Alternative Technologies Workshop Series (2)

The Centre for Creative Technologies and Brigstow Institute are excited to announce the continuation of this workshop series, where we bring together creative technologists, researchers and artists to think together, share their practices and ideas, learn new skills and foster possibilities for future collaborations.

Harry Wilson (UoB) kicked off the series in July with his Placing Spaces Workshop, using 3D scanning and audio recorded conversations to install a series of geo-located Augmented Reality encounters at various outdoor locations. More information about the workshop can be found on our blog.

This series offers free workshops open to University of Bristol staff working with creative technology (broadly understood), and Pervasive Media Studio residents. You have to register to each workshop day separately. Each day takes place at the Pervasive Media Studio Event Space and includes lunch.

Creative Coding with Charlie Hooper-Williams

10-12, 1st October 2024

This workshop takes a hands-on, dive-right-in approach to creative coding. From the very beginning, participants learn by doing, making simple, visual, interactive scenes right away. Using the same software Larkhall (Charlie) uses for his own live visuals , you’ll make things spin, glow, warp, and sparkle as you learn about rendering, lighting, textures and more.

Tickets can be found here.

Speculative Imaginings.

9.30-16.30, 10th October 2024.

Narrative Futuring with Viv Kuh and Bec Gee

Taking inspiration from Ruth Levitas’ Utopia as Method, this workshop uses a combination of visualisation, storytelling, collective imagining and critical making practices to support participants in imagining the best possible future worlds, as a means of critically reflecting on their current practice and how it might be better shaped to move us all towards more positive futures. Participants discover new images, analogies, language and possibilities to shape their lives and work. We will start with a very quick introduction to utopian imagining and its theoretical underpinnings and then get straight to work. We will explore a few key Narrative Futuring creative methods, including utopian visualization, collaborative imagining and creative writing. We will follow these activities with a facilitated discussion on the value and potential for utopian imagining, thinking about not only how this form of imagination can help create more flourishing futures, but also how it can positively impact our practice and wellbeing right now.

Capital Flows with Imwen Eke

The Capital Flows workshop harnesses the power of play to uncover and reimagine hopes and aspirations for individuals and communities profoundly impacted by global ecological and social challenges. Inspired by the concept of regenerative enterprise, this workshop guides participants in understanding and leveraging seven forms of capital: financial, material, social, natural, spiritual, intellectual, and time. We explore how these interact across personal, social, political, and ecological systems. Through engaging activities such as personal capital inventories and system-building exercises, you’ll gain valuable insights into how these capital forms shape our lives, communities, and the planet.Our workshop aims to foster creative problem-solving and collaboration, addressing real-world challenges related to climate resilience, social justice, and community wellbeing. By tapping into the power of play and imagination, we’ll work together to envision, design, and creatively “hack” systems.

Tickets can be found here.

Experiencing VR with Alternative Senses with Eirini Lampiri

10.00-15.00, 6th November 2024.

This workshop will explore the journey of creating a VR experience prototype with physical, kinetic sets and using it to explore how sensory alignment and misalignment alters the participants’ level of immersion and engagement with the medium.

Sharing of findings about the needs of different bodies in XR experiences; how different bodies prioritize different senses and what does this mean when designing for a multisensory XR experience.

Open discussion and knowledge exchange about:

The role of participants when entering an XR multisensory experience in relation to the story, materials and scale.

Bridging reality and virtuality to engage with XR environments with more senses than vision and hearing, combining the wealth and uniqueness of real-life multisensory interaction with the possibilities that immersive technologies and storytelling can unlock.

Collaborative activity: Together, participants will explore sensory alignment and misalignment and the language around describing and communicating sensory related content.

Tickets can be found here.


Interrogating Entanglement Musical Instruments 
with Steve Symons

12 November, 10am-1pm, Pervasive Media Studio Event Space. Lunch included.

Recent digital musical instruments have questioned the traditional relationship between the individual musician and their instrument. As well as creating opportunities to inter-connect performers’ systems, technology has opened a field of entangled instruments; where the players are so enmeshed as to be considered a single mutually played instrument. This workshop offers a practical exploration of the experience of playing and designing two-person entangled instruments for close mutual participation. Participants will start with a series of collaborative ice-breakers, designed to entangle and lay the foundations of a care-based experience. This will be followed by a period of playing and reflecting on Steve’s existing instruments in pairs and in a group context. Then finally we will conclude within a period of practical instrument making.

There are 12 spaces in the workshop- you will be in pairs or threes with one person in the group knowing either PureData, Max/MSP, Supercollider or VCV Rack2. We encourage both those with knowledge of these softwares and those that don’t to apply!

To sign up, fill in this form by the 14 October. We will confirm your space by 15 October 4PM. 

Please contact CCT for any questions or queries.

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