the Festival and some detailed notes on events, here.
Shadowplay: Event Report
February 22, 2008
Posted by Emma in: Ideas | Robots | Add a commentWhat makes a robot lifelike? How do we respond to humanoid technology? What do machines tell us about ourselves?
These were all questions discussed in Shadowplay, today's Creative Technology Network event, lead by freelance Science writer Piers Bizony, and AIB Senior Lecturer, Andrew King.
Shadowplay is a concept for a hybrid puppet/robot performance which will dramatically refine our emotional reactions to machines. Past personifications of robots fall into stereotypes - menacing, emotionless or simply toys - but Shadowplay aims to push the boundaries of aesthetics and audience engagement by introducing complex technology and some psychological trickery.
Taking inspiration from theatre works such as War Horse and large scale public events such as The Sultan's Elephant, Shadowplay will research to what extent stagecraft can fool and human imagination will compensate for endowing an 'intelligent', yet inanimate, object with life.
Today's CTN event brought together a diverse group from academics, students, puppeteers, performance choreographers and technicians, from which a core team has been assembled to take the project forward. The project is in its early stages, so if you feel you have expertise and experience you would like to offer, please get in touch with us and we can put you in contact with the project.
Pervasive Media commissions
October 23, 2007
Posted by Clare in: Innovation | Ideas | Add a commentiShed has announced Media Sandbox, a new commissioning scheme to support South West companies/organisations to research emerging possibilities in digital media.
Media Sandbox, is looking to make six catalytic investments in innovative Research and Development pilots which exploit opportunities in digital media presented by pervasive computing/wireless technologies. The scheme is an entirely unique opportunity for SMEs to collaboratively create radical new products and processes – pushing forward understanding and potential usage of next generation digital media.
For more details, and to register for the launch event, visit www.mediasandbox.co.uk
Media Sandbox is managed by iShed working with South West Screen and Futurelab with support from South West Regional Development Agency and Watershed.
Dorkbot returns
October 17, 2007
Posted by Clare in: Events | Ideas | Technology | Add a commentDorkbot returned after the summer break last night, with a new focus on workshop-led presentations.
First up was Null Hypothesis who gave a whistle stop tour of some new (and slightly left field) science and technology, including Motorola’s air freshener dispensing phone handset and the dressing room mirror that sends MMS pictures of you trying on clothes to a friend for an honest opinion.
Null Hypothesis was set up by three Bristol university PhD students to poke fun at the world of science and technology and challenge the myths often created by inaccurate scientific reporting. Originally set up as a journal, a meeting with Dragon’s Den encouraged them to set up a website and they now have global reach, a column in The Daily Telegraph and are writing a book. Read more unlikely science at the site.
Next up was John Honniball on Microcontrollers. Offering an overview of the many things microcontrollers enable you to make (from synthesizers to robots), dorkbotters were invited to design and programme a new pattern for John's LED wand. View photos.
