DIGITA: News for the creative new-media industries in the West Midlands. =============================== Number 12 --> Easter 2002 <-- =============================== Contents: Digita news Jobs Grants & Opportunities Courses & Training Competitions & Awards Academic & e-Learning News e-Business News + Full Regional Events Listings for 2002 =============== What is Digita? =============== DIGITA supports creators of interactive new-media in the West Midlands. The web directory of over 800 listings provides a comprehensive networking guide to the region's interactive-media business activity. Plus regular newsletter, event & course listings, and more. Free, un-funded & non-profit. Since 1998. ============ Digita News: ============ 1) Digita's Phat Brain (the 'reading room') page has recently added several free heavyweight reports, including: - 'Imagination and Understanding: a report on the arts & humanities in relation to science & technology'. (.gov.uk & CST, Summer 2001). - 'Report on the Educational Uses of Computer Games'. (BECTA & TEEM, Spring 2002). 2) Numerous other minor changes and additions since New Year 2002. Please visit the Digita web-site. ===== Jobs: ===== 1) Research Consultants & PR Manager. Birmingham's Hi8tus / First Light (funding the production of new film and animation projects by young people) are seeking a Press, Media and PR Manager. --> http://www.firstlightmovies.com/ They are also - through their funding body in London - looking for Research Consultants to study the impact of their projects across the UK. Deadline: 8th April 2002. More information direct from the Film Council: --> http://www.filmcouncil.org.uk/home/ 2) Junior Designer & Developer. Dudley-based Wilkes Design are looking for a Junior Designer (as an unpaid volunteer placement); and a Developer (PHP, MySQL) on a good salary. --> hilary@wilkesdesign.com --> http://www.wilkesdesign.co.uk 3) Web Editor. The University of Warwick are seeking a Web Editor to promote the new National Academy for Gifted & Talented Youth via the web. You'll be a graduate with good web-site maintenance skills, plus expertise in copy-editing and copy-chasing. Deadline: 29th March 2002. --> recruit@warwick.ac.uk 4) Computer Arts Editors. The publishers of the Computer Arts special edition magazines, based down in Bath, are looking for Editors. Themed special editions of Computer Arts include Photoshop / Digital Video / Illustration / Animation. --> http://www.futurenet.co.uk 5) Director. Arts & Technology Partnerships need a Director. Based at Loughbourough University in the East Midlands, Arts & Technology Partnerships is... "a recently restructured digital arts organisation aiming to bring high-end visual technologies and artists together." Deadline: 5th April 2002. More information: --> j.hobin@lboro.ac.uk ============================ News for Midlands Creatives: ============================ --------------------------- 1) New-Media Opportunities: --------------------------- * Moving Wallpaper - calling digital artists. Regular visitors to the Cafe Bar in Nottingham's Broadway (the main space for artists and creatives in Nottingham) will have noticed that they have been exhibiting more and more film and digital work, projected onto the wall. They are always interested to hear from people who make projected work - be it abstract, animation or purely aesthetic - and who would like to exhibit in this popular public space. More information from: sarah@broadway.org.uk or send work (CD-R's or DVD's are fine) to: Sarah Tutt, Broadway. 14-18 Broad Street, Nottingham. NG1 3AL To discover the sort of cafe patrons your work will be playing to, read Nottingham's Visual Arts Survey 2002; the summary of a healthy 260 responses from local creatives, many anonymous - although when you see some of the frank comments you'll understand why! --> http://www.whereweare.co.uk/results2002.html * Designers in Schools Week 2002. The Design Council are running a 'Designers in Schools Week' from 24th to 28th June 2002. Closing date for registration is 26th April 2002. --> http://www.design-council.org.uk/ * BBC Arts are inviting submission of new digital/interactive art-works, to show on their web-site: --> http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/digital/yourwork/ * The UK's National Training Organisation is... "seeking to improve the image of IT as a profession", and so are looking for case-studies of people who work in IT but in... "a non-traditional IT environment" such as the creative/media industries and who didn't study IT. If this describes you, please contact researcher Andrew Craske for a quick phone-interview consisting of... "just a few questions": --> Andrew Craske / 020 7534 5314 * Shell Personal Development Award. Open to students of all disciplines in their penultimate year of study or earlier, offering 500 UKP to fund a range of developmental activities such as: - Contributing to community projects (e.g.; making a community-focussed web-site or CD-ROM) - Developing an existing talent such as excellence in arts or music (e.g.; short-course training) - Travelling (e.g.; to a conference) Deadline: 26th April 2002. Apply online at: --> http://www.shell.com/careers * Registered Design Regulation - Unregistered Design Rights. On 6th March 2002 the 'unregistered design rights' section of the EU's Registered Design Regulation became active in the UK. The Regulation provides for a single process to register a design throughout Europe, and will co-exist with national laws. Unregistered protection will start from the point that a design is disclosed to the public through sales, marketing, publicity, etc. Designs will then be protected from copying for three years, alongside the standard 15-year protection under UK law. It's reported that the protection is applicable across different products and mediums; so your design would be protected no matter how or where it's pirated. It's also reported that a 'design' can now cover a wider range of works; including graphic symbols, computer icons and typefaces, and that designs don't have to be 'attractive' to qualify as they do currently in the UK. There will also be a more formal and fee-based way to register a design under the Regulation, giving greater 5-year renewable protection, but it seems this won't be up and running in Britain until early 2003. But don't take Digita's word for all this - if you're going to rely on design protection then please get the exact details and up-to-the-minute advice from: --> http://www.patent.gov.uk/ --> http://www.patent.gov.uk/about/ippd/issues/faq.htm * NTT DoCoMo Mobile Movie Creatives' Festival 2002. Japan's leading mobile-phone service provider, NTT DoCoMo is hosting a festival, and is calling for participation from creatives around the world who are developing new unpublished ideas and animated content for mobile phones. Deadline: 19th May 2002. Cash prizes of nearly 6 million Yen & an invitation to the awards ceremony in Japan. Festival categories include: - Art & Music; art movies centred around music - Documentaries; works made from news or weblogs - Drama & Cinema; work based on narrative scripts - Entertainment; fun, comedy & laughter - Commercials; 15 to 30 seconds in length Content format: 3 minutes or less / no more than 5Mb / 176 pixels wide x 132 pixels high / must play back via Windows Media Player 7, QuickTime 5 or Macromedia Flash Player 5. --> http://www.momofestival.com/e/ * TransCodecExpress 2002. Austria's Times Up are calling for proposals for their TransCodecExpress event in June 2002. Times Up are looking for performance groups who indulge... "in innovative uses and misuses of network collaboration, video streaming and manipulation tools." TransCodecExpress performances will take place entirely online or with groups split between Linz (Austria) and one or more remote locations. Performances will be more along the line of public experiments, which may be short and repeated throughout the evening. Please contact: --> tce@timesup.org * The Digital Pocket Gallery - call for submissions. "Files and folders are the 'digital pockets' of the internet artist. The hard-drive is an autobiography in coded form. Dreams, ideas and waste lie hidden in these cryptically labelled pockets that have become the maps and landscapes of our virtual lives. We invite artists to empty their digital pockets for inspection (whether real or fictitious) for an online exhibition." Deadline: 1st August 2002. File size: less than 50kb please. For more submission guidelines, see: --> http://www.ikatun.com/digitalpocketgallery/ * Faites de la Lumiere - invitation to participate. France's Faites de la Lumiere invite you to participate in the next 'luminosities' on the 15th June 2002. "We want to change daily life thanks to shadow and to light. Public space becomes an audio-visual broadcast space, live, and open to sharing and interactivity. Faites de la Lumiere events happen simultaneously in many cities and towns; using digital projections, videos, shadows, photonics and luminosities to introduce the marvellous into everyday spaces." More information on how to participate by staging your own local event, from: --> http://www.faitesdelalumiere.net -------------------------- 2) Computer & Video Games: -------------------------- * Trade Partners: 'Your Passport to Export Success'. The government-funded Trade Partners UK have recently launched a service for companies with little or no exporting experience, called 'Your Passport to Success'. This is designed to develop a company's capability for export. Successful applicants will be offered a number of services including a free export 'health check' and 'export mentoring', plus 'subsidised flexible training', and up to 3000 UKP worth of export services 'including detailed market-research', and a subsidy towards an overseas market-visit. --> http://www.tradepartners.gov.uk * Future Vision Leisure. Austria's Architekturforum invites young European designers to imagine the future of 'leisure': "Today 'leisure' is creeping outwards from its specifically planned locations (stadiums, cinemas, arcades, baths etc.), to simultaneously overlap with other everyday functions and mobile activities. What could this lead to, what could 'a new culture of leisure' look like? This is the central focus of the Future Vision Leisure competition. Future Vision Leisure is about moving beyond 'mere architecture' and blurring the boundaries with other artistic disciplines as well as with new technologies and new-media." Each participant is expected to... "define their own thematic focal points, outline the intention and then find innovative solutions and implementations for their works (ideas, concepts, 3-dimensional models, computer animations, interactive web works, etc.)." Submissions must be made anonymously, texts may be written in German or English. There are no restrictions on the type, extent or format of the submitted works - so even walk-thru computer-game levels can be submitted. Entrants must be under 35 years of age. Prizes: 16,000 Euros. Deadline: 31st July 2002. More details from: --> http://fvl.architekturforum-ooe.at/intro_en.html ------------------------ 3) Digital image-makers: ------------------------ * Rhubarb Rhubarb 3. Birmingham's Seeing the Light are set to stage their successful Rhubarb Rhubarb event for a third time in July 2002; flying international image-buyers, advertising producers and arts commissioners to Birmingham to view the portfolios of over 200 British image-makers and photographers. --> http://www.rhubarb-rhubarb.net * Hasselblad Research Grants 2002. Bursaries and research grants from the Hasselblad Foundation are intended to support research and academic work in photography. Photographers, researchers and academics working primarily in still photography are eligible to apply for grants up to 100,000 Swedish Kroner (approx 8,000 UKP). Deadline: 2nd April 2002. More information: --> info@hasselbladfoundation.org * British Journal of Photography wants your advice. British digital photographers are invited to send info/advice/experiences on finding venues/funding for exhibiting their work, for a forthcoming article in British Journal of Photography. Claire Collison would particularly like to contact you if you have an exhibition planned for Spring 2002 onwards, and if you've discovered unusual/ temporary venues/creative solutions to getting your work seen or sold. --> clarabelle@aol.com -------------------------- 4) Creative digital video: -------------------------- * BECTA Creativity in Digital Video Awards. Coventry-based BECTA are running new 'Creativity in Digital Video Awards' in 2002. BECTA is looking for edited digital-video work by children ("aged 8 to 16") from across Britain. Work submitted can be up to five minutes in length. Work must be highly creative, and yet should also be somehow linked to the dull-but-worthy National Curriculum. Winners get a digital camcorder and will be showcased nationally on Channel 4's '4Learning'. Deadline: 4th October 2002. --> http://www.becta.org.uk/creativityawards/ * Emergeandsee - call for short films. Emergeandsee are seeking creative submissions from students for their fourth show on 1st May 2002. They aim to show the best British student videos and animation to as wide an audience as possible, promoting student work to potential employers. Work should be under ten minutes long, and be made entirely by students. Emergeandsee is non-profit and is run... "by students, for students". It's free to submit your film: --> http://www.emergeandsee.org * Spectrum 2 - exhibition opportunity. Midlands artists' organisation Lightsource invite submissions from visual artists who use projected/cast light as a medium in any form; including digital projection, film, interactive media, mixed media. For an exhibition in Heathcote Arts Gallery and Broadway Independent Cinema, Nottingham from 17th June - 12th July 2002. More information from: --> artx_louise@hotmail.com * Kinofilm 2002 - call for submissions. Kinofilm, Manchester's International Short Film Festival is now inviting digital-video submissions for the Festival's 'Inspired by the Medium' DV strand. Deadline: 1st June 2002. Films should be no longer than 20 minutes, must have been made within the last 18 months, and be on DV tape. There is also an award for 'Best Animation'. More details: --> kino.info@good.co.uk * Coventry Film Maker's Network. A new networking group from film-makers in the Coventry area meets at The Depot Studios in Coventry on the evening of the 3rd Thursday of each month. More details on: --> http://www.depotstudios.org.uk ---------- 5) Sonics: ---------- * The PRSF's Live Connections Awards Scheme. The Performing Right Society Foundation recognises the lack of public funding into the electronic and dance-music production sector. This innovative new scheme aims to support British creators of electronic music and dance-music by offering a bursary to create and present a one-off performance of their work at a club or event. Deadline: 16th August 2002. Awards of up to 2,500 UKP are available. PRSF are also offering funding for a scheme called 'Promoters', to support independent promoters of all genres of music who play a pro-active role in the promotion of new music in the UK. Deadline: 24th April 2002. More information on both PRSF schemes from: --> http://www.prsf.co.uk/ * Report - 'The Funding Dilemma for Britain's Music Business'. culture.gov.uk are hosting a new heavyweight report researched & written by Kingston University's Small Business Research Centre, called 'Banking on a Hit: The Funding Dilemma for Britain's Music Business.' The full report can be downloaded for free from: --> http://www.culture.gov.uk/creative/music_sponsorship.html * SoundToys - call for works. a) For the gallery -- interactive works which explore the use of technology to advance audio-visual communication. Works may take the form of sonic art toys, generative music, interactive environments etc. b) For the real-space gallery & festival & web-journal -- finished projects, interactive work on a CD-R. Also papers, texts, project-reports, relating to interactive new-media. Application forms are online. .zip up your work and e-mail it along with some plain-text information. Don't forget to include your name, project title, year created, brief biography, notes about the work, and also send the work! If you files are too big (+1Mb) but you would like it presented at festival then please snail-mail a copy on a CD-R. --> info@soundtoys.net --> http://www.soundtoys.net * Experimental music, the CD primer. Those new to non-mainstream experimental and electronic music may like to obtain a copy of the new Leonardo Music Journal No. 11 from MIT. It includes a free double audio CD, called _Not Necessarily 'English Music'_ curated by musician, composer, writer and sound curator David Toop. The CDs features key pieces from pioneering experimental British sound-artists from the late 1960s through the mid-1970s. --> http://mitpress2.mit.edu/Leonardo/lmj/ * VAIN live art 2002 - call for artists. VAIN Live Art is an annual artist-led platform, established in 2001, in Oxford. This year's VAIN is happening on 13th June 2002, and is an opportunity for artists working in live art, to present work; including performance, interventions, sound and time-based work. If you would like to submit a proposal, duration of the piece, a statement about your work, a short C.V., supporting documentation, technical specifications, (they can't yet guarantee a high level of technical support or equipment, as funding hasn't yet been confirmed). Deadline: 8th April 2002. --> vainliveart@hotmail.com ------------------- 6) Online writing: ------------------- * Dialogue - contributions sought for online debate. Take part in Dialogue, one of a series of three artist's residencies in Bristol by Duncan Speakman. You are invited to send a text message or e-mail which will be fed into a voice synthesiser and then vocalised in the Digital Cafe. "The silent chatter of written digital communication will be infused with a sense of voyeurism and raise questions of privacy and security." To take part in Dialogue, send your SMS text message to 07814 655744, or e-mail your text (between 29th April and 3rd May 2002) to: --> formality@watershed.co.uk --> http://www.watershed.co.uk/ exhibition/digital/residencies/speakman.html * trAce short courses. Nottingham's trAce are starting another series of short online distance-learning courses from April 29th 2002. On offer are unique creative courses such as: - Animated Poetry in Macromedia Flash - Designing Web-Based Narratives - Teaching Online - Web Design for Writers & Artists --> http://trace.ntu.ac.uk/school/courses/full.htm ----------------------------------------- 7) Free "worth having" creative software: ----------------------------------------- * Metacreations Poser 3. PC Plus magazine's May 2002 edition (3.99 UKP, in the shops now) has the full Poser 3 and a trial version of Poser 4 on the free cover-mounted CD. Poser is a very useful addition to the tool box of any figurative artist, cartoonist, comic-book artist, digital animator, or fashion designer. --> http://www.pcplus.co.uk/ * BJP says Paint Shop Pro better than Photoshop! Get ready to install the humble Windows shareware Paint Shop Pro, Photoshop users. Because in March 2002 the British Journal of Photography ran the results of a group benchmarking test on re-sizing digital camera images to get them up to print dimensions and resolution. The BJP's test concluded that... "Paint Shop Pro's Smart Size algorithm is clearly superior to any of the options provided within Photoshop" and... "Paint Shop Pro's Smart Size function is right up there with [market leader] Genuine Fractals". Paint Shop Pro 7 can be found on many a free cover-disk given away with PC magazines, or the latest version can be downloaded from: --> http://www.digitalworkshop.co.uk/index.shtml * Free learning edition of Maya, for students. Alias.Wavefront have announced a free version of the industry-standard and very expensive Maya software, called Maya Personal Learning Edition, for both students and any back-bedroom creatives interested in learning Maya. It's available from Spring 2002, and is a free 'seat' of the industry-standard Maya Complete - but is only for non-commercial use, enforced by some chunky restrictions like image watermarking and no use of third-party plug-ins. --> http://www.aliaswavefront.com/ en/Community/Special/ple_announce/index.html --------------------------- 8) Courses & Training News: --------------------------- * Coventry's Depot Studios web-site is currently (27.03.02) stating that... "From the 1st April 2002 the Depot Studios will be ceasing all creative I.T. related activities. Hopefully the facilities will be available again in October 2002 when new funding revenue should be available." --> http://www.depotstudios.org.uk/homepage.htm * Wolverhampton's Light House is recruiting for a free media-production short training course, 'Interactive Media for Deaf Students', set to run from July 2002. --> peter@light-house.co.uk * Oxford Brookes University are starting a new postgraduate M.A./Diploma in Electronic Media (full-time or part-time) within the School of Art. More information from: --> ibunn@brookes.ac.uk * de Montford University, Leicester, are developing new postgraduate M.A. programmes in Music, Technology & Innovation, and Electronic Publishing for 2003. --> http://www.hum.dmu.ac.uk/departments/d_mediacultprod.htm ================== Competitions news: ================== ------------------------ 1) Student competitions ------------------------ * The Guardian Student Web Site of the Year 2002. Prize of 500 UKP + flight-tickets + Guardian work-experience for... "innovative web content that exploits the strengths of the medium and displays a clear identity and understanding of the target audience. We want to see ease of use combined with good design." Enter online. Deadline: 1st May 2002. --> http://media.guardian.co.uk/ studentmediaawards/story/0,1308,658008,00.html * BBC Vision Design Competition 2002. "Provides the most talented new designers starting out on careers in the film, broadcast and interactive multimedia with the support, training and networking opportunities which will help you become established and lead to further employment." The deadlines are staggered according to different categories, but... "submission dates for interactive / multimedia design / 3D animation" are in June 2002. --> http://www.bbc.co.uk/designvision/competition/entry.shtml * Hewlett-Packard & Invision Digital Photography Awards 2002 (for students). 7000 UKP worth of equipment to be won. See the web-site, in the near future, for the announcement of the fine details: --> http://www.hpinvision.com * D&AD and NESTA Design and Innovation Awards (for students). A new awards scheme for 2002, created jointly by D&AD (British Design & Art Direction) and NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts). Shortlisted students to receive 5,000 UKP in funds to enable them to develop an application for funding from NESTA's Invention & Innovation programme. Brief No. 1 is... "Interactive Digital TV; create an innovative concept that makes using interactive digital TV equipment easier for everyone in the home." --> http://www.nesta.org.uk/ * Softimage|XSI Student Animation Contest 2002. Open to full-time and part-time 18+ students, who are legal residents of the U.S.A., France, Germany, Japan, Singapore or the United Kingdom. All entries must be created exclusively with Softimage|XSI and must be your own original work. Submissions are welcome on CD-R or DVD as well as on tape. Categories include: - Artistic Expression Short - 10 to 60 seconds conveying the overall impression of an entire environment and all the objects in it. - Character Animation Short - 10 to 60 seconds, showing character interaction. - Character Design - showing your creative ability in modelling and texturing a 3D character ready to be animated. Winners will each receive a one-year license of Softimage|XSI 2.0 Advanced, with a retail value of $11,995 US. Deadline: 1st June 2002. More information on rules and categories from: --> http://www.softimage.com/community/xsi/contests/lst2002/ -------------------------------- 2) Digital-imaging competitions -------------------------------- * Daily Telegraph & Novartis Science Photography Competition 2002. Open to digital and computer-manipulated images alongside film. Includes a "Science as art" category. Submit images online as 72dpi .jpg files. Prizes: 7000 UKP cash. Deadline: 31st May 2002. More information: --> http://www.visions-of-science.co.uk/ * The Peterborough Prize. The 5,000 UKP Peterborough Prize is a national open painting & digital-art competition. It aims... "to bring together the most exciting emerging digital-artists and painters in Britain to exhibit at Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery as part of the annual Peterborough Festival." Eight artists will be shortlisted and invited to the Festival. The winning work will be purchased by the Museum for 5,000 UKP. Deadline: 31st March 2002. More details from: --> museum@peterborough.gov.uk --> http://www.peterboroughheritage.org.uk ---------------------------------- 3) General new-media competitions ---------------------------------- * Redism Bass Beer Creative Contest. Redism Bass Beer Creative Contest runs each month on Staffordshire-based Bass's creative web showcase. This features work submitted by visitors to the site. If you're an artist, designer or creative in any web-ready medium you can enter work... "based on themes chosen by high-profile Guest Editors". Each month the ten best submissions are selected for display in the Redism web gallery. "Every few months" the best work becomes part of a Bass sponsored exhibition touring... "some of the trendiest bars across Europe". The competition is open to persons of legal drinking age or over (according to their country of origin). Entries are free and work can be submitted in the following web-ready formats: - Digital photos (72 dpi; max. 250kb) - Digital movies (QuickTime; max. 2Mb) - Shockwave / Flash (.dcr/.swf files; max. 2Mb) - Audio (.wav/.mp3; max. 2Mb) --> http://www.redism.com/ * The 2002 BIMA British Interactive Media Awards. BIMA's web-site was saying at the end of March 2002 that... "Information about entry details and other matters concerning the 2002 BIMA Awards will be available soon. If you would like to be told when this information is ready, please send an e-mail to awards.enquiries-request@bima.co.uk with the word SUBSCRIBE in the body of the e-mail and we will contact you as soon as possible." --> http://www.bima.co.uk/awards2002/index.htm * NetMedia 2002 European Online Journalism Awards. Deadline: 31st May 2002. Categories include: - Best innovation in online journalism - Best use of multimedia - Best use of mobile connectivity - Weblog of the year --> http://www.net-media.co.uk/awards/ * New Media Awards 2002. The editors of the British weekly political magazine The New Statesman are now inviting nominations for their New Media Awards 2002. Six awards are given, for... "internet innovation with a social purpose." --> http://www.newstatesman.co.uk/nma2002about.htm * 3rd Nagoya Design Do! International Competition. Japan's... "third international Nagoya Design Do! design competition is an invitation to embark on an expedition in search of a new metaphysical-design paradigm: a 'design of fragility' that secures the 'power of fragility'." Deadline: 18th April 2002. Entry details in English at: --> http://www.idcnagoy.co.jp/compe/applipro_e.html * 16th Prix Ars Electronica 2002. Submissions are now invited from artists, scientists, researchers and developers to participate in the annual Ars Electronica. Categories include: - Computer Animation - Visual Effects - Net Vision - Net Excellence, - Interactive Art - Digital Musics Prizes total 100,000 Euros, and there is no entry-fee. Deadline: 31st March 2002. More information: --> http://prixars.orf.at --> monique.berger@prixars.orf.at * iDesign Awards 2002. Autodesk's iDesign awards are open to, among others, those working in digital media. "The competition will honour those select few from around the world who set out to solve a design challenge, and in the process, achieve the perfect balance of form and function." The Awards appears to be open to international designers? No entry fee. Deadline: 28th June 2002. There is a 'Digital Media' category, and 36 regional winners will be awarded their choice of Autodesk software, a digital camera, plus a trip to Autodesk University in Las Vegas. --> http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/index/0,,1075391-123112,00.html * 5th Mecon European Talent Award 2002. Germany's 5th Mecon European Talent Award invites Europe's digital-media producers to submit their work in the following categories: - Digital Design (e.g. Brand ID) - Interface Design - Interactive Narrative - Clips VFX (Music, Ads and Short Film) - Gaming (Online Games) - Mobile Applications Talent will be judged by... "the interplay between idea, creation and appropriate technological realisation". Deadline for entries: 31st May 2002. More details, in English: --> http://www.mecon.de/ php/output/nbout.php?bname=new_talent_award_e&view=detail =========================== Academic & e-learning news: =========================== * British e-tutor of the year 2002. An award of 1000 UKP for... "innovative and effective use of a virtual learning environment in higher education." Deadline: 31st July 2002. More information: --> http://www.ltsn.ac.uk/news/News_items/etutor/etutor.asp * Report - 'Educational Uses of Computer Games'. BECTA's Teachers Evaluating Educational Multimedia (TEEM) project has been evaluating past & current educational uses of computer games, and a major report has now been released. The full text of TEEM's 'Report on the Educational Uses of Computer Games', is available free online. It includes a host of excellent tips and ideas for would be developers of a best-selling educational software title. --> http://www.teem.org.uk/howtouse/resources/teem_gamesined_full.pdf * Patent Office report - 'Managing Intellectual Property'. The Patent Office has a new report, available for free online, of relevance to many creative-industries and hi-tech internet/e-learning activities in universities; 'Managing Intellectual Property: A guide to strategic decision-making in universities': --> http://www.patent.gov.uk/about/notices/manip/index.htm * Culture Machine 5 - call for papers. The February 2003 issue of Culture Machine will be 'the e-issue'. "We wish to pose the question; are electronic media technologies not only transforming the _process_ of analysing, communicating and conserving knowledge, but also actually transforming the very _nature_ of knowledge? Contributions which take advantage of, and explore the effects of, interactive media technologies in their form as well as content are welcomed." Deadline: October 2002. --> g.hall@mdx.ac.uk * Journal of Digital Creativity - call for papers. "Unpublished papers are invited for a special issue on generative software and the arts, to be published in early 2003 with Paul Brown as guest editor. Submitted papers may address current practice (individual works or group exhibitions) or document historical developments. Papers that discuss work in areas other than the visual arts (e.g. sound/music, performance, writing/literature, science & technology are especially welcome. Short 100-word abstracts by 1st May 2002 please, and full papers by 1st August 2002." --> paul@paul-brown.com --> http://www.szp.swets.nl/szp/journals/dc.htm * VRI2 - call for papers. "The 2nd International Conference on Visual Representations and Interpretations is currently inviting contributions on such topics as: - visual representation languages - film and photographic interpretation - the philosophy, sociology and politics of art & images - visual human/machine interaction The conference will be held in Liverpool, from 9th - 12th September 2002. Deadline for papers: 1st April 2002." --> http://www.csc.liv.ac.uk/~vri2/ * The Leverhulme Trust have introduced funding for an 'artists in residence' scheme, intended to support the residency of an artist in an institution, with the intention of creative collaboration between the artist and the staff, support workers and students. 'Artist' is defined very widely and can include new-media, design, sonics etc. Any British higher education institute or museum can apply. Deadline: 1st September 2002. --> http://www.leverhulme.org.uk/artists.html ================ e-Business news: ================ * EM - call for papers. EM special issue: 'Electronic Markets in Entertainment and Media'. "Digital technologies are increasingly providing opportunities for sale & distribution of content through e-commerce. This special issue of EM will focus on issues surrounding the ability of content production and ownership firms to effectively engage in e-commerce via the internet, mobile communications, cable & satellite networks, and interactive television." Submissions deadline: 15th May 2002. --> http://www.electronicmarkets.org/ * Funded Studentship in e-Commerce & e-Business. The University of Salford in Manchester is offering a Funded PhD Research Studentship (three years) in the area of e-Commerce / e-Business. With a good first-class degree and preferably a Masters, you will be an original thinker able to use the internet. Contact Lynne Farrer at the Centre for Network and Telecommunications Research: --> 0161 295 3018 * Support FIPR! [Digita recommends it!] The tireless Cambridge-based I.T. think-tank FIPR (Foundation for Information Policy Research) has opened its doors to supporters in the I.T. and new-media industries. 'Friends of FIPR', in return for a 25 UKP subscription to the Foundation's alert service, will be invited to FIPR meetings and parties (often excellent networking opportunities). FIPR chairman Ross Anderson says FIPR needs to expand because the range of misguided legislation and EU directives on I.T. matters continues to increase. FIPR is hoping to increase from one full-time staff member to several, and to turn FIPR into a broad-based, subscription-funded organisation. Since its inception in May 1998, FIPR has played a fundamental and exemplary role in changing several impractical and badly-drafted new laws. --> http://www.fipr.org/ * New Venture Capital Trust. Oxford Technology 3 Venture Capital Trust was launched in February 2002. This 10m UKP fund will specialise in funding innovative technology businesses (including software) based within 60 miles of Oxford. Deadline: 2nd May 2002 for the 2002/3 tax year. --> http://www.oxfordtechnology.com/files/home.html * Ephemera - call for texts and image-based critiques. Warwick University Business School have recently started publishing a peer-reviewed e-journal called 'Ephemera: critical dialogues on organisation', encouraging contributions from the broadest spectrum of serious writers. Ephemera now invites new unpublished work. Work should be in English and offer critical discussions of a range of issues relating to organisations and organising in their widest senses; emphasising change & transition. Contributions might address, among others (see web-site), any of the following themes: - surveillance - knowledge and information - technology - cyborgs and cyborganisation - chaos and complexity For a sample paper, see: 'Myths of a Near Future: Advertising the New Economy' --> http://users.wbs.warwick.ac.uk/ ephemera/ephemeraweb/journal/issues/1-3/1-3decocketal.pdf Ephemera also encourages photo essays and other experimental modes of representations such as web-ready montages, short video-clips and other online media works. Ephemera also encourages reviews of unconventional media, such as web-sites (both private, corporate and institutional) or discussion groups. Edited interviews in web-ready audio format are also welcome. --> http://www.ephemeraweb.org/ ============================== Regional Events Listing, 2002: ============================== "...an excellent diary of events in the region." - The Guardian, 23rd July 2001. > In date order. This event-listing mixes arts, business and academic events alongside each other. DIGITA believes success in 'new media' means situating yourself between 'arts', 'research' and 'business'; able to understand and apply processes of creativity while exploring the means for business growth, and having the research skills to keep sight of an ever-changing industry horizon through the fog of hype. < 3rd April 2002. XML Web Services. Morning only. Free. Xpertise Training, Hinckley, Midlands. --> http://www.microsoft.co.uk/Events/ A "100-percent" subsidised XML web seminar by Xpertise on behalf of Microsoft. 4th - 6th April 2002. The Writer's Craft, the Culture's Technology. University of Birmingham. --> http://www.english.bham.ac.uk/pala2002/ International academic conference, heavily focussed on the web and hypertext. 5th April 2002. e-Content: different perspectives. Sheffield Hallam University. --> http://www.niss.ac.uk/cr/events/e50_10_01.html "This one-day conference will approach the development of e-content from the perspective of teachers, publishers and commercial educational courseware providers." 6th April 2002. 'Formality'; a one-day workshop. 10am - 5pm. Digital Cafe, Watershed, Bristol. Cost: 5 UKP. --> http://www.watershed.co.uk/ exhibition/digital/residencies/speakman.html "For sound artists, writers/poets and anyone interested in the interactive digital arts, these workshops will look at generative and interactive narratives & processes. Working in groups using speech synthesis, real-time processing, typographic animation, networked systems plus MAX/MSP and NATO software, ideas around new ways to interact with narratives will be developed." 9th - 17th April 2002. IPEX 2002. NEC, Birmingham. --> http://www.ipex.org The nine-day global technology trade-event for print, media and publishing, taking over nearly every hall in the NEC and bringing thousands of big names to Birmingham. A huge world expo right here on our doorstep! If you're any kind of publisher, don't miss it! 11th April 2002. Connect Midlands Enterprise Workshop - 'Perfecting My Pitch'. Connect members: Free / Non-members: 57.50 UKP. --> info@connectmidlands.org Regular meeting of the Midlands hi-tech entrepreneur's network, on the topic of pitching your idea / project / product to clients or investors. 11th April 2002. Workshop: Market Research on the Web. Aston University, Birmingham. Cost: 229.12 UKP. --> http://www.rba.co.uk/training/markres.htm 11th April 2002. Mobile Technology for Business. Rowton Castle, Shrewsbury, Shropshire. --> j.lawson@staffs.ac.uk 11th April 2002. Shock of the Old 2: the I.T. in Teaching & Learning conference. Oxford. Brookes University, Oxford. --> 01865 273221 12th April 2002. Beyond Chalk and Talk: Challenges & Opportunities for Teaching in the Digital Age. Oxford University, Oxford. --> http://www.hcu.ox.ac.uk/beyond/chalk/ "The event will offer an opportunity to discuss the place of technology in the spheres of learning, culture, and society." 15th - 16th April 2002. Vision 2002 - student media careers expo. NEC, Birmingham. Free. --> http://www.visioncareers.com A major national careers event for print, publishing and media, Vision 2002 will take place alongside the huge world expo of IPEX 2002. Free entrance to IPEX 2002 will be available! 16th - 17th April 2002. The Museums Computer Group - Spring Conference. Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent, West Midlands. --> http://www.museumscomputergroup.org.uk/sp_conf.html A useful day of seminars and networking for workers in the region's art galleries and museums who want to introduce advanced IT & new-media into their institution. 17th April 2002. WM Digital Meeting (speaker to be announced). --> info@wmdigital.org Regular meeting of the West Midlands e-business network. 18th April 2002. Raising Site Impact; new opportunities in web technologies. BECTA (British Educational Communications Technology Agency). Coventry TechnoCentre, Coventry. Free, but booking is essential. --> http://www.becta.org.uk/technology/siteimpact/index.html "Free conference for project leaders, content holders and web-site managers interested in becoming linked and badged through the Virtual Teacher Centre and the National Grid for Learning." 21st April 2002. Royal Photographic Society's Digital Imaging Group AGM. The Benn Hall, Rugby, West Midlands. 10am onwards. Advance tickets 3 UKP. --> http://www.rps.org/progapr.html The RPS's Digital Imaging Group has decided to open up its 2002 Annual General Meeting to _all_ interested British photographers, members or not. Keynote speaker is Photoshop expert Martin Evening. 23rd April 2002. 'E-Government - Overcoming the Digital Divide - How Far From Reality?'. 7pm, MU Block, Lichfield Street, University of Wolverhampton. --> http://bcs.scit.wlv.ac.uk/ AGM of the British Computer Society (Wolverhampton) followed by a talk by Alan Hardcastle of the University of Wolverhampton. 24th April 2002. Animation Forum. The Light House, Wolverhampton. 6.30pm. Free. --> http://www.light-house.co.uk/training.htm Popular quarterly get-together and big-screen showcase for the region's animators and interested artists. 24th - 25th April 2002. International Conference on Assistive Technology 2002. Pride Park Stadium, Derby, East Midlands. --> http://www.bcs.org/disability/icat/index.htm British Computer Society conference. Several interesting-sounding conference threads on virtual reality and wireless systems for disability access and communication. 24th - 25th April 2002. IOV 2002. National Motorycle Museum, Solihull, Birmingham. --> http://www.iov.co.uk/exhib/ExhibIndex.htm Expo for the latest in digital-video production, including web-streaming and intellectual-property debates. 25th April 2002. Mobile Technology for Business. Bass Museum, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire. --> j.lawson@staffs.ac.uk 25th - 28th April 2002. Animated Encounters Film Festival. Watershed Media Centre, Bristol. --> http://www.animated-encounters.org.uk Large showcase festival of new animation. 26th April 2002. 'Replacing Print with E-Journals: Can it be Done?' Aston University, Birmingham. 2pm-4pm. --> sarah.rudge@uce.ac.uk "Katy Sidwell will discuss Cranfield School of Management's approach to e-journal management, access and marketing, and will present the results of a user study conducted by Cranfield." 30th April 2002. '"Chaos is Good For You!": Unlocking Creativity'. Austin Court, 80 Cambridge Street, Birmingham. 10 UKP. --> http://www.rsa.org.uk/events/details/lec_300402_chaos.html "Are the working cultures of the arts and business really different?. How can we break down barriers between arts and business?" Lecture by Piers Ibbotson, Directing Creativity, RSC. Chaired by Brian Woods-Scawen. 1st May 2002. Seminar Day at the User Lab: 'Designing for Accessibility'. University of Central England, Birmingham. 2pm - 5 pm. Cost: 50 UKP. --> events@user-lab.com --> http://www.user-lab.com Presentations by Julie Howell of the Royal National Institute for the Blind; and Mary Zajicek of Oxford Brookes University. 8th May 2002. Broadband: Applications and Implications. The TechnoCentre, Coventry, West Midlands. --> http://www.becta.org.uk/technology/techseminars/ A BECTA (British Educational Communications and Technology Agency) event, open to... "colleagues from all sectors". Focussing on how broadband technologies may change the kinds of content which audiences are offered/use, and on the likely IT skills that may be needed to manage and deliver broadband content. 13th May 2002. 'The Design of Mobile Technologies for Learning'. 6.30pm. School of Electrical Engineering, University of Birmingham. --> http://www.bcs.org.uk/branches/birm/prognew.htm AGM of the British Computer Society (Birmingham) followed by a talk by Mike Sharples of the University of Birmingham. 13th May 2002. 'Be Prepared for the Age of Creativity'. Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton. 7pm. Cost: ? --> http://www.cim.co.uk/cim/new/html/eveCal.cfm?month=5&year=2002 Talk by Sally Ward, hosted by the Chartered Institute of Marketing; "Creativity is an essential skill; can it be learnt?" 14th May 2002. 'Search Engines'. 7.30pm. MU Block, Lichfield Street, University of Wolverhampton. --> http://bcs.scit.wlv.ac.uk/ Talk by Peter Burden of the University of Wolverhampton, to the British Computer Society (Wolverhampton). 21st - 23rd May 2002. The 22nd IT Retail Solutions Expo. NEC, Birmingham. --> www.retailsolutions2002.co.uk Expo for the latest proven computer technologies for Britain's retail, leisure and hotel industries. 22nd - 23rd May 2002. Mobile Communications Expo. NEC, Birmingham. --> http://www.mobilexpo.com 23rd May 2002. Arts & Business (Midlands): Introduction to Sponsorship. 9.45am - 4.45pm. Birmingham. Cost: 60 UKP. --> katharine.warrington@aandb.org.uk A seminar for arts groups and organisations seeking a viable business sponsorship approach. 29th - 30th May 2002. Linux Expo 2002. NEC, Birmingham. --> http://www.linuxexpobirmingham.com/EN/home/ Expo and developer event for this popular free open-source operating-system. 30th May - 1st June 2002. 'Blink'. Coventry, West Midlands. --> s.dawkins@coventry.ac.uk A new Coventry film festival for new short films and animations. 31st May 2002. Launch event for 'Digital Rafiki'. Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire. --> wanjiku@moon-fish.co.uk Launch of a show featuring four new-media arts commissions by two Birmingham and two Kenyan artists. 'Digital Rafiki' explores why and how we make and keep friends. Throughout June & July 2002. West Midlands final-year university art & design degree-shows: - Coventry University: Art & Design Private View at Coventry City Football Club on 7th June 2002, 6pm onwards. e-mail: cor002@coventry.ac.uk after 15th April for a free ticket. - Staffordshire University: Final-year Photography show at Burslem School of Art, Stoke-on-Trent, from 13th - 31st May 2002. - Staffordshire University: Art & Design Private View at Stoke-on-Trent on 14th June 2002. e-mail: art&design@staffs.ac.uk - Birmingham Institute of Art & Design (BIAD), UCE: Gosta Green, Birmingham. From 13th - 15th June 2002. Tel: 0121 331 5878. - Wolverhampton University. 14th June 2002. - Space Invaders: Warwick Arts Centre are organising a showcase for new work by the best emerging Midlands student & graduate artists on 7th - 8th June 2001. Deadline: 5th April 2002. For an application form, e-mail: s.e.proud@warwick.ac.uk 10th - 12th June 2002. The 3rd e-biz Summit. The Belfry, Warwickshire. --> http://www.ebiz.worldtradeco.com/ "The 3rd annual e-business summit brings together Europe's most powerful e-commerce buyers and sellers in an environment where they can learn, network and do business." 11th - 13th June 2002. EGUK 2002: 20th Eurographics UK Conference. De Montfort University, Leicester, East Midlands. --> http://www.eguk.org.uk/DMU02/ Themes and strands include: - Digital arts - Art & Design learning - Web-based learning - Computer-animation and computer-games - Interactive design for iTV and 3G - Holographic presentations - Next-generation web-design and e-commerce 11th June 2002. 'Dealing with Computer and Internet Crime'. Tally Ho, Pershore Road, Birmingham. 6pm. --> http://www.bcs.org.uk/branches/birm/prognew.htm Talk to the British Computer Society (Birmingham) by Detective Sergeant Russell May (retired Head of the Hi-tech Crime Unit, West Midlands Police). 11th June 2002. Arts & Humanities Research Board Information Day. Birmingham Conservatoire. --> http://www.ahrb.ac.uk/ It looks 'as dry as dust' at first glance, but this event is actually a chance to find out about important new ARHB Awards which could fund your academic research into the Midlands' arts & creative industries, such as... - Changing Places: "hosted visits scheme promotes and supports collaboration between researchers in academic departments in the UK and colleagues who work in museums, galleries, theatres, studios or similar creative environments". - Fellowships in the Creative and Performing Arts: "provide support for the appointment of full-time research fellows in the creative and performing arts in the form of a flat-rate grant of 18,000 UKP p.a. for three years." - Small Grants in the Creative and Performing Arts: "offer up to 5,000 UKP to meet the direct costs of research projects." 12th June 2002. Business Innovation in the Knowledge Economy. IBM, Warwick. One-day conference. Themes: Financial services in e-contexts / Risk and e-innovation / Innovation and small firms. 12th June 2002. Computer User Interface Design for Informational Software (public talk). 5.30pm. Room 201, BIAD, UCE @ Gosta Green, Birmingham. --> http://www.biad.uce.ac.uk/research/events/seminars01.html 18th June 2002. 'The Communications Revolution'. Austin Court, 80 Cambridge Street, Birmingham. 10 UKP. --> http://www.rsa.org.uk/events/details/lec_180602_commrev.html "Is there really a communications revolution? What is the future and vision of broadcasting in the digital age?". Jenny Abramsky, Head of BBC Radio will discuss the digital revolution and its impact on the 21st century. A joint Institute of Public Relations & RSA event. 20th - 21st June 2002. UKOLOG 2002: 'Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers - Exploiting the Online Environment for Maximum Advantage'. Jury's Inn, Birmingham. --> conference@ukolug.org.uk "Will address the concerns and considerations facing information professionals in 2002. It will explore the latest trends and technologies in online information provision, through key papers and practical demonstrations. Topics will include: - The state of the information industry - Wired Europe - E-Government - Using Internet technologies for competitive advantage - Online translation services - Second generation Internet search strategies - Intelligent agents and personal information environments" 21st - 22nd June 2002. Cartoon Finance. Cardiff, Wales. Cost: 400 Euros. --> masters@cartoon.skynet.be --> http://www.cartoon-media.be 2-day 'masterclass' training seminar. In Wales, but listed here because of the unique & practical subject-matter. Deadline for booking places: 24th May 2002. 27th June 2002. FERL Conference 2002. Centennial Centre, Edgbaston, Birmingham. --> http://ferl.becta.org.uk/ display.cfm?page=72&resID=2401&showArchive=0 This conference looks at enhancing the 16-19 age-group's learning experience by using ICT (Information & Communication Technologies). 25th - 27th June 2002. Networks Telecom Europe 2002. NEC, Birmingham. Cost: 20 UKP - free if you register online. --> http://www.cmp-europe.com --> http://www.networks-telecom.com Claims to be "...the top high-tech event in Western Europe, pre-eminent for networks and networked solutions across IT, telecoms and the Internet." 25th June 2002. Future Living: 'The BedZed Project'. Austin Court, 80 Cambridge Street, Birmingham. Cost: 10 UKP. --> http://www.rsa.org.uk/events/details/lec_250602_future_living.html Lecture on the subject of Future Living, with emphasis on the BedZed project. A joint MADE (Midlands Architectural Design Environment) & RSA event. 1st - 3rd July 2002. 3rd International Conference on Design & Emotion. Loughborough, East Midlands. --> http://www.designandemotion2002.lboro.ac.uk "This timely event will provide a unique opportunity for designers, educators and industrialists to discuss and debate the importance of the emotional experience within contemporary design." 3rd July 2002. Staffordshire University School of Computing's M.Sc. Dissertation Event. The Octagon, Stafford. 12 noon. Invitation only. --> c.a.lees@staffs.ac.uk "The School particularly welcomes local businesses to these postgraduate awards, which are renowned for their quality. Each year exceptional postgraduate students are invited to present their dissertation to industrialists and senior academic staff." For more details and an invitation please enquire by e-mail. 6th - 7th July 2002. CGE02 - Eurographics/ SIGGRAPH Workshop on Computer Graphics Education. Bristol. --> http://www.eg.org/CGE02 5th - 17th July 2002. AID 2002 - Artificial Intelligence in Design. Cambridge University, Cambridge. --> http://www.arch.usyd.edu.au/kcdc/conferences/aid02/ The 7th of the international forum for state-of-the-art and cutting-edge research and developments in artificial intelligence in design. Preceded by workshops on July 13th & 14th. 9th July 2002. Introducing 3G. Rewley House, Oxford. --> http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/ousep/courses/02intro3g.html "Third generation mobile phones (3G) will open the door to new media-rich interactive services. This 1-day course provides a concise introduction into how the current 3G technical solution has been derived, followed by in-depth analyses of the types of services which will be available, comparing to those of today: WAP in Europe and I-Mode in Japan." 10th - 12th July 2002. TTI 2002: Technology Transfer & Innovation for Business. International Convention Centre & Millennium Point, Birmingham. --> http://www.tcd.co.uk/tti/ High-level conference, with several government ministers giving speeches. Thursday 11th should be the most interesting day; on a 'Managing the Knowledge Economy' theme. 10th - 12th July 2002. Digital Broadcasting. Rewley House, Oxford. --> http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/ousep/courses/02digbroad.html "A practical overview of the art of video and audio compression in broadcast systems, and insights into the practicalities of digital broadcasting. Speakers from BBC Training & Development, the ITC, BBC Digital Audio Broadcasting and the Digital TV Group. The theoretical and mathematical content will be restricted to the essential and explanations of signal processing will be mainly from a systems designer's point of view." 11th - 13th July 2002. Sounding Out. Staffordshire University, Stoke-on-Trent, West Midlands. --> http://mcs.staffs.ac.uk/p&r/new_media/soundingout.htm "An international symposium of invited speakers, including leading practitioners and academics, exploring the art and practices of sound. An opportunity to investigate the new practices and understandings of sound, emerging from new work in radio, film, television, video, and new-media." 15th - 17th July 2002. Communication Systems, Networks and Digital Signal Processing 2002. The Octagon, Stafford. --> http://www.staffs.ac.uk/csndsp2002/ 18th - 21st July 2002. Rhubarb Rhubarb 3. Birmingham. Tickets cost 175 UKP per day or 400 UKP for three days. --> http://www.rhubarb-rhubarb.net Birmingham's Seeing the Light will run their successful international photographer's portfolio event again for a third year, flying in international image-buyers, advertising producers and art buyers to view the portfolios of several hundred British image-makers and photographers. 18th July 2002. Conference on University Sector Spin-out Business. Free to Connected Midlands members, 62.50 UKP to non-members. --> info@connectmidlands.org "A one-day conference where individuals and start-up companies can present their ideas and concepts to an invited audience of technology investors and business advisors, then discuss their proposed business strategy or business plans in the intimate exhibition area." 19th - 21st July 2002. Incubation II: the trAce conference on Writing & the Internet. Nottingham Trent University. --> http://trace.ntu.ac.uk/incubation The 2nd major conference on hypertext and all aspects of creative writing on the web. 24th July 2002. Animation Forum. The Light House, Wolverhampton. 6.30pm. Free. --> http://www.light-house.co.uk/training.htm Popular quarterly get-together and big-screen showcase for the region's animators and interested artists. 7th - 9th August 2002. Junk Writing: Culture, Landscape, Body. University College Worcester. --> http://writing.worc.ac.uk/conference.htm 14th - 16th August 2002. Biologically Inspired Robots. Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Bristol. --> http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~rid/wgw02/home.html A three-day scientific meeting focussing on the latest work in this important area of overlap between biology, engineering, computing and entertainment (think; Sony's 'Robot Dog'). 5th September 2002. Animation Shorts. The Light House, Wolverhampton. 6.30 - 8.30pm. --> http://www.light-house.co.uk Showcasing the best animation produced on 2002's short training courses at The Light House. 17th September 2002 (date tbc). 'Evaluating the Usability of Software'. User Lab, Birmingham Institute of Art and Design. 6pm. --> http://www.bcs.org.uk/branches/birm/prognew.htm Site visit to the BIAD/UCE User Lab, by the members of the British Computer Society (Birmingham). 18th - 20th Sept 2002 (dates tbc). e-Business 2002. NEC, Birmingham. --> http://www.ebusiness-nec.co.uk Large annual expo. Usually there are free tickets available if you pre-book. 18th - 20th September 2002. International Conference on 'Cultural Returns'. St. Hugh's College, Oxford. --> http://www.open.ac.uk/socialsciences/pavis Organised by The Open University's Pavis Centre for Social & Cultural Research, this conference basically asks; 'what return does society get from the ever-increasing outpouring of thinking and writing about culture?' 27th September 2002. Casting a Wider Net: Integrating research and policy on the social impacts of the Internet. The Oxford Internet Institute, Oxford. --> http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/ "The conference aims to serve as a neutral forum for academics, policymakers, business, citizens and consumers to discuss the current state of internet research and policy." This is the first fruit of Bill Gates's recent huge donation to Oxford to set up an Internet Institute. 1st - 3rd October 2002. InfraSec '02: Infrastructure Security Conference 2002. Bristol. --> http://www.infrasec-conf.org/ Don't like the idea of Bin Laden piloting a 747 into London's Telehouse ISP hub while you're surfing the web? Then this one's for you. Late October 2002 - exact date tbc. XML and its relevance to small businesses. University of Central England, Perry Barr, Birmingham. --> http://www.bcs.org.uk/branches/birm/prognew.htm Talk by Jonathan Westlake of Staffordshire University's Applied Computing Division. 14th - 16th October 2002. Creativity & Cognition 4. Creativity and Cognition Research Studios, University of Loughborough, East Midlands. --> http://creative.lboro.ac.uk/eae/CC02/CREATIVITYCONGNITION4cfp.html --> http://creative.lboro.ac.uk/ccrs/ "The forth conference will continue the tradition of creating opportunities for artists and scientists to engage in a dialogue about their ideas and working practices in the field of creative computer/human interaction." October 11th - November 12th 2002. Hereford Photography Festival 2002. Hereford. --> http://www.photofest.org/ --> http://www.bjphoto.co.uk/news/501.shtml The Festival's apparently negotiating with Hereford Council to ensure they won't continue to censor exhibitions. If the Festival can get assurances, it'll go ahead again in 2002. With the switch to digital photography rapidly gathering pace in Britain, the festival is sure to have a number of digital-imaging events and seminars. 13th November 2002. Made at Light House III. The Light House, Wolverhampton. 7 - 8.30pm. --> http://www.light-house.co.uk Showcasing the best work produced on 2002's free film, multimedia and animation courses at the Light House. 15th - 24th November 2002. Birmingham International Film and Television Festival 2002. Birmingham. The Festival will again include a 'Digital Babylon' event, discussing new technologies in film & TV. ---------------------- Of interest in Europe: ---------------------- 2nd - 5th April 2002. The 1st International Conference on Colour in Graphics, Imaging and Vision. European Park of The Image, France. --> http://www.imaging.org/conferences/cgiv/index.cfm 19th - 21st April 2002. numer.02 - Second International Conference on Interactive Design. Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France. --> http://www.numer.org/ "In order to better understand the dynamics of interactive design, we will attempt to picture its future. What will the new tools be like, and what will be their scope of application? What impact will this new media have on society at large? And how will future interactive designers be taught and trained?" 23rd - 26th April 2002. The MPEG-4 Congress. Paris, France --> http://www.upperside.fr/mpeg42001/mpeg42001intro.htm Key seminar in the roll-out of the successor to MP3. MP4 is set to be a key building block of mobile and broadband media delivery. 24th - 28th April 2002. European Media Art Festival 2002. Osnabrueck, Germany. --> http://www.emaf.de 7th - 12th May 2002. Comics World Expo 02. Innsbruck, Austria. --> http://www.abrp.net/ Billed as... "the first true worldwide expo for comics", and said to be... "expecting more than 20,000 professionals". The awful web-site doesn't inspire confidence, though; you might want to ask people's opinion via the industry's discussion boards before you actually book a place. 9th - 11th May 2002. Typo Berlin 2002; 7th International Design Conference. Berlin, Germany. --> http://www.typo-berlin.de "Sponsored by FontShop, this year focused on the theme of 'Information'. Experts in design, advertising, multimedia, and science will discuss the meaning of visual communication for the transmission and reception of information. Plus practical workshops designed to enrich the program experience." 13th - 15th May 2002. IIR's 4th Annual Streaming Media & Digital Content Delivery conference. Amsterdam. --> http://www.iir-conferences.com/streaming/ 16th - 17th May 2002. TV Meets the Web. Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam. --> http://www.tvmeetstheweb.com "Offers the design industry a view of new formats and technologies that are enabling users to access the Web via TV." 19th - 24th May 2002. XML Europe 2002. Barcelona, Spain --> http://www.xmleurope.com/ 24th - 26th May 2002. New Interfaces for Musical Expression. Media Lab Europe, Dublin. --> http://www.medialabeurope.org/nime.html 3rd - 8th June 2002. The 26th Annecy International Festival of Animation. Annecy, France. --> http://www.annecy.org Billed as... "the premiere animation festival in the world. The MIFA expo held in conjunction is the international market for animated film." 6th - 8th June 2002. Computer Games and Digital Cultures Conference. Tampere, Finland. --> http://www.gamesconference.org 11th - 14th June 2002. Bluetooth Congress & Expo 2002. Amsterdam RAI, Netherlands --> http://www.ibctelecoms.com/ 19th - 21st June 2002. mecon[interactive]. Cologne, Germany. --> http://www.mecon.de/ 19th - 21st June 2002. Computer Animation 2002 - 15th International Conference on Computer Animation. Geneva, Switzerland. --> CA2002@miralab.unige.ch --> http://miralabwww.unige.ch/ca2002/ 20th - 21st June 2002. New Media and Old Media - The Impact of the Internet on the Mass Media. Tromso, Norway. --> farrel.corcoran@dcu.ie 20th - 22th June 2002. A+A (Architecture and Animation). Barcelona, Spain. --> http://www.coac.net/COAC/a+a/default_w.html "Devoted to the exhibition of works where architecture and the animated image fuse together." 4th - 7th July 2002. International Conference on Decision Making and Decision Support in the Internet Age. Cork, Ireland. --> http://girtab.ucc.ie/DSIAge2002/CallForPapers.html 2nd - 6th September 2002. Eurographics 2002. Saarbrucken, Germany. --> http://www.eg.org/eg2002 7th - 12th September 2002. Ars Electronica Festival. Linz, Austria --> http://prixars.orf.at/ 18th - 21st September 2002. International Computer Music Conference 2002: 'Voices of Nature'. Sweden. --> http://www.icmc2002.org/ 19th - 22th September 2002. ATypI 2002. Rome, Italy. --> http://www.atypi.org/rome2002/ International gathering of type and typography professionals. September 2002. European Cartoon Forum. Bangor/Caernarfon, North Wales. --> http://www.cartoon-media.be/Forum/Forum_3.htm 29th September - 1st October 2002. UBICOMP 2002: Handheld and Ubiquitous Computing 2002. Goteborg, Sweden. --> http://www.viktoria.se/ubicomp/ 30th September - 2nd October 2002. 4th Conference on Collaborative Virtual Environments. Bonn, Germany. --> http://www.acm.org/ 23rd - 27th October 2002. VIPER, International Festival for Digital Video and New Media. Basel, Switzerland. --> http://www.viper.ch 6th - 9th November 2002. 6th International Conference on Electronic Publishing. Czech Republic. 14th - 16th November 2002. Doors of Perception: 'Flow'. Amsterdam. --> http://www.doorsofperception.com/ 9th - 11th December 2002. 2nd International Conference on Web Delivery of Music. Darmstadt, Germany. --> wedelmusic@dsi.unifi.it 1st - 5th September 2003. INTERACT 2003. Zurich, Switzerland. --> http://www.interact2003.org/ ------- Quotes: ------- "Most of what will in time come to count as the best of the present day's art is not yet even recognised as such by us -- web-page designs, certain films, photographs, and television works, certain currently unsung paintings." Professor A.C. Greyling (Professor of Philosophy, Birkbeck College, London), in The Art Newspaper, 1st March 2002. "The expectation [of our research] was that while few [creative media freelancers] would formally become employers, [nevertheless] collaborative and colleague-like working patterns would be adopted to avoid isolation and overcome the vulnerability of small size. This was true, but only for a very small group. For the most part links with other self-employed people were tentative and fraught with suspicion. Distrust was pervasive and often co-existed painfully with a desire to form new links for information seeking, sociability and to combat the commercial disadvantages of working alone. Typically the most important working relationships were with employees of client companies and many were determined to see these links as long-term, personal and not purely commercial. There was a marked lack of skills in negotiating and marketing." Susan Baines and Liz Robson. 'Being self-employed or being enterprising? : the case of creative work for the media industries'. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development (2001 : vol.8, part 4 - pages 349-362). -------------------------------------------------- DIGITA supports creators of interactive new-media in the West Midlands. The web directory of over 800 listings provides a comprehensive networking guide to the region's interactive-media business activity. Plus regular newsletter, event & course listings, and more. Free, un-funded & non-profit. Since 1998. -------------------------------------------------- This newsletter is best viewed using the Courier font. e-mailed to over 500 subscribers on: 28th March 2002. Made in England.