2009 at the Pervasive Media Studio
January 12, 2010
Posted by Shirin in: Innovation | Gaming | Mobile | Bristol | pervasive | Add a commentThe Pervasive Media Studio brings together creative practice and technological innovation to produce the content, applications and experiences of the future. The Studio was built on the legacy of Mobile Bristol and is a collaboration by Watershed and UWE's Digital Cultures Research Centre (DCRC) and managed by iShed.
The last 12 months have been exciting and busy. We have received some great recognition including the Media Innovation Award For Outstanding Contribution, the One World Media Award for Hazel Grian and a Vauxhall commission for Duncan Speakman's subtlemob as if it were the last time. Other highlights of the year include the Extended Theatre Experience which researched digital technology and theatre; Simon Games' igfest attracting over 1000 players from across the world and AntiVJ's Projecting Holograms.
We were also delighted to secure Technology Strategy Board funding for a collaborative research project with Bristol Old Vic, Historic Royal Palaces, the New Museum of Bristol and Calvium. Entitled 'Unlocking markets for content delivery', the project will deliver prototype authoring and delivery services to smart phones.
To see a full list of our projects, click here.
Hellos and Goodbyes
2009 saw some founding residents graduate from the Studio to continue their success. Mobile Pie have developed into an award-winning mobile content studio specialising in games and entertainment; Thought Den have extended their impressive portfolio with pervasive media training sessions for the BBC and Simon Games produced social street game Drom with London’s Soho Theatre, before taking over their own studio space in the city. Among those that have joined the Studio in recent months are start-up company Calvium, artist Luke Jerram and PhD researcher Tine Bech.
To see a full list of our Studio residents, click here.
Visits, Travels and Guests
2009 was a year of exciting visits, trips and festivals; the Guardian Technology podcast was recorded at the studio and featured interviews with many residents; Jim Knight, the Minister for the South West visited us in the context of the Digital Britain report and legendary music producer Jools Holland supported Media Sandbox commission Visual Voice Pro. Our favourite 2009 destinations include Glastonbury Festival where Studio Resident Tarim decorated the BBC village screen with his Instant Graffiti; Birds Eye View film festival where we provided a taste of pervasive media and SXSW Interactive Festival.
Read the visits and festivals blog.
Digital Cultures Research Centre
Finally, late in 2009, the University of the West of England became an official partner of the Pervasive Media Studio. The Digital Cultures Research Centre (DCRC) led by Professor Jon Dovey, is now permanently based within the Studio to represent and promote the work of a diverse network of researchers from the Faculty of Creative Arts and the Bristol Institute of Technology.
Visit us at: www.pmstudio.co.uk
Pervasive Games and Playful Experiences: succesful panel at SXSW interactive
October 19, 2009
Posted by Clare in: Events | Innovation | Bristol | pervasive | Add a commentOne of the panels that I submitted (in conjunction with people from last year's Arts Council funded SXSW delegation) is now officially programmed for South by South West Interactive 2010:
Pervasive Games and Playful Experiences: Rendering the Real World - The most photorealistic, networked environment you can play in is real life”. Mobile internet, pervasive gaming and sensor-enriched public spaces enable new possibilities in game-play, distributed story-telling and immersive events. Building on previous SXSW events,
leading practitioners will explore the ethics, design challenges and business potential of this new form.
I submitted the idea over the summer and it went to community vote, the SXSW Advisory Boards and SXSW staff before making it through to the first batch of events to be programmed this year.
Now to confirm panelists, which will be really tricky as there are so many brilliant people from all over that would make a valuable contribution…
Welcome to igfest - the interesting games festival.
September 13, 2008
Posted by victoria in: Events | Gaming | pervasive | Add a comment
The Pervasive Media Studio is buzzing this week with preparations for igfest - the interesting games festival, 19th-21st September.
Taking place around the Harbourside in Bristol, igfest is the first festival in the south west to invite people to discover and re-discover the city through playing games in the streets. Freed from screens and boards, players of these games roam the streets hungry for fun. One game may see you fleeing over Pero's bridge with a Pac Man ghost on your tail, another has you playing snakes and ladders up and down the stairs and slopes of a multi story car park.
The final testing phase completed last week, saw a number of willing volunteers testing the tech for Moose Hunt. Useful questions were raised and discussed around using cross platform GPS apps - questions that will enrich future development of pervasive gaming. The test also revealed a couple of software niggles to be ironed out this weekend.
Beginning next week - you are invited to play Moose Hunt.
Moose will be making his autumn migration from the deepest Forest of Dean to Bristol over the week before the festival. Your mission is to find him and photograph him. Text 'moose' to 60300 to receive a map of the moose's current location. But be careful, the moose will be told your location and if he 'shoots' you before you 'shoot' him you are out of the game. Prizes for photographs in various categories including first sighting.
To find out more about igfest go to http://igfest.org/ or join the facebook group by logging in and typing igfest into facebook's search box.
Interviewees needed
February 19, 2008
Posted by Emma in: Technology | Bristol | pervasive | Add a commentPlot London are looking for interviewees for their Media Sandbox project Happy Towns this weekend – Saturday 23rd to Monday 25th February.
They're looking for a range of people at different stages of their lives with diverse attitudes to technology - you might embrace new technologies or be a sceptic…
• A man who is head of the family
• A woman who is head of the family
• An infant school child or a junior school
• Teenagers in pre-exam study time
• Someone who owns their own business
• A grandfather or a grandmother
• A student
• An unmarried young couple just starting out
• A couple with a new baby
If you are Bristol based, come under any of the above categories and are willing to be interviewed for about an hour and half, please drop Gill an email or give her a call on 07966 209 615
Research from your interview will inform Plot as to how they can design things that will make what you are doing now either better, or easier in the future and what people do to make themselves happy.
Alistair Darling opens the Pervasive Media Studio
February 14, 2008
Posted by Clare in: Watershed | Innovation | Bristol | pervasive | 1 comment so far
Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling today opened the Pervasive Media Studio, which brings together the computing, communications and creative industries within a dynamic, cutting-edge work space to explore how new technologies could be used and what experiences could be created by this growing pervasive media environment. The Studio itself offers project development space, a wide variety of events and seminars for businesses and a creative learning programme for education and community groups.
The Studio is collaboration HP Labs and Watershed and will be managed by iShed, with University of West England and the University of Bristol as well as the South West's creative and technology industries. The project is also backed by the South West Regional Development Agency.
