DCRC YearNote 2010
The Research Centre staff are winding down for the end of 2010, which has proven to be busy and productive for DCRC.
We formally launched in April of this year, bringing together researchers who share an interest, in the transformations of everyday life that are being brought about by digital communications technologies. DCRC research is still ver much concerned with critically analysing the interface of technology/culture; we find ways to make that reflection useful to world represented by our external partners; and we experiment and innovate with digital media through creative arts practices. We believe the unique character of the DCRC is this mix of criticality, creativity and application.
In 2010, the DCRC held three well-attended symposiums and an international conference: Paying Attention - an international three-day conference in Linköping (Sweden), sponsored by the European Science Foundation. We also ran what we believe to be the first summer school for Pervasive Media producers.
In March we kicked off our programme with Pervasive/Invasive? a one-day event concerning the ethical issues arising from developing pervasive media. During May, we held two events. The Gesture, Play, Technology event addressed the implications of gestural interfaces on how we can study and understand video games. Our symposium Access All Areas was timely reflection the normalisation of the idea of User Generated Content and a genealogy of its development. In September, our conference ‘Paying Attention’, held in Sweden, attracted a cohort of international participants ranging from media activists to artist practitioners, from philosophers to computer scientists. European Science Foundation representatives hailed the conference a great success and praised the online coverage, including a conference liveblog and twitter stream.
The DCRC continues to support our (expanding!) first crop of research activities, conducted by interdisciplinary teams working across UWE and beyond. Prof. Jonathan Dovey, Director of the DCRC, is currently an AHRC Knowledge Transfer Fellow working with the Pervasive Media Studio, in Bristol, to capture the initial steps of the emergence of a new media form with the aim of codifying user experiences to produce a coherent vocabulary for pervasive media ethics, aesthetics, and design approaches.
In 2011 we have two events already scheduled: i-Docs, concerning the production of interactive documentaries; and Postdigital Encounters, a Journal of Media Practice event addressing how digital technologies have redefined creativity and media practice. The i-Docs programme will be announced before Christmas 2010 and tickets are now available.
We are also really excited to be able to announce that Adam Greenfield, former Head of Design Direction at Nokia and author of acclaimed book Everyware, will be coming to DCRC with his partner Nurri Kim to deliver an innovative Walkshop - stay tuned in the new year for more details!
It only remains, on behalf of all at the DCRC, to wish you a Transmedial Christmas and a High Definition New Year!
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