News
AntiVJ Showcase Event | Victoria Tillotson | AntiVJ, News
Thursday 10 Sept | 1800hrs | Watershed | Fee £3.50.International visual label AntiVJ create monumental projections in public spaces, combining powerful video projectors with digital mapping techniques and holographic illusions. Stepping away from conventional techniques, the artist’s offer an alternative perspective on social spaces and cultural communication.
This event will include a showcase of AntiVJ’s recent projects, plus an in conversation presentation between AntiVJ members Nicolas Boritch, Joanie Lemercier, and Watershed’s Head of Programme, Mark Cosgrove. They will discuss how artists are utilising today’s emerging technologies, and what impact this might have on the future of gaming, fashion, architecture and advertising.
Tickets to this event can be booked through Watershed Box Office: http://www.watershed.co.uk/exhibits/2028/
There will also be an opportunity to see a demo of AntiVJ's new experimental stereo and tracking prototype:
Media Sandbox Final Showcase Event & Publication | Victoria Tillotson | NewsTuesday 20th October | Watershed, Bristol | Free
In order to celebrate two successful years of Media Sandbox, we’re pleased to announce that we have commissioned an exciting publication to be launched at our Showcase Event later in the year. The publication will celebrate the impact of the Media Sandbox scheme by telling the stories, highlighting the successes and sighting the legacies. Working with Bristol based designers Wildfire, photographer Toby Farrow and writer Steve Wright, this will be a read not to be missed.
The Media Sandbox Final Showcase Event & Publication Launch will be held on October 20th 2009 at Watershed. We’ll post more details soon, so watch out for information.
Best wishes,
Victoria
Reality arrives | Rik Lander | U-Soap MediaWe're in the process of writing up the outcomes of our research, cutting the videos and making glossy presentation documents. This is the hardest bit and the most boring - the fun is in having the ideas and playing games - now the dreams have to be sold and so have to become somehow real. Nothing kills a dream harder than reality. Nothing ruins a good idea like actually trying to do it. We'd love to go on playing, but we've blown all the cash.
We have several formats that we're going to pitch to production companies to sell on to broadcasters. The Sandbox process has been very useful for us - the chance to road test with real people interactive games where audience choices affect the outcome of a TV show. With the exception of train fares and some items from Tescos most of the money has gone into the local economy; to actors, crew, runners, production people, a carpenter, caterers and building supplies. It has been satisfying to pull in people from our networks as well as working with new people. Jon, Greg and I would like to say thank you to everyone who has helped us and contributed to Viral Spiral.
Media Sandbox participants in government action plan | Clare Reddington | 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)
Happy Valentine Darling | Clare Reddington | 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.
