Events Archive
This page contains documentation, multimedia footage and descriptions of various events that have taken place in the IOCT since its launch. The page is organised chronologically, with the most recent activity uppermost.
2010
Thursday 28th January 2010: Professorial Lecture Series - Martin Rieser - Professor of Digital Creativity
Screen cultures today are dominated by narrative and its modes of framing. The advent of 'Pervasive' or 'Ubiquitous' tools such as smart phones with GPS sensing enables dispersed forms of narrative interaction in public.
This convergence of mobile technologies and embedded computing is creating a world where information-rich environments may be mapped directly onto urban topologies.
This poses a series of questions around changing concepts of space and place for a wide range of traditional disciplines ranging from Anthropology, Art and Architecture to Computer Studies, Cultural and Media Studies, Fashion and Graphic design.
The talk will be illustrated by examples from Professor Rieser's recent practice, including 'The Third Woman' interactive mobile film.
Professor Rieser has always been fascinated by the possibility of creating fragmentary narrative structures and interactive stories using digital technology.
This has led him into explorations using mobile sensing and large-scale interactive video experiences. His art practice has been seen around the world including Cannes, Paris, Vienna, Thessaloniki, London, Belfast, Milan and Melbourne.
Author of numerous essays on digital art including New Screen Media: Cinema/ Art/Narrative (BFI/ZKM, 2002), he has recently edited The Mobile Audience, a book on locative art due out this year from Rodopi.
He is Joint research Professor between the Institute of Creative Technologies and The Faculty of Art and Design at De Montfort.
Thursday 27th May 2010 - Professorial Lecture Series - Ramsay Burt - Professor of Dance History
Professor Ramsay Burt's work is concerned with understanding twentieth and twenty-first century dance within its social, historical and political contexts.
Questions about the expression of freedom and individuality, that are popularly associated with modern dance, began to take their current form around the beginning of the twentieth century.
This was a time when exponents of 'natural dancing' were arguing for a return to nature, while British suffragists were campaigning for the freedom to participate fully in national political life, the militants almost literally throwing their bodies into the fight.
In this lecture Professor Burt applies ideas about corporeality, developed by dance scholars, to analyse the treatment of suffragette hunger-strikers and what this reveals about the embodiment of freedom at that time.
Ramsay Burt initially studied Fine Art at Leeds University. While teaching Art History at art colleges, he began writing dance criticism for The Yorkshire Post and for specialist dance magazines. His first book The Male Dancer (1995), based on his PhD thesis, became the standard work on the subject and is still in print. In 1999 he was visiting Professor at New York University, and in 2002, with Professor Susan Foster, he founded the journal Discourses in Dance. In 2005 he became Professor of Dance History in the Faculty of Humanities.
2008
15 July 2008: Seminar on Bidding for EU Research Funds
Professor Stephen Brown gave a seminar for DMU staff on bidding for EU research funds. He talked about the EU FP7 IST research instruments (IPs, STREPS etc), what they are, how they are evaluated, why bids fail and what a successful bid looks like. This was grounded in his recent experiences of evaluating Digital Libraries, Cultural Heritage and Technology Enhanced Learning proposals in the most the recent round (call 3).
Some useful links are:
Comprehensive EC guide to "How to fail"
Introduction to Cultural Heritage & Technology Enhanced Learning, including links to programme descriptions, publications that describe currently funded projects and links to commission / project web sites and contacts.
19 June 2008: IOCT Masters Showcase
The IOCT Masters Class of 2008 held a showcase exhibition in the main lab today. The students come from a wide variety of backgrounds across Art and Design, Computing and Humanities, all united in an interest in the trans/multi/interdisciplinary potential of creative technologies. None of them solely within traditional disciplines - they may be technologists with a creative dimension, artists working with technologies, designers with programming skills, or any one of many more such ‘crossovers’.
As areas ‘between’ traditional disciplines grow, the modern Masters student needs a portfolio of skills and knowledge to become employable in the future. The IOCT Masters students will be uniquely equipped for this future world, by gaining an insight into a range of methods and practices, research and development, knowledge and understanding, uniquely drawn from a number of Faculties in De Montfort University.
Throughout the course the students have developed and strengthened their individual creative technologies practice, bringing together eScience, the Digital Arts and Design and Humanities to cross traditional disciplines and boundaries, explore new ways of working and learning and broaden their future horizons. This has been exhilarating year for all of us involved in the Masters programme, reflected in the exciting and innovative work showcased in this brochure.
- Dr Sophy Smith, Programme Leader
18 June 2008: IOCT Salon - Creative Writing and New Media MA Showcase
The Online MA in Creative Writing and New Media at De Montfort University is designed for writers interested in experimenting with new formats and exploring the potential of new technologies in their writing. This first annual CWNM Salon is a unique opportunity to enjoy the best work from the first two years of the course with installations and talks from 6 course students.
Event description (IOCT Salon website)
11 June 2008: The De Montfort Creativity Assistant - Mapping Human Creativity
Professor Hussein Zedan
1 May 2008: IOCT Salon - Paul Brown, Origins and Emergence - a brief history of the digital arts
This illustrated presentation gave an overview of the history of the digital arts from their origins in the analogue kinetics and Jazz/Poetry performances of the 1950's to current practice. Key themes like Artificial Intelligence, Artificial Life/Emergence, Computational and Generative, Interaction, Convergence, Communication and Networking will be identified and discussed. In particular Paul revisited predictions he made in the late 1980's when he suggested that any new media need a minimum 40 year gestation period which he suggests is now coming to term. He illustrated this hypothesis by using current web2 manifestations as examples of digital media emerging in their own right in contrast to our previous metaphorical adaptations.
Event description (IOCT Salon website)
23 April 2008: IOCT Research Seminar - Bruce Mason - Exploring "A Million Penguins"
In February 2007, DMU and Penguin Publishing collaborated to host the world's first wiki novel - "A Million Penguins." Over a five week period nearly 1,500 people signed up to edit the novel, over 11,000 edits were made and it was viewed over 500,000 times leading the CEO over Penguin Publishing to muse that it was maybe the "most written novel in history." In this seminar, Bruce Mason will outline the results of a research project held at the IOCT which investigated the social behaviour that unfolded during the writing of "A Million Penguins." What kinds of collaboration, conflict and compromise occurred and what did it tell us about future online writing possibilities? Did a sense of community arise or did we see nothing but chaos and vandalism? The seminar will not require any particular knowledge of wikis or online writing. For more information, email Bruce Mason (bmason01 at dmu.ac.uk).
Project description and report
10 April 2008:IOCT Salon - Sarah Angliss, Thinking Beyond the Screen and Mouse
With live demos of Clara 2.0 (a theremin-playing robot doll) and other curiosities, Sarah explores her own approach to digital arts. Her work may use computers and embedded microprocessors - but Sarah aims to create interactive objects with a tactile and convincing quality that extend beyond the computer screen and mouse. Sewer pipes, car park technology and roboticised toys are just some of the items she's appropriated over the last few years to create novel experiences. Sarah shows some of the thinking that goes into her work and reveals how she shamelessly mines ideas from cognitive science, stage magic, ancient music and other areas to come up with new ideas. She'll briefly discuss her latest work, inspired by an Edwardian funfair illusion, that's currently interesting researchers of human perception.
Event description and video (IOCT Salon website)
10 April 2008: Professor Hussein Zedan, Mapping Human Creativity (De Montfort Creativity Assistant)
One of the purposes of modelling is to understand and further analyse a given phenomenon. The phenomenon in this talk is "Creativity" and I will present an initial graph-theoretic approach to model it. It is precisely generic in nature and allows us to define the creative process.
28 February 2008: IOCT Salon - Toni Sant, A Second Life for Online Performance History
Toni Sant is exploring the 3-D online virtual environment called Second Life as a venue for performance by looking at examples of theatre groups performing online within Second Life. In addition to activities presented as theatre he is also observing broader performance activities within this online space. Additionally, this project involves an attempt to use Second Life as a pedagogical tool for generating an archive of work related to a history of performance on the Internet by relating it to previous work on other online virtual environments, such as IRC, MUDs, MOOs, and 2-D graphic chat networks like The Palace. Presently, the work revolves around a planned Second Life production of Shakespeare's Hamlet in one of three simulations of The Globe in this popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game. See www.ioctsalon.com for more details. Part of cultural eXchanges 2008.
Event description and video (IOCT Salon website)
27 February 2008: Cultural eXchanges Seminar, Minimalism and Electroacoustic Music - Howard Skempton and Richard Orton
Howard Skempton is one of the great originals of the English experimental music scene which burst onto the stage in the late 60s and 70s. Richard Orton is one of the pioneers of the electronic music renaissance in Britain and is an innovative composer and teacher of a generation of leaders in the field. Here (after 40 years) is a platform to let them explore, challenge - and maybe rewrite - some of the accepted historical clichés. Simon Emmerson (DMU) will chair.
Event description (Cultural Exchanges website)
13 February 2008: Symposium and Concert: Algorithmic Composition
One of the New Media Seminar and Concert Series organised by the Music, Technology and Innovation Research Centre at De Montfort University, and held in the PACE Building, STUDIO 1, Richmond St., Leicester. 2-5pm: Symposium - Keynote speaker will be Agostino di Scipio (Music Conservatory of Naples): 'What is needed to give this presentation a title?'. Other papers: Ron Herrema (DMU), 'Paradoxically Algorithmic'; Bret Battey (DMU), 'Variable-Coupled Map Networks'; Ollie Bown (Goldsmiths), 'Compositional uses of continuous time recurrent neural networks'. 7pm Concert: Agostino di Scipio - two UK premieres: Untitled (Sound Synthesis, October 2001) and Untitled (Sound Processing, October 2004); Ollie Bown (Icarus) & Tom Arthurs (F-IRE Collective & Not Applicable Artists) a work for trumpet and interactive electronics; Ron Herrema - two world premieres: One or Two Things and Music for Being.
Event description (MTI website)
31 January 2008: IOCT Salon - Andy Campbell, Dreaming Methods
Since the 1990s Andy Campbell has experimented with the possibilities of writing fiction for the computer screen. His website Dreaming Methods combines fictional narratives with other media such as film, photography, animation and music.
Event description and video (IOCT Salon website)
Event report and photos (Jess Laccetti)
Videos (Jess Laccetti)
Event report (New Media Research group blog at the University of Bedfordshire, UK)
28 January 2008: Transliteracy Workshop
Over the last year, the Production and Research into Transliteracy Group at De Montfort University has been exploring the notion of transliteracy. At the Transliteracy Unconference in September 2007 we decided that a workshop in which participant could begin to make transliterate objects would be the next step in this process. The fact that no-one could actually describe what these might be like added an extra frisson to the idea. Hence at this event participants were invited to use materials provided by The Institute of Creative Technologies, along with their own ideas, to investigate the creation of transliterate object.
23 January 2008: Intellectual Property for Musicians: Your Legal Rights and Controlling Use of Your Work
Organised by Creative Leicestershire and ProspectIP, an innovation initiative of De Montfort University.
22 January 2008: De Montfort Creativity Assistant, Sascha Westerndorf and Keno Buss
The Creativity Assistant is a tool designed to help develop creative ideas in a transdisciplinary multimedia context, based upon the thesis that "creativity is an emergent property".
2007
12 December 2007: Creativity Conversations: Ben Mathis - Managing creativity in games design.
Event photos
Event report (David Cheung)
6 December 2007: Creativity, Innovation and Industry: a conference to enhance creativity, innovation, and productivity
Speakers:
- Margaret Boden: What is Creativity?
- Claudia Eckert: How can we be more creative?
- Frank Boyd: How does innovation happen?
- Toby Moores: How is creativity managed?
6 December 2007: IOCT Salon: Bill Thompson, Open Publishing and Closed Minds
Bill Thompson discusses the nature of knowledge in the network society.
Event description (IOCT Salon website)
26 November 2007: Facebook for Business
Introductory event to learn how to use Facebook, a social networking website. Local business people talk about the benefits they've gained from using social networking, and take you through the process of getting yourself set up.
Video of the event plus photos, slides and links (Creativity Conversations website)
28 November 2007: Creativity Conversations: Creativity and Cash, with Bob Betts and Adrian Dent
Bob Betts is Managing Director of Smith of Derby, a local and prestigious clock makers. Adrian Dent advises on funding applications and pursues his passion for Raku pottery. They will be talking about the conflicts and resolutions that present themselves when balancing your own creative needs and ambitions with the requirements of paying clients and funding bodies.
Video of the event plus slides (Creativity Conversations website)
21 November 2007: Creativity Conversations: Martin Richardson and Martin Michel
Discussing creating spaces, both virtual and real.
Video of the event plus photos (Creativity Conversations website)
14 November 2007: Social Publishing: Paul B. Hartzog and Rick Adler
Presenting insights into online social publishing and their product "Oort Cloud"
Slides (Slideshare)
14 November 2007: Creativity Conversations: Bruce Mason and Peter Shillingsburg
Examining the creative process from both a practical and an analytical point of view.
Video of the event plus photos, slides and links (Creativity Conversations website)
13 November 2007: Ian Wilcox and Heather Conboy
Reporting on PhD research.
7 November 2007: Creativity Conversations: Neil McBride and Martin Stacey
Discussing conditions for creativity and the exploitation of ideas.
Video of the event plus photos and slides (Creativity Conversations website)
5 November 2007: Introduction to Creative Robots.
Photos (Flickr)
2-4 November 2007: Creative Retreat for the MA in Creative Writing & New Media: 1 November 2007: IOCT Salon: Manolis Kelaidis and the blueBook project
Making printed pages digitally interactive by embedding circuits in each page.
Event description and video (IOCT Salon website)
31 October 2007: Creativity Conversations: Andrew Hugill and Mohammad Ibrahim
Exploring the reasons why we abandon or switch ideas, methods and view whilst being creative.
Video of the event plus photos, slides and links (Creativity Conversations website)
24 October 2007: Creativity Conversations: Dave Everitt and Simon Mills
Discussing interdisciplinarity, media art, and networks.
Video of the event plus links and slides (Creativity Conversations website)
24 October 2007: IOCT Salon in partnership with Digital Arts Forum: a social networking event
With guest speaker Matthew Linley, Director of the Phoenix, discussing the plans for the new Digital Media Centre.
Event description (IOCT Salon website)
17 October 2007: The Creativity Workshops - What is Creativity?
Video, photos and notes from the event (Creativity Conversations website)
10 October 2007: Venue: IOCT - Creativity Conversations: Leigh Landy and Pip Greasley
Discussing composition, creativity, and transdisciplinary work.
Video of the event plus links and slides (Creativity Conversations website)
12-14 October 2007: Machinima Europe Festival 2007 - www.machinimaeurope.co.uk
Video of the Awards ceremony and photos from the event (flickr)
17 October 2007: Creativity Conversations: Aladdin Ayesh and Bret Battey
Considering creative swarms and how these may be used to enhance creativity.
Video of the event plus links and slides (Creativity Conversations website)
3 October 2007: Creativity Conversations: Chris Joseph and Kate Pullinger
Discussing traditional media and new media, and extending the bounds of creativity.
Video of the event plus links and slides (Creativity Conversations website)
26 September 2007: Creativity Conversations: Hussein Zedan and Stephen Brown
Discussing how to use Web 2.0 to assist creativity.
Video of the event plus links and slides (Creativity Conversations website)
26 September 2007: Creativity Workshops: What is Creativity Anyway?
An exploration of definitions, language, and associated terms.
19 September 2007: Creativity Conversations: Toby Moores and Sue Thomas
Discussing representing and developing creative ideas.
Video of the event (Creativity Conversations website)
18 September 2007: Folksonomy: A look at hated word but loved resource
by Thomas Vanderwal, originator of the term 'folksonomy'.
13 September 2007: Transliteracy Unconference organised by PART.
Photos of the event (Creativity Conversations website)
Event report (PART blog)
12 September 2007: Creativity Conversations: Howard Rheingold, IOCT Visiting Professor, in conversation with Andrew Hugill
Discussing creativity and collaboration.
Event report (IOCT blog)
11 September 2007: NESTA, London: Howard Rheingold, IOCT Visiting Professor - 'Mass Collaboration'
Video of the event (NESTA)
Event report (PART blog)
3 - 4 September 2007: CEPA building, DMU: COGAIN 2007: Gaze-based Creativity, Interacting with Games and On-line Communities
Event proceedings and photos (Conference website)
4 July 2007: Distinguished Seminar: Professor Alan Liu - 'How Can We Improve Online Reading? The University of California Transliteracies Project'.
Event report (IOCT blog)
28 June 2007: City Gallery, Leicester: IOCT Salon: Sarah Jacobs
Event description (IOCT Salon website)
17 May 2007: IOCT Salon: UK launch of the Electronic Literature Collection Volume 1
Event description (IOCT Salon website)
15 May 2007: Transliteracy Colloquium organised by PART.
Event report - feedback (IOCT blog)
Event report - summing up (IOCT blog)
5 April 2007: IOCT Salon: Low Brow Trash
Event description (IOCT Salon website)
13 March 2007: Bob Stein, Director, Institute for the Future of the Book - 'Reading and Working in the Networked Era'
Event description (IOCT blog)
28 February 2007: IOCT Salon: The Future of Language
Event description and video (IOCT Salon website)
1 February 2007: IOCT Salon: Love City
Event description and video (IOCT Salon website)
2006
14 December 2006 - IOCT Salon: AIBOs
Event description (IOCT Salon website)
23 November 2006 - IOCT Salon: Kate Pullinger
Event description and video (IOCT Salon website)
2 November 2006: IOCT Salon: Marc Garrett
Event description and video (IOCT Salon website)
For further information or to be kept informed about IOCT activities, please contact:The Director, Institute of Creative Technologies,
De Montfort University, The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH
Tel: (+44) 0116 250 6146
Email: eedmonds [at] dmu.ac.uk
www.ioct.dmu.ac.uk