News
Building collaboration through web 2.0 | Clare | NewsEd Mitchell and I have given a few talks recently about how we are using free web 2.0 tools to foster and support collaboration and community building in Media Sandbox. Read Ed's overview of our presentation here.
Media Sandbox Showcase Event | Clare | News31 March | 6 – 7.30 pm | Watershed
In January 2008, Media Sandbox selected six projects to research possibilities in pervasive media – ranging from bringing Aardman’s animations ‘to life’ in the real world to multi-player games in the urban environment.
This midway showcase is an opportunity to find out how the groups are getting on and offer your insight into this exciting and emerging area. Book a space here.
Media Sandbox participants in government action plan | Clare | NewsThe Government today published Creative Britain: New Talents for the New Economy, its Creative Economy action plan in which it commits to the future development of, and investment in, Britain’s creative industries. Amongst the many examples of excellence cited was the work of Media Sandbox participants, including Licorice Film, Aardman and Watershed.
Led by the Department for Media, Culture and Sport, Creative Britain explores how organisations like Watershed and the other Sandbox participants are playing a vital developmental role in the wider creative economy – an economy which contributes £60 billion to the UK economy, employs 2 million people and which is growing at twice the rate of the economy as a whole.
The plan highlights MeiGeist, Licorice Film's first Alternative Reality Game, a new animation centre that Aardman is working in partnership with Skillset and the South West Regional Development Agency on, and the ground-breaking Pervasive Media Studio.
Read the plan: Creative Britain - New Talents for the Economy PDF (1.2mb)
February Media Sandbox Newsletter | Clare | NewsMedia Sandbox projects' progress
This January, four out of the six projects joined iShed at the new Pervasive Media Studio, making the most of the desk space, technology and the expertise of others. It has been great to have the Studio buzzing with ideas and new faces and it has also been a good vantage point to watch how the groups have gone about starting on their projects…Interestingly, all the projects have approached the idea of Pervasive Media as an opportunity to engage the public with digital technology in a playful fashion. Two of the projects - BDH & Plot and Thought Pie - are concerned with monitoring the concept of 'happiness'; two more - Licorice Films and Simon Evans & Simon Johnson are examining the role of Pervasive Media in urban games; Aardman & HMC are bringing cartoons to life in the real world and Altern8 is looking at public art installations as a playground for audience involvement. There is a strong feeling that the medium is an opportunity to test and challenge human responses and emotions.
However, the projects have all approached their research from differing starting points. Simon Evans & Simon Johnson are deeply immersed in bookish research into the nature of swarming, whilst Thought Pie bombed straight out into Bristol to do some initial gopping tests on the public. Plot & BDH are looking for interviewees this weekend from a diverse range of backgrounds and experience to inform their research - if you're interested in contributing, read more here.
Piecing together the appropriate technologies has been a shared challenge, and some solutions are emerging. Aardman & HMC have been investgating face recognition software; Thought Pie have collaborated with Venue on an SMS events/mood matching service; and Altern8 is working with producer Nathan Hughes to break down a complex software solution to provide multiple users influence over a single art installation.
Even at this early stage, as the projects are just starting to take shape, the interest of Guardian online and Digtial Arts has been sparked.
Alistair Darling opens The Pervasive Media Studio
Chancellor of The Exchequer, Alistair Darling, opened the Pervasive Media Studio in Bristol on 14 February last week. To find out more about the Studio, a new initiative from HP Labs and Watershed, read more hereNext events
Media Sandbox will be holding open events on the following dates - please mark your diaries and watch out for more information…
31 March | Watershed | Work in Progress Presentation | 6pm
6 May | Watershed | Final Showcase | 6pmYour input
As well as reading the journals online we would encourage you to add your suggestions and thoughts. This is not a closed research process and the projects will respond to your comments.
We have set up a tag for delicious so if you see a useful website, please include the tag 'mediasandbox'. There is also a flickr group and a youtube channel to add pictures or video. This will help build a body of knowledge from which everyone can benefit.
Happy Valentine Darling | Clare | News
Media Sandbox participants Ben Templeton (Thought Den) and Simon Evans yesterday met Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling as he opened the Pervasive Media Studio.
The Studio is collaboration HP Labs and Watershed and will be managed by iShed, to bring together the computing, communications and creative industries to explore the 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. Space in the studio was offered to all of the Media Sandbox participants as part of their commission, and it has now become home to four of the six projects.Also involved are BBC, International Futures Forum, the University of West England and the University of Bristol. The project is backed by the South West Regional Development Agency.
