Table of Contents4 IntroductionbyDrewHemmentandCharlieGere

6 �FutureEverything�2012�Theme�FutureEverybody�byDrewHemmentandCharlieGere

9 FutureEverything�2012�Art�ProgrammebyDrewHemmentandCharlieGere

15 FutureEverything�2012�Conference�ProgrammebyDrewHemmentandCharlieGere

18 Constructing�a�Digital�Public�SpacebyBillThompson,DrewHemment,RachelCooperandCharlieGereonbehalfofTheCreativeExchange

22 The�Space:�Digital,�Public,�and�HerebyTonyAgehandAlisonCole

24 MydexbyWilliamHeath

25 The�Creative�ExchangebyTheCreativeExchange

27 A�Co-operative�FuturebyMarkRobinson-Field

29 Mass�ObservationbyFionaCourage

31 Open�to�CollaborationbyRufusPollock

33 �Democracy:�upgrade�=�(re)Public�–�(r)evolution�-�(h)activist�-�H(e)art-hbyBirgittaJónsdóttir

35 �The�trust�of�a�maker�and�making�to�trustbyRobertPhillips,SharonBaurleyandSarahSilve

38 Will�London�2012�Be�Everybody’s�Olympics?�#media2012�is�working�to�make�sure�it�will�bebyAndyMiah

41 Turing’s�SunflowersbyErinmaOchu

43 �‘Twitter�brings�you�closer’:�the�importance�of�seeing�the�little�data�in�Big�DatabyFaridaVis

47 �DIYBio�MCRbyMartynAmos,AsaCalow,NaomiJacobsandRachaelTurner

50 Patchworking�through�catalytic�community�reactionsbyAsaCalow,JenSouthern,JonWhittle,RodDillon

53 Super�Critical�MassbyJulianDayandLukeJaaniste

56 I’d�Hide�YoubyMattAdams

59 Ant�BalletbyOlliePalmer

61 Digital�Manchester�StrategybySaraTomkins

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IntroductionThisisareportonFutureEverybody,theFutureEverythingthemein2012.ItconsistsofshortessaysbyparticipantsintheFutureEverything2012festivalandanoverviewofthefestivalandconferenceprogrammebythecurators.TheseofferreflectionsontheFutureEverybodytheme,theartanddesignprojectsinthefestival,andtheissuesandinitiativespresentedwithintheconference.EachyearFutureEverythingproposesanddevelopsparticularthemes,initsannualfestivalandyearroundinnovationlabs.Thesethemesareprovocations,designedtoopenupaspaceforpracticeanddebate,madetangiblethroughartanddesignprojectswhichseektobringthefutureintothepresent.

DrewHemment&CharlieGereCuratorsandEditors,FutureEverybody

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I’d�Hide�YoubyBlastTheory

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FutureEverybodyAnewparticipatorycultureischangingourworld.Theextraordinarycreativeandpoliticalpossibilitiesofsuchconnectivityareexploredinthetheme,FutureEverybody.TheFutureEverybodythemeispromptedby2012’scelebrationofthe75thanniversaryoftheMassObservationMovementandtheUNInternationalYearofCo-operatives.2012isagoodyearinwhichtolookanewatthewayspeopleparticipateandco-operatearechanginginamassivelynetworkedworld.BoththeCo-operativeandMassObservationmovementshaverootsinManchester,hometoFutureEverything.

Recentlyithasbecomeincreasinglyeasyforpeopletoparticipateinthemedia,whetherintheformofrealityTV,so-calledparticipatorydemocracy,crowdsourcing,orsocialnetworks.Peoplecancollaboratewiththousandsofstrangersacrossnetworkstocreateoriginal,sometimesbeautifulmediaobjects.Orparticipateinsocialrevolutions,usingnewtechnologiesthatenablemanyvoicestobeheardatonce.

Technologyhasprofoundlychangedthewayspeopleconnect,workandplay.Widespreadwebconnectivityallowsco-creationatamassivescale.Mobilenetworkshavefostereddifferentkindsofcollaboration,enablingswiftandspontaneousplayorprotestacrosslooselyconnectedgroups.Anybodywhoisconnectedtothenetworkscanmakemediaartefactsthatcanreachavastaudience,recombineothersuchartefactsalmostlimitlessly,shareideas,contentandengageindebateallovertheglobe,andfosternewformsofvirtualcommunity.

Culturetodayischaracterisedbymanymicro-communitiesformedaroundaninterest,artformortechnology.Thenodesandnetworksofdigitalculture–festivalsincluded–canconnect,bridge,scaleupsectorsandmedia,andenablecitizeninnovation.

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Artists,designers,andprogrammemakersarecreatingnewkindsofparticipatoryexperience.Publicmediaandinformation,andpersonaldatatrails,canbeaccessedtocreatenewkindsofentertainmentandart.Increasingnumbersofcreativeprojectsarebasedinmanypeoplefindingthings,andcreatingsomethingnewfromthethingstheyfind.Newformsofart,andofartist,arebeginningtoemerge.

Theemergenceofthisnewparticipatoryculturebegssomeseriousquestionsaboutcommunityandcommunicationinamassivelynetworkedworld.Olderconceptssuchas‘massparticipation’and‘collectiveaction’mayneedtoberethoughtatatimewhencitizensmash-upmediaandco-operationhappensbetweenindividualscomingtogetherinarbitrarywaysonline.

Intheinternetagethepowerofthecrowdhasbeenharnessed.Crowdsourcing,wherelargeprojectsarecompletedbythepublicinthousandsofbite-sizetasks,cantreatpeopleas‘clickworkers’.Peoplebecomethedronebees,workingtirelesslyontheirsmalltask-welcometotheuserfarm.Beyondcrowdsourcingliesparticipationatamassivescalethatdoesnotwipeawaythecharacterofindividualcontributions,whereweseefacesinthecloud.Herecitizenscancontrolandshapetheirowndataandmedia.

In2011globalnetworksandtheWorldWideWebbecamevitalpartsofnumerousformsofprotestandpoliticalliberation,fromtheArabSpringtotheOccupyMovement.Thesenetworksareatlastrealisingtheirradicalandliberatorypotential.

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Human�ResourcesbyLawrenceEpps.PhotoDavidBoyle

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FutureEverything 2012 Art Programme

TheFutureEverything2012festivalandconferencebringstheFutureEverybodythemetolifethroughideasandexperiencesthatprovokeandinspire.Theartprogrammepresentsworksofartthatarecritical,humorousandalsooptimisticaboutthesemedia,andaboutthefutureinwhichtheywillpayalargepart.Severaloftheartistsseektomaketangibletheinvisiblelayerofonline,socialinteraction.Othersareconcernedwiththestrangepoetryoftheeveryday,theboundarybetweenpublicandprivate,andthedrivetoselfpromote.Theprogrammefeatureslargescaleartworkswhichtakeplaceoutinthestreetsandonline,andreflective,intimateworksofartinthegalleryshowatthe1830WarehouseattheMuseumofScienceandIndustry(MOSI).

OneworkintheexhibitionatMOSIexaminesaprecursoroftheinternetandparticipatoryculture,theMassObservationmovement,whichdocumentedeverydaylifeinBritainfrom1937totheearly1950s,andcontinuouslysince1981.ForFutureEverybody,artcollectiveStand+Stareimmersedthemselvesinthearchiveformanyweeksandwereastoundedbyitsscale.Theydevisedstrategiestonavigateit-becominghumanalgorithmsorcrawlerssearchingthearchive-inordertocreatenewmeaning.InthegallerytheirTheatre�Jukebox�-�Mass�Observation�presentstheMassObservationArchiveonanewdigitalcanvas.Itisanarcade-stylecabinetthatplaysstoriesratherthanmusic,andallowstheusertochoosewhattheywishtohearthroughphotographswithhiddenRFIDtags.Choosingmorethanonecardallowscomplexconnectionstobemade.Withthisinteractive,tactileinterface,theartist’sgoalistogiveanaudienceadirectexperienceofthearchivematerial,andtosaysomethingaboutMassObservationitself.

Celebratingits75thAnniversaryin2012,thepurposeofMassObservationwastocapture“theunwrittenlawsandtomaketheinvisibleforcesvisible.”TheartworksinFutureEverybodysimilarlyenableustosee,touchandplaywiththeinvisibleforcesoftheInternetandthenewparticipatoryculture.Unsurprisingly,muchhaschanged.

Aninspirationfortheentireshowis�Ten�Thousand�CentsbyAaronKoblinandTakashiKawashima.Theartworkisonlypossiblethankstoparticipatorytechnologies.Anditholdsamirroruptothosetechnologiesandenablesustoseeaspectswhichwemayfindtroubling.UsingAmazon’sMechanicalTurkdistributedlabourtool,theartistspaidtenthousandonline‘workers’onecenteachtoproduceasinglefragmentofanimageofa$100bill.Thetotallabourcostwas$100,asisthecostofreproductionsoftheimage.

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NotabiliabyMoritzStefaner,DarioTaraborelli,LucaCiampaglia

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Theartaudienceseethefullpictureemergeinavideoofalltenthousandpartsdrawnatonce.Buteachcontributorworkedinisolationandwithoutknowingwhatthetotalimagewouldbeorabouttheartproject.Itisanallegoryforthewaydigitallabourmarketscandisempowerworkers,eachwiththeirsmalltaskbutnostakeintheoutcome.

OlliePalmer’sAnt�Balletistheworld’sfirstballetentirelyfeaturingdigitalants.Ant�Ballet�examinesantsasametaphorforpeopleinparticipatoryculture.Throughuseofaroboticarm,computervisionsystemandsynthesisedpheromone(Z9:16AldHexadecenal),technologyhasbeendevelopedthatcausesacolonyofantstofollowartificialtrailsinpreferencetotheirownnaturalforagingbehaviour.Palmerstudiedthemostinvasiveantspecies-inacolonythatstretches6000km-andsimulatedthepheromoneandtheantsinchemistryandcode.Inthegallery,virtualantsarecontrolledbytheroboticarmfromabove,justaspeopleinteractonlinewithoutgivingthoughttothecontrolsystemwhichshapesandlimitstheironlinelives.

fbFacesbyJoernRodayandJonathanPirnayalsotrawlstheWebforitscontent,thistimetheimagesofFacebookusersinManchester,andtheirfriends,whicharethenturnedintoamassivedisplayofthoseimages,asameansoftheincredibleamountofdatawithwhichweareconfrontedeveryday.Theworkisinstalledaswallpaperinaliftinthegalleryenvelopingyouasyouascendtotheexhibitionfloor.Thefacespressdownonyou,givingaphysicalexperienceofthesheervolumeofdata.Upcloseyouseethepersonalities,asyoupullawaythedetailsblur,givingasenseoftheincomprehensiblemass.

JeremyHutchison’sExtra!�Extra!isalsoaboutthedrivetoselfpromote.Itinvolvesprintingstatusmessagesfromtheproject’sFaceBooksiteontonewspaperbillboards,whichwillthenbepositionedallaroundtheMuseumsite.Hutchison’sintentionistoreflectthefactthatweareincreasinglyanationoftweeters,sharingoureverydaylivesasiftheyarecurrentaffairs.Windingitswaythroughoutthemuseumsite,Extra!�Extra!makesvisiblethestrangepoetryandeverydaynoiseofourlivesonline,when,inHutchison’sownwords,“weareallbecomingartists,religions,brands.”

HelenPritchardandWinnieSoon’sJsut�Code[sic]invitesviewerstodecodeelectronictextswrittenbyacollectiveofdistributedwriters,whicharedisplayedasQRcodes,whichcanbereadwithasmartphoneoraQRreader.ThepoeticfragmentsarescrapedfromtheInternetbyanalgorithmnotbyhumanchoice.Inthegallery,theworkmakestangiblethetechnologiesweusedtoaccessonlinecontent,inthiscaseQRcodesandsmartphones,andtheaudience‘performthecode’intheirphysicalinteractionwiththewallofQRcodes.

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BasingitselfonDavidBohm’sideathatthoughtisuniversalratherthangeneratedbyourminds,KasiaMolgaandBrendanOliver’sThe...usesaKinectbodyandmotionsensingcameratoallowviewerstointeractwith‘thoughts’loadedfromalivetwitterfeed,bycastingtheirshadowsonthewalls.

MoritzStefaner,currentlyworkingwithFutureEverythingonanartworkvisualisingtheglobalemotionalresponsetoLondon2012,presentstwoprojects.Revisitisaambientdisplay,a‘twitterwall’,orinotherwordsareal-timevisualizationoftwittermessagesonaspecifictopic.HiscollaborationwithDarioTaraborelli,Notabilia,isanotherdisplay,whichvisualisesthecollectivedecisionmakingaroundatopiconWikipedia.

DanielJones’sandJamesBulley’sMaelstrom,alarge-scalesculpturalsoundintervention,usesthousandsofuser-createdaudiofragments,grabbedreal-timefromtheWeb.

SitedintheMuseumofScienceandIndustry,theseprojectsareconcernedwiththeproblemsandpossibilitiesofnew,networkedmedia.AllofferwindowsintoaphenomenonthatismassivelydistributedoverthemultipledimensionsoftheInternet.Inkeepingwiththethemeoftheexhibition,otherworksarethemselvesparticipatory,distributedandnetworked.

Youmaycomeacrossoneofthe8,000miniatureceramicfiguresmadebyLawrenceEpps,anddistributedbytheSykeyCollective,inthestreetsofManchester.Oncelooseinthecity,thefiguresthenfindtheirwayintothelivesandmemoriesofthepublic.Thepublicareencouragedtohandleandtakeawaythefigures,todocumentwheretheyendupinfilm,photographyandartworks,andtosharetheseonline.ThefigureswillalsomakeupEpps’Human�Resourcessculpturein1830Warehouse.

Someoftheprojectswillnotevenbeentirelyvisible.InspiredbytheuseofmobiletechnologiesintheArabSpring,LeedscollectiveInvisibleFlock’sYour�Government�has�Gone�to�Sleepisdesignedasagamethatwillrunoverthreedays,withahubatthe1830Warehouse,inwhichparticipantswhorespondtoanadvertisedphonenumberwillbegivenrevolutionaryidentitiesandencouragedtoformatemporary,networkedmicro-community.

BlastTheorypremiereI’d�Hide�You,agamethatconnectsvirtualworlds,videostreamingandperformers,afterdark,onthestreetsofManchester.Eachnightteamsofrunnersinilluminatedsuitsroamthecitytryingtofilmeachother,encounteringthenightlife,streaminglivevideototheWeb.Onlineplayersclickonarunnertorideonboardwiththemandseetheworldthroughtheireyes.Snaparunneronscreentoscoreapoint,getsnappedbysomeoneelseandlosealife.

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InLarkin’About’slatestgamingeventinitsReinventing�Manchester’s�Playtimeproject,playerschaseandrace,searchandcollect,andcode-breakandpuzzle-solveinaseriesofgamesthroughtheContactbuildingandbeyond.Larkin’AboutwillbeexperimentingwithabrandnewgamethatlinksManchesterandNewYorkviaaremotelink.

AustraliansoundartistsSuperCritical�Masspresenttwohuge-scaleparticipatorymusicalperformance-installations,oneatManchesterCathedral,anda‘flashmob’atMediaCity,SalfordQuays,inwhichtheamateurandprofessionalmusiciansfollow‘algorithms’–simple,memorisableinstructions–informingthemhowandwheretomovearoundapublicspace,andwhatsoundstocreateastheymove.

Othervenuesseedigitalandsocialinnovationinactionandhostthethrivinggrass-rootscommunitiesoftoday’sparticipatoryculture.

Thenewmakercultureisthefocusat�Handmade,adayofcontemporarycraft,digitalhacking,interactivitiesandDIYcultureatVictoriaBaths,oneofManchester’sprimeheritagelocations.Thecultureoftraditionalskillsandmaterialsisconnectingwithmodern-daydigitalproduction,distributionandinteractiontechniques.Herecrafters,hackersanddigitalartistsshareideasandpractice,andinvitethepublictoplaywiththeirdigitalmanufacturingequipmentandcreatesomethingtheycantakeawaywiththem.

TheManchesterMicrobe�MapbyDIOBIOMCRislaunchedatFutureEverything,alarge-scaleprojecttobuildabacterialatlasofthestreetsofManchester.Groupsofparticipantscollectedswabsfrombusstopsaroundthecitycentre,documentedtheresultswithphotographsanddata,andtheMaphasnowbeenmadeavailableonline,withvisualisationandsearchfeatures.

PatchworksatMadlab(ManchesterDigitalLaboratory)isaprojectco-designingprototypetoolsusingcheap,opensourcetechnologyinresponsetothehealthandcommunicationneedsof‘roofless’people.Patchworksisacollaborationbetweenthecommunitysupportgroup,Signposts,MadLabandLancasterUniversity,andisapartofthe£1.9MCatalystprojectoncitizen-ledinnovationandtoolsforchange.

Theseworksrepresentthemostradicalartisticresponsestopossibilitiesandissuesofnewformsofnetworkedcollectivepractices,whicharelikelytobeincreasinglyimportantinourtechnologisedculture.Artisameansofrespondingtosocialandculturalchange.Artworkssuchasthosefeaturedintheexhibitionhelpustoimaginethesepossibilities,andremindusofMarshallMcLuhan’sdictumthat‘ArtatitsmostsignificantisaDistantEarlyWarningSystemthatcanalwaysbereliedontotelltheoldculturewhatisbeginningtohappentoit’.

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Extra!�Extra!byJeremyHutchinson

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FutureEverything 2012 Conference Programme

TheFutureEverything2012Conferenceexploreshowourart,cities,politics,howwemakealiving,thewaysweplayandpray,allarebeingtransformedbynewparticipatorytechnologies.Theconferencepresentsthefuture-thinkersandthepeoplewhoarechangingourworld.

Itinvestigatestheplaceintoday’snewparticipatorycultureofboththeCo-operativeandMassObservationmovements,inresponsetothe75thanniversaryofMassObservationandtheUNInternationalYearofCo-operatives.

Leadingfiguresinvolvedinbuildingamorejustandparticipatoryworldspeakonprofoundpoliticalchanges,recentandstilltocome.BirgittaJónsdóttirIcelandicMPandformerspokespersonforWikileakspresentsaboldvisionforabottom-updemocracy.JulianaRotichtheExecutiveDirectorofUshahidiandeditoratGlobalVoicesheadsupasessiononhowcollaborativetechnologiescanenablepositivesocialchange.RufusPollockspeaksonOpenKnowledge.BilalRandereefromAlJazeeratalksabouttheArabSpringandtheroleAlJazeeraplayedindocumentingthoseevents.FaridaVis,partoftheGuardian’sgroundbreakingReadingtheRiots,thatexamined2.5milliontweetsduringtherecentUKriots,talksonsocialmediaandsocialchange.

FindingartistryandmeaninginstructuresbeyondhumancomprehensionandmakingsenseofbigdataisthefocusfordatavisualiserMoritzStefanerandtherisingstarofeconomicdatascienceCésarA.Hidalgo.RohanGunatillakeandRichardAyerslookathowpeopleareusingtechnologytoreinventthethousands-year-oldspiritualpracticeofBuddhismandfootballfandom.AndLauraHarper,LozKaye,CampbellCowie&JamesBlessinglookatthechallengesofproducingalivingandthenewcultural,politicalandbusinessmodels.

Themediaitselfisthefocus,insessionsonmassexperienceandsocialbroadcasting,featuringAdrianHoncreatorofZombies,Run!,DaveAddeyofAgant,Metabroadcast’sChrisJacksonandPaulBennunfromSomethin’Else.TheSpace,anewcollaborationbetweenArtsCouncilEnglandandtheBBC,promisesarevolutionindeliveringdigitalarttoscreens.AtFutureEverythingEdEdVaizeyMPisjoinedbythekeypeopledrivingtheproject,includingMoMcRobertstheTechnicalLeadatBBCandAlisonClark-JenkinsfromArtsCouncilEngland.

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Atechnologywhichoffersworldchangingpotential,WilliamHeathfounderofMydexpresentstheconceptsbehindthisnewpersonaldatastorethatgivesindividualscompletecontrolovertheirdataonline.IssuesofidentityandsecurityareexploredbyIanBrownandJeremyNewman.NationalMediaMuseum’sLifeOnlineCuratordiscussesnetneutralitywithrepresentativepanelistsfromartandmedia.ManchesterDigitalpresentInfiniteBandwithZeroLatencyanddiscussprojectssuchasthe‘flyingshepherd’,‘realavatars’andexamplesof‘hybrid’digital/materialnetworkedlearning.

TheSmartCityisaperennialinterestattheFutureEverythingconference.ThisyearCarloRattiwhodirectsMITSenseableCityLabandisattheforefrontofglobalendeavouronfuturecitiesdiscussessensingthereal-timecity.VURBfounderJuhavan’tZelfdediscussestheaspirationsfordemocraticSmartCities.LessonsfortheSmartCityisadayofpresentationsandworkshopshostingrepresentivesofanumberofEUinstitutionsandprojectsandexploringSmartCityInitiatives.

TheFutureEverythingConferencehasalwaysbeenaboutactionaswellaswords.Ithoststhenationwidepre-Gamesmeetingandshowcaseof#media2012,aninternationalcampaigntoopenuptheLondon2012Olympicstovoicesfrombelow.

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FutureEverythingPhotographyJan&EmilyDixonwww.wearetake.co.uk.

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Constructing a Digital Public SpaceBill Thompson, Drew Hemment, Rachel Cooper, Charlie Gere on behalf of The Creative Exchange

ThetermDigitalPublicSpaceisbeingusedbyagrowingnumberofculturalbodiestodescribetheonlineenvironmentwhichwillemergeastheymaketheirdigitisedcollectionsmoreavailabletoeachotherandtothewiderworld.Itexpressesthegrowingdesiretoofferanyone,wherevertheymaybe,theopportunitytoaccess,exploreandcreateonline.Itwillopenupcollectionsoffilms,photographs,televisionprogrammes,booksandmuchoftherestoftheamazingmaterialcurrentlyheldinourmuseums,galleries,broadcastersandothermemoryinstitutions.

Lookingbeyondtheseculturalarchives,itmayincludepublicinformationfromopendatastores,user-generatedcontent,anddatatrailswhichindividualsareabletocontrolandtrade.Itwillalsoinclude,whereownerspermit,materialfromthecommercialworldtoo.Thedigitalmediaweproduceis‘outthere’waitingtobeaccessedandassembledinnewways.Itcreatesthreadsconnectingusthroughtime.Ouraudience,orourcollaborators,maybepeoplelookingbackatusandourcreationsintwentyyearstime.

WithintheDigitalPublicSpaceeverydigitalassetthatcanbesharedwillbeshared,andaswedigitisemoreoftheanaloguepastthiscouldstretchtoencompassthewholeofrecordedculture.TheDigitalPublicSpacewillbeahighstreet,notashoppingmall.Itisintendedtoconstituteapublicspacethatsupportsmanyactivitiesandcansustainprivate,political,culturalandcommercialuseswithoutbeingdominatedbyanyorappropriatedbyonegroupormodel.

ItreliesentirelyontheopenInternetandfullaccesstoallitoffers,onwhichwillbebuiltthestandards,toolsandservicesneededtocreateacommons,ownedbynobody,accessibletoall,outsidethecommercialimperativeandfreeofstateinfluence,anonlinespaceforinteraction,engagementandexperience,thatcanbeusedtoinform,educateandentertainthosewhovisitit.

Itwillbeanonlinespacethatmeetstheneedsoftheculturalsectorandtheartsandwhichoffersunparalleledopportunitiestofindandengagewithaudiencesbutitnotbeexclusivelyforthissectorandwillsupportandsustainotherareasofactivity.Itwillnotbeprimarilyaspaceforcommercialactivitybutitwillofferopportunitiesforcommercialtransactionsandsupportallthenecessarymechanismsandtoolsneededtomakethesetrustworthy.

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LiketheInternetitselftheDigitalPublicSpacewillnotbeownedbyanyone,butwillbeconstitutedfromthecollaborativeactivityofallthosewhojoinit,existingasthesharedspacebetweentheirservices,contentandtools.Itwillgrowasitsconstituentmembershipgrows.

Itwillcontainallthatitsconstituentorganisationswishtomakeavailable,whetherborndigital,fullydigitisedoradigitalrepresentationofaphysicalartefact,drawingontheworld’sculturalheritageinallitsformsandvariety.TheDigitalPublicSpacewillmakenewformsofcollaborativeworkpossibleinwaysthatasyetarenotevenimagined.Itoffersnotjustnewmeansofmakingthethingswealreadymake,butofdevelopingnewformsofculture,basedaroundsharedcataloguesandmetadataandsimplelicensingofmaterial.

TheDigitalPublicSpacehasemergedasaframeworkforthinkingaboutthewaysinwhichtheartsandculturewillreshapethemselvesinthescreen-based,onlineworldthatFutureEverythinghasforetoldandshapedformanyyears.TheDigitalPublicSpacemakesnewparadigmsforculturalengagementforcreators,audiencesandinstitutionsbuiltaroundshareddatamodels,openinterfacesandstandardsforauthentication,rightsmanagementandidentity,butwedonotyethaveaclearideaofwhatthatwillenableorhowitwillbedeployed.

Thegoal,therefore,istolookattheDigitalPublicSpacefromallangles,tochallengeandrefinethecoreideas,explorethecurrentandfuturetechnologiesthatcouldsustainit,andaskaboutitsrealvaluetoartists,institutionsandthepublicwhomitissupposedtoserve.

Onequestioniswhetheritcanreleasepublicvalueorsimplywhetheritoffersanotherwayforlargerinstitutionsandcorporationsthatholdrightstoasserttheirhegemony,andlockthepublicout,andexplorethetechnologicalbarriersthatstandinthewayofdeliveringagenuinelypubliconlineservice.

FutureEverything 2013

WorktobuildtheDigitalPublicSpaceisalreadyongoing,withEuropeanaofferingamodelforacomprehensivecatalogueofdigitisedculturalassets,ResearchSpaceshowinghowlinkeddata

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cantransformacademicresearchandTheSpace,theArtsCouncilEngland/BBCexperimentalservice,deliveringdigitalarttomultipledevicesduringsummer2012.

ThefestivalprogrammeatFutureEverything2013willmaketheDigitalPublicSpacethemecomealivebypresentingartworks,prototypesandexperiencesthatbuildontheseprojects.Suchinterventionscanpushatthepossible,tochipawayatthebarriers,toshowthatitcan,andmust,bedone.

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TheSpace

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The Space: Digital, Public, and Here.Tony Ageh and Alison Cole

EarlierthisyeartheBBCandArtsCouncilEnglandannouncedajointprojecttomakethebestoftheartisticandculturalactivitytakingplacethissummeravailabletoeveryone,onasmanyscreensaspossible,throughanewfreedigitalartsservice.TheresultofthateffortisTheSpace,liveatthespace.org/.Makingithappenhasbeenacreativeadventure,withACEandtheBBCworkingtogetherinnewwaystoidentifyandcommissionscreen-basedartandbuildthetechnicalplatformneededtomakeitaccessibleonlaptops,tablets,smartphones,connectedtelevisionsandevenold-stylelineartelevision.

AttheheartofTheSpaceisanewcommissioningmodel,enablingartistsandorganisationstofilmandmakeworkspecificallyforthemaindigitalplatforms.Somearelive-streamingtheirevents,othersaretrailblazingnewformats,allwithmentoringsupportandtrainingfromtheBBCwhererequired.Itisalsoaninnovationintechnology,anattempttotaketheprinciplesunderlyingtheDigitalPublicSpaceandputthemintopractice.NormallytheBBCbuildssystemswhicharedesignedtolastformanydecades,systemsthataredesignedtoscalemassivelyandwhichformcomponentsofahighlyengineeredbroadcastinfrastructure.Webuilddedicatedteamsaroundthemandtrainthemappropriately,andweworktointegratethesetechnologiesintoexistingsystemstokeeptheBBConair.

TheSpaceneededadifferentapproach.Itwillonlyberunninginitscurrentstateforsixmonths,andwehavehadlessthansixmonthstobuildit,soinsteadofstartingfromscratchtheengineeringteambehindTheSpacehasspecified,developedandcommissionedacloud-basedcontentdeliverynetwork.Itsupportssound,video,imagesandmultimediaofferings,provideslivestreamingtoaglobalaudienceandisviewableonallmajorplatforms,withanunderlyingdatamodelthatallowsartsorganisationstouploadtheirworkandletstheeditorialteamcreatelinksbetweendisparateofferings.

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TheSpaceisanothersteptowardscreatingthewiderDigitalPublicSpace,anonlinespacewhereinstitutionsandcommunitiesalikecanmakepubliclyownedorcollaborativelycreatedcontentavailable,free,fornoncommercialpublicuseandwheredigitalcontentanditsinteractioncanbefound,created,capturedandcurated.WewillbelookingcarefullyatthewaypeopleexploreTheSpaceandhowtheyengagewiththeworkthatisavailable,andwe’llbeconsideringhowtoextendthedatamodelandimprovetheabilitytouncoverconnectionsbetweentheworkhostedandtheoutcomewillfeedintothewiderdebatepromotedbytheCreativeExchangeaspartoftheBBC’sengagementwiththehub.

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MydexWilliam Heath

Everythingwedoonline,includingcreateandviewdigitalartandculture,createsitsowndigitalrecord.Accordingtothewaythingsareoftendoneonlinetoday,thisdigitalrecordcouldbecomejustanotherintrusionintotheindividual’sprivacy;another‘dataasset’forsomeunknownonlinestalkerto‘mine’.WithTheSpace,creativityandinnovationdoesn’tstopwithartandcultureitself,itextendstothecaptureanduseofpersonaldata.

UsingtherevolutionarynewMydexpersonaldataplatform,TheSpaceturnsusers’clickstreamsintotheirownpersonalasset–aprivatecollectionoftheirownviewingbehavioursandactivitiesonline,whichonlytheycanseeanduse.Theycanrewindandrevisitthisrecordatwill,bookmarkthings,makeannotations,buildspecificprojectfolders,linktootherpersonalcontent,andshareexperienceswithothers–allinwaystheycontrolandwhichprotecttheirprivacy.

MydexisaCommunityInterestCompany,legallycommittedtoitssocialpurposeofhelpingindividualsrealisethevalueoftheirpersonaldata.Mydexbelievesthatanindividualequippedwiththemeansandmechanismstomanagetheirpersonaldata,theirdigitalaccessrightsandidentitycanbecomearealparticipantinthecontributing,curatingandsharingofourrichheritage,knowledgeandartinwayspreviouslynotpossible.WiththisinitiativetheBBCisdoingfordigitalcontentwhatitdidforRadioandTV:actingasaninnovativeplatformprovider,thistimeforsomethingthatcouldbecomeamodelformultimediainteractiveengagementwiththecitizenandsocietyasawhole.

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The Creative Exchange

Thenewly-formedCreativeExchange(CX)isoneoffournationalhubschargedwithbringingexpertisefromArts&Humanitiesresearchersintothecreativeeconomy.CXisfocusingontheideaofDigitalPublicSpace,whereanyone,anywhere,anytimecanaccess,exploreandcreatewithdigitalcontent.CXwillbringtogetherpioneeringcompaniesandthebestacademicthinkerstocreatenewproducts,experiencesandbusinessopportunitieswithintheDigitalPublicSpace.Wedothisthroughanactiveprocessofcurationandfacilitationthatconnectsandnurturesdoersandthinkerswithrelevantexpertiseandperspectives.Thepurposeistostimulateinnovationbydrawingondeep,criticalexpertiseinbothbusinessandacademiainasharedcreativespace.ItisvitaltoexploretheshapeoftheDigitalPublicSpace,andCXisinvestigatingitspotentialwithover40companypartners,includingBBC,FutureEverythingandinstitutionssuchastheBFI.

CXisaKnowledgeExchangeHubfortheCreativeEconomyledbyLancasterUniversityinpartnershipwithNewcastleUniversityandtheRoyalCollegeofArtfunded(£4m)bytheArtsandHumanitiesResearchCouncilanddeliveredincollaborationwithFutureEverything.CXhasbeendesignedfromthegrounduptouseinnovativetechniquestofacilitateco-production,co-creationandparticipatorydesignmethods.Thesemethodsandapproacheswillenableinteractionandexchangebetweenbusinessesandbetweenbusinessandacademicresearchers.ItwillalsoofferPhDstudentshipsduringwhichprojectandpractice-ledworkwillfocusondevelopingnewexperiences,products,valueandresearchwithcreativecompanies.

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A Co-operative FutureMark Robinson-Field

In1844,theRochdalePioneers,asmallgroupofweavers,reflectedontheimpactoftheindustrialrevolutionanditsaffectonordinarypeopleintheUK.Theirworldwasoneofrisingunemployment,internationalinstability,growinginequalitiesandwidespreadpoverty.LearningfromwritersandthinkersfromacrosstheworldRochdalewasthecrucibleinwhichasetofprincipleswereforgedandtheco-operativemovementbursttolife.Co-operativesaren’tjustawaytodobusiness,theyaredirectedbytheneedsofcommunities,poweredbythepassionsofpeopleandstandonthefoundationofprinciplesthatcrossboundariesofrace,cultureorcountry.Itispartofourhumannaturetoco-operate,toreachout,collaborate,connectandshare.Somethingthatwiththeriseofsocialmediaandnewtechnologieshasneverbeenmoreachievable

Todaywehaveanewrevolutionastechnologyallowsustobeconnectedlikeneverbefore.Ithasthepotentialtoplacemorepowerintothehandsofordinarypeople,bringustogethertobuildnewcommunities,encouragegreaterparticipationandhelpeveryonetohaveavoice.Soundfamiliar?ItwouldtotheRochdalePioneers;openmembership,democracy,equality,equityandsolidaritywereallpartsoftheirfirstmanifestototheworld.Aswecelebratethepowerofco-operativesacrosstheworldintheUnitedNationsYearofCo-operativesandlookbackonthelast160yearsandtheachievementsofco-operatorsacrosstheglobewecan’thelpbutlookforwardtoafutureofnewtechnologyandideasthatwilldefinitelybeco-operative.

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MassObservationArchive

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Mass ObservationFiona Courage

In1937aneworganisationcalledMassObservationwasfoundedwiththeobjectiveofrecordinglifeinBritaininanefforttofindoutwhatpeoplereallythoughtasopposedtohowtheiropinionswererepresentedinthemedia.Todothis,theimportanceofrecordingtheeverydaywasparamounttoMassObservationwhobelievedthatobservingtheunspectaculareventsoflifewasfundamentaltounderstandingasocietyanditsculture.Theaimwasthereforetocreatean‘anthropologyofourselves’inwhichordinarypeoplefromalloverBritainwouldberecruitedtocontributetoastudyoftheirlives.Theyweretobecome‘thecameraswithwhichwearetryingtophotographcontemporarylife’1.Ateamofinvestigatorswasemployedtouseethnographictechniquesincludingsurveyandobservationtocreatewritten‘photographs’oflifeintownsandvillagesacrossthecountry.Meanwhile,apanelofvolunteerwriterswerealsorecruitedfromaroundBritaintorecordtheirexperiences,opinionsandbeliefsintheformsofdiariesandresponsestosearchingquestionnairesonamultitudeofthemes.

Activefromthelate1930stothe1950s,MassObservation’sactivitiesresultedinavastcollectionofarchivalmaterialwhichisnowkeptattheUniversityofSussex,whichincludestypedreports,posters,tickets,leaflets,newspapers,scribblednotes,handwrittendiaries;anentirecollectionofwritten,paper-baseddocumentsrecordingeverydaylife.ThesocialsurveyelementofMassObservationceasedbytheearly1950sbutwasrevivedin1981,followingtheestablishmentoftheoriginalproject’sarchiveofmaterialasaCharitableTrustatSussexin1970.TheProjectrecruitedvolunteersfromallovertheUKtoparticipateinrespondingtoregularquestionnairesonthemesreflectinglifeandeventsinlate20thandearly21stCenturyBritain.Over4,500peoplehavecontributedatsomepointoranothersince1981,providingarichanddiverselongitudinalrecordofexperiences,opinionsandbeliefsinBritainoverthepast30years.

HoweverthevoluntarynatureoftheProjecthassometimesbeencriticisedforbeingunrepresentativeofthe21stCenturyBritishdemographic.Itisreliantonthosewhowanttocontributeandwhocancontributetoaprimarilywrittenarchive,meaningthatonlythosewhoareliterateandhaveaconfidentcommandoftheEnglishlanguagearelikelytoparticipate.

1Harrisson,T.H.&Madge,C.1938First�Year’s�Work�1937-1938London:LindsayDrummond

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Peopletakepartbysendinginhandwrittenandtypedresponses,emailsattachmentscontainingwordprocesseddocuments,occasionallyillustratingresponseswithpictorialrepresentationsorphotographs.Underlyingallthesemethodsisthehardcopyformat.Eventhoseresponsesthatwereceiveinelectronicformareprintedoutandarchivedinaboxinthetraditionalwaysothataccesstomuchofthenewprojectisthereforeonlyavailabletothosewhocanvisitourreadingrooms.

MassObservationisincreasinglybeingchallengedastowhetheritstillhasaroleinanageofsocialnetworking,particularlywiththeincreasinguseofmobiletechnologiestorecordandcommunicateexperienceandopinioninforumssuchasTwitter,Facebookandblogposts.Itscontinuedusebothasasurveyorganisationandasaresearchtoolforacademics,mediaandartistsshowsthattheconceptofanaggregatedobservationalarchiveisstillvalid;asinglecontextualplaceinwhichthemedcasestudiescanbeundertaken.Soperhapsratherthanthesetechnologiesbecominga21stCenturysubstituteforMassObservation’smethodologies,theyshouldpresentuswithnewopportunitiestoengagewithpeoplewhowouldnotnormallyparticipate.TheoriginalMassObserversusedthetechnologiesavailabletothematthattime–typewriters,penandink,theoccasionalphotographandbroadcastingthroughnewspapersandradio.Inthespiritoftheoriginalpioneers,thecurrentProjectalsoseekstoengagewithcontemporarymethods.Sofarwehaveworkedonsmallscaleprojectsthatusenewtechnologiestoallowcommunitiesandindividualstouploadtheirthoughtsanddiariestoapublicallyaccessibleonlinearchive.Mostrecentlywehaveissuedinvitationstothepublicatlargetoemailustheirdiariesforactivitieson12Mayeachyear,emulatingthefirsteverycallsforMassObservationdiariesin1937,albeitina21stcenturyformat.Butthereisstillalongwaytogointermsofusingthesetechnologiestoenablemassparticipationinthecreationofanarchiveofthoseephemeral,unspectacularandeverydayexperiencesforalltouse.

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Open to CollaborationRufus Pollock

Thisyear,FutureEverythingiscelebratingcollaborationandparticipatorytechnologies.Andwithgoodreason.Lookingattheart,theprojects,theconnectionsandtheideasthatarebeingshowcasedthisweek,theoldadageseemstobetrue:twomindsreallyarebetterthanone-andseveralhundredminds?Betterstill.Butwhilstthetechnologicalinfrastructurethatunderpinscollaborationisdevelopingapace,itisworthrememberingthatthereisapractical,culturalandlegalinfrastructurethatequallyneedsourattention.

Backin2005,theOpenKnowledgeFoundationcreatedtheOpenDefinition.AccordingtotheOpenDefinition,apieceofcontentordatais‘open’‘ifanyoneisfreetouse,re-useandre-distributeit-subjectonly,atmost,totherequirementtoattributeandsharealike’.Throughouthistory,someofthegreatestadvanceshavetakenplacewhenpeoplehavestoodnotonlyon‘theshouldersofgiants’,butalsoontheshouldersofoneanother.Manymindshaveworkedtogethertofindanewsolution,manyeyesanewperspective,andmanyhandshavesmoothedmanysmallimperfectionstocreatemuchofwhatweenjoytoday.

Butsuchcollaborationcanonlytakeplaceuponafoundationofopenness.Alicense,whetheropenorotherwise,giveaclearsignaltoapotentialre-user:thisiswhatyoucandowithmywork,andthisiswhatyoucan’t.Ifthatlicenseis‘open’,thesignaliscleargreen-youcanuse,re-useandre-distributethatcontenttocreatesomethingnewandvaluable.

AttheOpenKnowledgeFoundation,wearefirmbelieversinthepowerofopen.Inprinciple,webelievethatopenness,participationandcollaborationisthewaytotacklethechallengesthatfaceusinboththepresentandthefuture,andinpractice,ourexperienceshaveshownthistobetrue.

The�Open�Data�Handbook–ourpracticalintroductiontoopengovernmentdata-hasbeenedited,translated,sharedandadaptedbymanydifferentpeoplefromacrosstheworld.2Europe’s�Energy,atoolwhichvisualisestheprogressofEuropeanStatestowardstheirenergytargets,reliesuponopendatatodoitswork,andwasbuiltbyateamofcodersworkingtogetheroncollaborativehackdays.3

2opendatahandbook.org3http://energy.publicdata.eu/ee/index.html

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Thesearejusttwoexamplesofhowsharingandcollaborationhasenhancedwhatwedo–ifyouvisitusatokfn.org,you’llfindmanymore.Crucially,itisallowingothersto‘use,re-useandre-distribute’ourcontentthatgivesmuchofourworkavaluefarbeyondthatwhichwealonecouldachieve.

FutureEverythingisatimenotonlytolooktothefuture,butalsotoreflectonthepast.Inrecentyears,technologicaldevelopmentshavecreatedunprecedentedchangesinthewayinwhichknowledgecanbeshared,ideasexchangedandcollaborationtakeplace.Thesechangeshaveundoubtedlybroughtusforward.Butiftheirtruepotentialistobefullyrealised,weneedtomakesurethefoundationsofopennessarefirmlyinplace.

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Whatisdemocracy?Whoisthesystemtoserve?Whatisaparliamentaryrepresentative?Whodoeshepledgeallianceto?Whowritesourlaws?WhatarethecornerstonesofDemocracy?Whatisthepurposeofaconstitution?

Iwantyoutothinkaboutthesequestionsandfindoutwhattheircontentmeanstoyou.

IamanactivistinParliament.ThelongerIserve,themoreIthinkaboutthemeaningofthequestionsIhavejustposed.ThemoreIunderstandhowthesystemworks,themoreobviousitistomethatthereisaserioussystemerror.Thesystemisliketheharddriveoncomputersyouwouldhavetodefraginorderforthemtowork,thebiggerthefilesthelessefficientthecomputerwouldwork.Theproblemwithoursystemsisthattheyaretoobig,tooalienatedfromthepeopletheyaresupposedtoserve.Itistoodifficultforthepublictobeabletoinfluenceandhaveimpactonthe(re)intherePublic.Sometimeswhenthecomputeristoofragmentedthebestsolutionistozeroitinorderforittowork,andsometimesacompletesystemupgradeistheonlywayout.Wehavereachedthepointinourdemocraciesthatweneedtozerothesystemandinstallanewsystem.Weneedtomoveawayfromthebigcomplextothesmallfastsystem,whereeachandeverypersonhastounderstandthatwearethestuffthatmakesthesystem.Wearethesystem.Wearethegovernment.Wearesociety.Wearethepower.Wearethelaw.Itisnotbeyondus,itisunreachablenorundesirable,ratherthesystemisareflectionofwhoweare.

Inordertoempowerpeopletoactonthisawarenessandtostarttoapplychangesthroughouronlymeans:throughaction,weneedtohavedirectdemocracywiththeliquidadd-on.Weneedtocraftourconstitutionforandbythepeople.(Constitutionistheagreementofanationonwhatsortofsocietytheychoosetobe).Lawiscurrentlycraftedbyandforthe1%-weneedtosimplifyourlawsandmakesureweagreeonthespiritofthelaw,ratherthanaddingontheircomplexitywithendlesspatchwork.

Democracy: upgrade = (re)Public – (r)evolution - (h)activist - H(e)art-hBirgitta Jónsdóttir

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Thecornerstonesofsocietyarefreedomofinformation,expressionandspeech.TheInternetisthelastfreeworld,thathasenabledustoconnect,share,beinformed,actandresampleourcreativity.Theinternetisnowunderseriousattack,asthecorporationsandgovernmentsaretryingtoplacetheirreinsofpoweronit,inordertoindustrializeitandtohaveabsolutecontroloverhowweconnect,share,beinformed,actandresampleourcreativity.

IamahackerinParliament,Iwentintothesysteminordertounderstandhowitworksandmyconclusionisclear:Installnewsystemwithanewformofdemocracyofthefuture,wherewemoveawayfromdemocraticdictatorshipwithmanyrepresentativeheadstoadirectresponsibilityofdirectliquiddemocracy.Areyoureadytobetheco-creatorofyoursociety?Doyouunderstandtheimportanceofyourparticipation?Wearerunningoutofplanet,soforthefutureofeverythingitistimetowakeupandstartco-creating.

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The trust of a maker and making to trustRobert Phillips, Sharon Baurley and Sarah Silve

Theconceptsofmakingandopendesignarenotnew;usershavepassedonvaluableknowledge,skillsandmakingprocessesforgenerations.4Howeveraccesstoknowledgethroughopendesignisnew.Thisessayexploresdigitalfabricationandthetrustthatweplaceinthepeoplethatwecanbuildwithandfrom.Differenthistoricalexamplesareputforwardconcerninghowwehavetomanageourexpectationsinrealmsbeyondfinancialmotivations.Theseissuesinclude:de-skilling,accessibility,userrequirement,standardsandmotivationsforsharing;adaptabilityisvitalbutnotdiscussedhere.5

Flintknapping(theprehistoricfabricationofcuttingtoolsfromflint)isaprimeexampleofopendesign.Thematerialcanbeaccessedopenly,theknowledgeoffabricationcanbepassedonenablingthetoolstobemade.Withinthisyoustillneedtheskilltofabricate,knowledgeofthematerialanditslocation.Theroutetovariousentrypointsdependsuponthetrustfromthetutee.6Inrecenttimes,accessisthenewfactor;thewebenablespeopletoshareconcepts,ideasanddirectionsfreelywithopenintentlefttothe‘downloader’toprocess.

Buyer’s�trust

Whenwepurchaseoracquireanitemthereareaseriesofcheckpointsthatwegothrough.Theseconcerntherelevancetousofvariousvaluesthatareembodiedintheitemsuchasthebrand,cost,weight,quality,aesthetic,socialstanding(desirability),rareness,andenvironmentalcredentials.Theseareallbuiltaroundtrustandcompliance.AsaconsumeryoureviewabrandorseeatechnicalBritishStandardmarking,perhapsnotfullycomprehendingtheramifications,butthereissomeunderstanding.7Theseprocessesarebuiltaroundastandardisationthatindustrycanaffordtoenforceinordertoprotectitselfandtheusersofitsobjects.

4Bauwens,M.,(2009),‘The�Emergence�of�Open�Design�and�Open�Manufacturing’,Availableat:http://www.we-magazine.net/we-volume-02/the-emergence-of-open-design-and-open-manufacturing/,accessed6thFebruary2012.

5VanAbel,B.,(2011),‘Open�design�now:�why�design�cannot�remain�exclusive’,Bis,Amsterdam6Johnson,L,.L.,Behm,J.A.,Bordes,F.,Cahen,D.,Crabtree,D.E.,Dincauze,D.F.,Hay,C.A.,Hayden,B.,Hester,T.R.&Katz,P.R.,(1978),‘A�History�of�Flint-Knapping�Experimentation,�1838-1976�[and�Comments�and�Reply]’,Currentanthropology,pp.337-372

7Swann,P.,Temple,P.,Shurmer,M.,(1996),‘Standards�and�trade�performance:�the�UK�experience’,TheEconomicJournal,pp.1297-1313

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Inthecontextofopendesign,howdoyoumapthesevaluesfromreadingafileorasetofinstructions?Onwhatdoyoubaseyourthinking?Isitonsomeoneelse’sexperienceorratingsystem?Asafirst-timeuser,howdoyouunderstand?Togiveanexample:buyersnowpurchaseitemswithoutexperiencingthemthroughhumansenses,trustingthesupplierandsenderonadescription.

Making�trust

Codesofconductarehardtoenforceinopendesignbecauseitisamovementwherethesourceoftheinformationissometimesunknown.Therearecodesofconstructionalconductenforcedbyknowledgeablemakers.8Isthistrustearnedbytrialanderrorthenpassedontothenextuserofthe‘download’ordoesitillustratethepossibleflaws?Forexample,thetrustinfoodcreation;inarestaurantyouhaveahigherexpectationduetoafinancialtransaction.Thisisdifferentifthereisnotransactionforthefood—itmanagesexpectations.Doesthisvaluesetchangewhenyouhaveaproductthathasamorepermanentstatus?Aproductisnotalwaysconsumedsoquicklyasamealnordoesithavesuchanefficientmeansofdisposal.Doyouhaveabiggerfearoftrustinvestmentinamorepermanentproduct?

Makerswillcheckcontentmultipletimesduringtheconstructionprocess;theytrusttheirexperience,opinionsaroundthemandtheirknowledge.Thiselementoftrustisinherentinaprofessionalpositionthroughtrainingandcertification.Amaker’stools/equipmentaretrusted—howtheyrespondtodifferentenvironmentsordifferentactivities;theirpointofdestructionorstress.Trustisinvolvedinthecreationofobjects,inthetranslationthroughprocesses,fromon-screentophysical,themakerunderstandsthehabitsofthatmachineandprocess.

Secondhand�trust

Certification,trainingandexperiencere-enforcetrustofanoutput.Thistraininghasbeenacceleratedandbecomemoreaccessiblebytheweb.Therearelevelsinthetrustthatthe‘downloader’has.Theaccesspointsarestillaproblemastheyare,inthemain,opentoenabledpeopleortoenabledspaces.Thetrustinthemakingliesinrelyingthatthe‘uploader’haspublishedthemajorityoftheknowledge;thiswouldmeanacceptingthatitincludespossibleerrorsorderailments.

8Jalopy,M.,Torrone,P.,Hill,S.,(2005),‘The�Maker’s�Bill�of�Rights’.

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Originator’s�trust

Isthe’uploader’s’trustconcernedwiththeapplicationoftheirmaterial?Ordotheysimplynotcare?Aretheygoingtoclaiminitialcreation?Aretheyaddingtotheoutputwithatrackableprocessthatallowsadirectlineationofconstruction?Thetrustplaceduponthedigitalpresenceiscritical;howyouareperceivedbythiscommunity,howtheyengagewithyouandhowtheycanoustyouisalargebarometeroftrust.Thisvaluethatyouputonyourdigitalpresencehaschangedwiththeshifttowardsmakingprivateknowledgepublicthatyouwouldnotsharewithaclosefriend.Thesocialnetworkofmaking,enablingandsharingbeingreciprocalisinherentinmostofthesesystems,notonlyallowingtaking,butalsorequiringgiving.

Conclusion

TheOpenDesigncommunityisawarethatitneedstobeallowedtogrowanddevelopwithanopensetofidealsandideologies,suchastrustinaproduct,construction,assemblyorelements.Howdoweinstilthiscultureofbrand,movingmakingandtrustatanamateurlevel?Iamnotcondemninghacking,making,theinfancyof3Dprinting,butinsteadtryingtocaterforthelayman.Theymightnothaveanyexperienceofthisfield,yetwanttoembraceit.Cansystemsensureopentrustwhilstprofitingtheworthy?Thefreedomofinformationandtheaccesstoitisbecomingmoretrustedduetothefactthatyouhearabouteachendofthespectrum:theamazingandthebad.Trustissuchabigareafordiscussionwithinopendesign:trustinthe‘uploader’trustinthesupplierandtrustinthe‘downloader’s’intentions.Howdoweenablemakerstobetrusted,totrustotherswithknowledgeandnotdilutetheseempoweredideas,enablinguptakeandencouragingemploymentwhilstmaintainingintegrity?

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Will London 2012 Be Everybody’s Olympics? #media2012 is working to make sure it will beAndy Miah

AstheLondon2012Gamesapproach,peoplemaynotyetfathomjusthowsignificantarolethemediawillhaveindetermininghowtheGameswillberememberedbythe4billionTVviewersin205nationsaroundtheworld.

However,asthe20,000sportsjournalistsreportwhathappensinthearenas,agrowingcommunityofOlympic&Paralympiccitizenjournalistsiscoveringwhathappensonthestreets.ThiscommunityhasgrownoverthelastthreeGamesandismotivatedbythedesiretoalterthemedianarrativeabouttheGamesand,moreambitiously,tochangesocietythroughempoweringcitizenstoproduceandowntheirownreportsabouttheGames.ThemonumentalandunrivalledglobalplatformoftheOlympicGamesmakesitanappealingroutethroughwhichtoadvancethiscause.

AttheVancouver2010Games,anindependentmediacentrewaswetup,whichrevealedjusthowmuchcouldbeachievedbyusingpeoplepowertogeneratenewsstoriesandanalternativeOlympicprogramme.VisitorstotheW2MediaCentrehearddebatesaboutthehousingcrisissurroundingtheOlympicplans,argumentsonbehalfofdopinginsport,andwitnessedleadingartworkbydeafanddisabilityartists.AfeaturelengthfilmcalledWithGlowingHeartswasevenmadeaboutthejourney.Theseprogrammeswouldnothaveoccurredwithoutacommitmentfromcitizenjournalists.

ForLondon2012,anetworkofsuchjournalistsoperatesundertheTwitterhashtag#media2012,whichisalsothemaintagfororganizingallofthecontentgeneratedbythecommunity.#media2012describesitselfasthe‘citizennewswireforLondon2012’,providingagatewaytoalternative2012storiesandissuesandservestoactasanorganizingframeworkforthosewhobelievethatsocialmediacanhelptochangethemeansofproductionandmediacontentthatpeopleconsume.#media2012wantpeopletofollowthishashtagduringtheGames,ratherthan#london2012.

Whilemanyofthe#media2012reportersareamateurs,usuallywithotherjobstoearnmoney,manyarepublishingcontentinprofessionalmediaoutlets.Aswell,farfromsettingupadividebetweencitizenandprofessionaljournalists,itpromotestheirinterfacewithaviewtore-thinkingtherelationshipbetweenjournalistsandsociety,acrucialissuegiventheUK’sLevesonInquiryintomediaethics.

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#media2012wasbornoutofacollaborationbetweenartistsandeducators.Itlaunchedin2010withsupportfromtheNorthWest’sAbandonNormalDevicesfestivalandthreecreativeprogrammersfromLondon.Inthisrespect,itissomethingofan‘Olympicfringe’programme,tryingtocreatedialoguewiththeOlympicinfrastructuresoastobringaboutchangeforthebetter.

Plansintimeforthegamesarealreadyextensive.InScotland,theUniversityoftheWestofScotlandisleading‘CitizenRelay’,whichwilltakereportersaroundScotlandfollowingthe2012torchrelay.IntheSouthWestofEngland,therewillbeamediacampsetupinWeymouthandamediacentreinthetowncentre.IntheEastMidlands,theCitizensEyecommunitynewscentreinLeicesterisrecruiting2,012reporterstocovertheirregion.IntheWestMidlands,studentsatBirminghamCityUniversityaredevelopingacrowdsourceplatformforcollaborativejournalism.IntheNorthWest,Let’sGoGlobalaretakingforwardthe#media2012agendabyrecruitingpeoplefromaroundtheregiontocovertheGamesandFutureEverythingfestivalwillhostthenationwidepre-Gamesmeeton18th&19thMay,opentonewcomerstogetinvolved.InLondonduringtheGames,theplanisfor#media2012tocreateaphysical#media2012MediaCentrebasedattheFreewordCentreinLondon,asahubforcitizenjournalistswhocometotheGames.Professionalandcitizenreporterscanusethe#media2012DIYaccreditationtohelpthemworkduringtheGames.

Attheheartoftheprojectisthepremisethatassertingone’srighttoworkasajournalistiscrucialinanageofmediaexpansion.#media2012isallaboutclaimingownershipovermediaproductionandconsumption.Thelegacyofthisprojectgoesonbeyond2012andwewillworkwithinterestedfriendstotrytobringreporterstofutureGames,tocontinuetheopportunitiesforcross-culturallearning.Togetinvolved,pleasejoinusatMOSIonthemorningof19thMayforourpre-Gamesmeeting.Tostartengaging,signuptotwitterandfollowthehashtag#media2012

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Turing’s SunflowersErinma Ochu

It’sthecentenaryyearofAlanTuring,mastercode-breaker,mathematicianandfounderofcomputerscience.Whatbetterwaytocelebrateandbuildonhisphenomenallegacythanwithamassexperiment?Inoneofthelargestcitizenscienceexperimentsofitskind,over4000peopleacrosstheUKandbeyondhavepledgedtogrowsunflowers…Turing’sSunflowers.9WhySunflowers?Notjustprettytolookatandattractivetobees,sunflowersareafloralexpressionoftheFibonaccisequence,whereeachnumberisthesumofthetwoprecedingnumbers-0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55,andsoon.Moreoftenthannot,whenyoucountthenumberofseedspiralsinthesunflowerhead,you’llgetaFibonaccinumber.This,inanutshell,tellsussomethingabouthowplantsgrow(specificallyhowsunflowerseedsarrangethemselvesinspace)andcontributestocurrentcomputermodelsofplantgrowth.ResearchingatTheUniversityofManchester,Turingwasoneofseveralscientistswhotriedtoexplainmathematicalpatternsinstems,leavesandseeds(alsoknownasphyllotaxis)andofcourse,inthespiralpatternsofsunflowerseeds.TuringdiedbeforehecouldcompletehisworkbutfortunatelyhisprogrammesdedicatedtosolvingthisproblemsurvivedontheManchesterMk1computer.

Fastforwardto2012andintrulyMancuniancooperativestyle,MOSI(TheMuseumofScienceandIndustry)inassociationwithManchesterScienceFestivalareaskingtheGreatBritishpublictogrowaTuringsunflower,tofinishhiswork.Theideafortheexperimentcamefromconsultantsystemsbiologist,ProfessorJonathanSwintonandaimstobuildonTuring’sandotherscientists’researchtosolvethepuzzleofjusthowoftenFibonaccinumbersappearinsunflowerseedspirals.10We’reinterestedparticularlyinthenumberpatternsthatarediscoveredwhenasunflowerdoesn’tpossessaFibonaccinumber.11It’sthisdatathatwillhelpimprovecurrentmodels.Atfirstglance,involvingthepublicmightappeartobeariskystrategytoachievethegoalofgatheringalargeenoughdataset.

9www.turingsunflowers.com,accessed4thMay201210Vogel,H1979,‘Abetterwaytoconstructthesunflowerhead’,Mathematical

Biosciences,vol44,pp179-18911Cartwright,J2012,‘Turing’sIdeasBlossom’,Science,vol336,no.6077,p18

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Bydesigningsimplesignpostsintothiscitizenscienceexperiment(includingsimplicity,reciprocity,beingopentotheunexpectedandtoscalinguptheexperiment)citizensciencepresentsthepossibilityofparticipatoryknowledgesharingthroughsocialandcreativemeans12.Thisincludeseverythingfrommasspublicplantingeventsatmusicfestivals,togardeninggroupgrowingsessionstosharinggrowingtips,sunflowerphotoupdatesandrelevantvideocontentonline.

ThankfullymassBritishmediacoverage,thepowerofsocialmediaandthedesiretopubliclyandvisiblyhonourTuringhavespreadtheprojectglobally.BesidesEngland,peoplearegrowingTuringSunflowersintheUS,Palestine,Jamaica,Slovakia,SwitzerlandandScotland.OriginallyintendedasalocalexperimentforManchester,thesimplicityofgrowingasunflower,nurturingitthroughthesummerandthencountingtheseedspiralsintheautumnattheManchesterScienceFestival,hascapturedtheattentionofschoolteachersacrosstheUKwhoarekeentoprovidetheirlearnerswithparticipatorylearningexperiencesbeyondtheclassroom.

Theexperimentalsolendsitselftocreatingthenewkindsofparticipatoryexperiencesthataudiencescrave.Withthisinmind,thelargepublicdatasetfromtheexperimentwillbemadeopentoallowdatalovers,designers,codersanddancerstousetheircreativitytocreateartfulknowledgeandexplorenewpossibilitiesfromthedata:maps,datavisualisations,adancesequence,musicandmore.Turing’sSunflowersisaMOSIinitiativeinassociationwithManchesterScienceFestivalandsupportedbyTheUniversityofManchesterandManchesterCityCouncil.

12Hemment,D,Ellis,R&Wynne,B2011,‘Participatorymassobservationandcitizenscience’,Leonardo,vol44,no.1,pp.62-63.

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‘Twitter brings you closer’: the importance of seeing the little data in Big Data Farida Vis

AttherecentWIREDBusinessConference13,TwitterCEODickCostolo,emphasisedthevisionforthecompany:‘Twitterbringsyoucloser’,identifyingthecommonshapetosomanydifferentstoriesonTwitter.HeelaboratedbydescribingChineseartistandavidTwitteruserAiWeiwei’sinstallation,SunflowerSeeds2010,whichwasstagedinTateModern’sTurbineHall,andcomprisedof100millionindividualhandpaintedporcelainseedscreatedbyanarmyof1,600ChineseartisansfromthesouthernChinesecityofJingdezhen.

‘HecreatedthisinstallationthatwasattheTatemuseuminLondonawhilebackandtheinstallationwasthesehundredsofthousandsofceramichandpaintedsunflowerseeds...Andasyoustoodbackfromtheroomitlookedlikethisseaofjuststonesthatwereblackstonesthatwerespreadacrossthefloorandofcourseyoucouldn’treallytellwhattheywere.Butasyougotcloseritlookslike,youcanstarttotell‘oohitlookslikethey’vestampedouthundredsofthousandsofsunflowerseedsandspreadthemacrossthefloor’.Butasyoupickthemupyoustartedtorealisethattheywereallindividuallyshapedandpainteddifferentlyanduniqueandbeautifulanddistinctintheirownright.Sothat’swhatwewanttobringtowhatwe’rebuilding:the�ability�to�shrink�the�world�and�allow�everybody�to�see�each�other.’(emphasismine)

AdrianSearledescribesthebringingtogethertheseChineseartisanswiththeTatevisitorsthroughmassproduced,individuallycraftedseeds.Visitorsinteractwiththem,lettingthemrunthroughtheirfingers,holdingtheworldinthepalmoftheirhand.Searlecommentsthattheworkisasingularstatement,butalsoaworld‘inahundredmillionobjects’andthatitworksonnumerouslevels.Thatitreferstoeverydaylife,hunger(seedsasfood),collectiveworkandtheenduranceofChineseindustrialproduction,theartista

13http://fora.tv/2012/05/01/WIRED_Business_Conference_Taking_the_Pulse_of_the_Planet

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‘constantcommunicator’.14Throughhisart,butalsohisonlinecommunications,specificallyhisTwitteruse(afterhisblogswerecensoredbyChineseauthorities).CharlotteHiggingssuggeststhattheartistexplicitlylinkedtheinstallationtoTwitter,asa‘vastseaofideasandcommunicationscontributedbyindividualpeople’.15

Inearly2012Twitterhadover140millionactiveusersandabilliontweetsarenowsenteverytwoandahalfdaysfromacrosstheworld.Largeamountsofdata,suchasabilliontweets,isnowcommonlydescribedas‘BigData’.AsidefromCostolo’svisionofshrinkingtheworldsothateverybodycanseeeachother,makingsenseofandinterpretingsuchBigDataisincreasinglybigbusiness,asthedataproducedonTwitterandothersocialmediaplatformsisseenasanopportunitytobetterunderstandsomethingabouthowhumansbehave,howtheycommunicateandconnectwitheachother.

Tostayonthesunflowertheme,thisyearisalsotheTuringCentenaryYear,andtocelebratetheManchesterScienceFestivalandtheMuseumofScienceandIndustryareaskingpeopletogrowsunflowersinordertocountthenumberofspiralsintheirseedheadsattheendoftheseason.ThisopensourcescienceexperimentisconcernedwithtestingoneofTuring’skeytheories,thattheseedsgrowinasocalledFibonaccisequence,thetermforhowcertaingeometricpatternsinnatureconform,inthiscasetoa‘goldenratio’ofconsecutiveFibonaccinumbers,whichproduceanaestheticallypleasingeffect,butalsopacktheseedsinmosteffectively.Thiseffectiveorderingofseeds,ordata,hasalsoproducedalgorithmsinspiredbytheFibonaccisequencethatorderandsortdatainparticularways.

ItisthisorderingandsortingofBigDatathroughalgorithmsidentifyingpatternsinbillionsoftweetsthatinterestsme.Asresearcherswecanfallinthetrapofseeingpatternsthatarenotthere,tofallforthe‘analysis’computerprogramsproduceforus.Wecanreadthingsintothemwithouttryingtogetcloser,forgettingthattheywerecontributedbyindividualpeople.Withoutpickinguptheseindividual‘seeds’andseeingthattheyareindividuallyshaped,beautifulanddistinctintheirownright,weoverlookBigData’slittledata,theindividualobject.Understanding‘littledata’betterisimportant.

14http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2010/oct/11/tate-modern-sunflower-seeds-review

15http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2010/oct/11/tate-modern-sunflower-seeds-turbine?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487

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Thisishardertodo,andmuchmoretimeconsuming,butitisnecessarytounderstandcommunicationsandconnections,incontext,notjustaspartofthelargerpatternswewishtosee.

After48hours,AiWeiwei’sTurbineHallinstallationwasclosedofffrompublicinteraction,followinghealthandsafetyconcernsovertheporcelaindustallegedlycreatedbypeoplewalkingonthesmallseeds.EarlierthisyearTateannouncedthatithadbought8millionoftheseeds,foranundisclosedpricealthoughasmallnumberofseedsweresoldatSotheby’slastyearfor£3.50each.

Theimpositionofrestrictedaccesstotheseeds,combinedwiththeirmonetaryvaluehighlightstheartgalleryasaparticularspace.Inteachingsocialmediatomystudents,andaskingthemwhatkindofspaceTwitteris,theystressthatit’sapublicspace,as‘free’.Butisit?Thelargesocial-mediaplatformswealluseareincreasinglycriticisedforthewaysinwhichtheydealwiththedataseedswecollectivelyproduce,howtheysellthedata,andhowaccessingyourowndataisfarfromstraightforward.

Inhighlightingthevisionfor‘Twitterbringsyoucloser’andusingAiWeiwei’sTurbineHallinstallationtoillustrateit,Costolohasofferedausefulwaytothinkaboutconnectivityinthecurrentsocialmedialandscape.InthinkingabouttweetsthroughthemetaphorofsunflowerseedsisaproductiveonethatIwanttoexplorefurtherasithighlightsanimportanttensionbetweenBigDataandlittledata,aboutthepotentialdangerofalgorithmsinterpretingforus,andforfurthercriticallythinkingaboutthevalueofdataseeds,bothindividuallyandcollectively.

DIYBioMCRPhotoHwaYoungJung

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DIYBio MCRMartyn Amos, Asa Calow, Naomi Jacobs and Rachael Turner

Forgettinkeringwithtools-DIYisnowallaboutbiology.Ithasgonefromthelaboratorytothekitchentable,attractingcreativesandcitizenscientistsaliketoexploreandmanipulatethelivingworldaroundus.DIYBioManchester,ayear-longprojecthostedbyMadlabincollaborationwithManchesterMetropolitanUniversity,andfundedbytheWellcomeTrust,encouragesthepublictogetinvolvedinscientificresearch-quiteliterallyinahands-onway.Fancydissectinganoctopus?Makingafuelcellwithsoilfromcarparks?Takingtothestreetstoswabbusstopsforbacteria?Weare,andasithappenedalotofothersaretoo-350,atthelastcount.

Ourlocalgroupwassetupatthebeginningof2011,bringingtogetherprofessionalscientistsandcuriousamateursalike.Itispartofaglobalmovementwhoseaimistodemocratiseanddemystifybiotechnologyandbiologicalscience,bringingittoeverybodyinsteadofleavingitasthepreserveofthewhite-coatedfew.Theprospectofagrassrootsbiotechnology‘openscience’revolutionismoreofarealitynowthaneverbefore,andthecurrentcropofDIYbiologistsaretheforefront.BillGateshassaidthatifhewasnineteennow,hewouldbeconcentratingonbiologyratherthancomputing.

Thereisalreadyamassiveamountofpublicinterestinbiomedicalscience,withGMcrops,cloningandsuperbugsneverfarfromthefrontpages.Inthiscultureofexploration,we’reproudtosaythatwe’rethefirstUKgrouptoreceivefunding,andoneofonlyafewintheworldtohavedoneso.DIYBIOMCR,launchedinMarch2011withasold-outDNAextractionworkshop,holdsmonthlymeetingsattheMadlabintheNorthernQuarterandcombinesongoingprojectswithlargerone-offevents.

Ourfirstmajorproject,featuringatFutureEverything,isthemicrobialmapofManchester.ForgettheboringproddingofpetridishesinBiologyGCSEclasses.Thisisreal-time,on-the-streetsaccesstothebiologyrightunderournoses.Ateamofvolunteersswabbedsurfacesacrossthecity,collectingsamplesthatwerecultivatedbackatMadlab-withlocationsrecorded,wearemakingphotographsandcolonysizesavailablewiththehelpofanonlinevisualisationtool.

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Wherenext?Thepossibilitiesareasendlessasbiologyitself.Onetraditionalbarrierintoamateursciencehasbeenthecostofequipment,butwithteam-workintegraltothesuccessofDIYbio,it’snotaproblem.Forexample,thePCRmachine,usedtoamplifyDNAsamples,hasalsoattractedinterestrecently,buttheycancostthousandsofpounds-sooneofourparticipantsbuiltonefromscratchwitholdcomputerparts,alightbulbandanArduinocontroller.WealsoboughtanOpenPCRmachine,whichisalow-cost,open-sourcealternativetothemoreexpensivemachines.WebelievethatthiswasthefirstsuchmachinetoarriveintheUKaftertheyrecentlywentonsale.Weranourparticipant’smachine,theOpenPCRmachineandthecommercialmodelagainsteachotherinApril.Theprofessionalmodelwon,withclearerresults,butonlyjust!We’renowlookingatwaystomakecheapPCRmachinesforhomeuse–andhavehadinterestfromprofessionalscientiststoo.

Theprogresswe’vemadesofarhasbeenfantastic,withprojectmemberscomingtoDIYBiofromacrosstheUK.WealsohostedthefirsteverUKDIYBiosummit,drawingspeakersfromEuropeandtheUSA,andhaveappearedontheBBCNewsatTenandRadio4aspartofatwo-piecespecialonsyntheticbiology.OurambitionistomakeDIYBIOMCRatemplateforsuccess,andtorolloutthisactivityonanationalscale.Thisisonlythebeginning.Formoreinformation,pleasevisitourwebsiteathttp://diybio.Madlab.org.uk

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Patchworking through catalytic community reactions.Asa Calow, Jen Southern, Jon Whittle, Rod Dillon

Whatdohomelesscitizens,DIYbiologistsandagroupofLancasterUniversityacademicshaveincommon?Theansweris‘Patchworks’aradicaltechnologydevelopmentprojectthatfliesinthefaceofthecurrentnormsoftraditionalresearchandnewtechdevelopment.ThePatchworksprojectispartofCatalyst,a£1.9million,EPSRC-fundedprojectledbyProfessorJonWhittleatLancasterUniversity.Itgoesbeyondsimplepublicengagementtosharethedrivingseatandputcommunitygroupsattheheartoftheresearch.

ThethemeofFutureEverybodyisaperfectfitforPatchworkswhereweareco-designingaFutureforEverybody,whereacademicbecomesnon-academic,wheredreamsandblue-skythinkingleadtoanewkindofintegrationbetweenlocalcommunitiesandtheiruniversities.Patchworksisacitizen-ledinnovationprojectwithhomelessnessatitscore.AgroupofhomelesscitizensbasedatSignpostsinMorecambetogetherwithDIYbiologistsatMadlabinManchesterarebeingsupportedbyadiverseresearchteamatLancasterUniversity.Theteamincludesspecialistsinanthropology,sociology,arts,computerscienceandbiology.Thequestionbeingaskedis‘whatdoyouwantfromtechnology?’butPatchworksisnotjustaboutaskingquestions,itisaboutempoweringpeopletoawakendreamsandexploretheanswersbyactuallydesigningandproducingaprototypedevicewiththehackercommunityatMadlab.OfcoursethisgoeswithoutsayingthattheprototypedevicewillfollowtheethosofMadlab;opensourcetechnologyusingwidelyavailablematerials.DuringFutureEverything,Signposts,MadlabandPatchworksareopeningupthisprocessinapublicworkshop,usinglow-costexperimentalelectronics,biostatisticsandadegreeofself-experimentationtoexploretheperilsandpossibilitiespresentedbyadeepeningconnectionbetweenourmind,bodyanddigital(bio)technology.Whatifourtechnologycouldunderstandusonaphysiologicallevel?WhatwouldGoogledowithknowledgeofmyemotionalwell-being?Doesthe‘quantifiedself’presentautopianordystopianvisionofthefuture?Andinyearstocome,willalteringourmindbeasstraightforwardasdownloadinganapp?

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Patchworkshasbeenrunningforaboutamonthnowandalreadywehaveseenexcitementandprogressintheprojectasthedifferentgroupsworktogether.Wearelearningatremendousamountfromeachother.Itisperhapstheacademicsthatarelearningmore;abouthomelessnessandcommunitybasedDIYscience.SharonCalverley,theprojectsdirectoratSignpostsisteachingustorealizethatthereisno‘onefitforall’ideaofahomelessperson.Scientistsoftencraveorderanddefinition,butthereisnoconvenienttaxonomyofthehomeless;allareindividualswithuniquestories.Theecologyoftheinteractionsiscomplexwithpointsofchaosinterwovenwithpointsofroutine.Weshouldn’tbetoowrappedupincreatingdefinitionsbutbepreparedtobefacilitatorsofthePatchwork-likenatureofthenetworkthatisthegroupofcitizenswhouseSignpostsservices.

HowcanSignposts,Madlabandtheresearchersworktogethertocreateaprototype.Whatsortofdesignprocessisbest?Isitco-designandco-creation?Canwehavebespokedesignintegratedintoacheapopensourceprototypedevice?Whereisthepower?Howdoesitshiftaswemovebetweentheuniversity,SignpostandMadlab.HowdoweensurethepowerisinthehandsoftheinnovatorsatSignposts?Partoftheresearchteamsjobistofacilitateanddocumentthisdesignprocessinbothquantitativeandqualitativeways.Patchworksisarisky,challengingprojectwithpotentialdiscomfortzonesforallinvolved.BetweenuswearealreadycreatingaPatchworkscommunityandweintendtocreatealegacythatwillcontinuebeyondtheendoftheCatalystfunding.

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SuperCritical�MassPhotoDOMINIK

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SuperCritical MassJulian Day and Luke Jaaniste

SuperCriticalMasscreatescommunitiesthatcometogetherinfluidways.Itisoftenthoughtthatcommunitiesaresomewhatfixed,continuousandcontainable.‘Thisismycommunity’.‘Let’sfocusoncommunity’.‘That’snotintheinterestofourcommunity’.Certainlycommunitiesoftencomprisethepeopleweregularlyassociatewithorlivealongside:thoseinoursuburb,ourworkplace,ourethnicity,ourfriends,ourfamily.

However,communitiescanalsobetemporary,perviousandgeographicallydispersed.Thecrowdonthebuswetooktowork.Thepeoplewestoodwithintheelevatorthismorning.Theinvisiblefellowshipoflistenerswho,alongsideyou,alsoheardthefootballscoresontheradio.Communitycanbecreatedfromscratchevenwherethepathtodoingsoisfragile.SuperCriticalMassbringstogethermomentarygatherings,or‘mobilenetworks’,throughthebindingofmultipleidenticalpointsofsoundthroughoutspace.Adozensaxophonesinadarkenedhall.Thirtybrassinstrumentsspreadthroughoutaforest.Eightyfluteswithinaconcreterailwayworkshop.

Newtechnologyhasintensifiedthewaysbywhichcommunitiescanformanddissipate.Onlinepoliticalcampaignscanengenderstaggeringresponses.Internetmemescangatheranddisappearwithinaday.Yettemporarycommunitieshavealwaysexisted;theyhavesimplyintensifiedastechnologyhaschanged.Telecommunicationsandthemassmediaallowgroupstoformindisparategeographicallocations,boundonlybythemedium.

SuperCriticalMassisinterestedinthe‘analogue’versionofthiskindofclustering.Wearenotanti-technologybutratherwepositivelyframethecomplextechnologyofthehuman.Weemployalltechnologyavailabletoenableeachmassbutthecrowdsarebuiltfromhumansnonetheless.Webuildmobilenetworksconsistingofpeoplecomingtogetherwithinparticularspaces.

Whereverwegowemeetwithlocalperformers,ensemblesandmusiceducatorstodiscoverwhohasthepassiontobeinvolved.InBrisbaneflautistsandsaxophonistshavebeenverykeentoparticipatewhileinMelbourneit’sbrassandpercussion.ThenorthofEnglandisofcourseaheartlandofbrassbandssoit’snosurpriseweareworkingwithbrasshere.

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Eachcityorlocalepresentsadifferentmixofinstrumentalopportunitiesforusandeachinstrumentofcoursehasitsownuniquesoundquality,performancemodeandacousticprofile.Thisguidesthetypesofcommunitiesweengender.Ourprojectchallengestheideathatunitynecessarilyderivesfromaleaderfigure.Unitydoesnotalwayshavetobegeneratedtopdown,inafollow-the-leaderapproach.That’sactuallysomethingthatcommontomanyformsofcommunityandclassicalmusic,andweareinterestedinadifferentmusicality,socialityandpolitic.Oneinwhicheveryonecancontributetheirownagencyandsenseofself-drivenmusicality.ThisisachievedinSCMeventsthroughthedevelopmentof‘generativealgorithms’intheformofsimple,memorisableverbalinstructionswhichgenerateevolvingsonicpatternsthatcombineatthegrouplevelincomplexways.Thereisnosingleconductororscoretofollow.Instead,everyoneinterpretsthealgorithmintheirowntime,spaceandbody.Variousperformersandaudienceshavedescribedthisashavingquitean‘organic’feel.

Howeverwedon’tworkinafree-for-all,totallyimprovisatorymannerwhichmightsuggestakindofanarchisticbottom-upapproach.Varioustraditionsofpracticehaveinterestingtakesonthatformofcommunalperformance,butforSCMweoftenthinkofthisprojectasbeingsimultaneouslytopdownandbottomup–thereisalwaysasenseofstructureandunity,yettheindividualseffecttheirownchangeanddirectionwithinthatsuperstructure.Thisispartofourresearchinto‘emergentcommunities’.Sothetworolesbleedtogether.Playersarealwayslistening.Andlistenerswhotaketheirownjourneythroughthesoundscapealsoendupplayingthespaceaswell,makingphysicalconnectionsbetweenpeoplewithinphysicalspace.

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I’d�Hide�YoubyBlastTheory

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I’d Hide You Matt Adams

OverthelasttenyearsBlastTheoryhasbeenaskedtodoquiteafewTVprojects.WeworkedwiththeBBCfornearlytwoyearstobringagamebasedprojecttothescreen.WewerepickedupbyhighpoweredagentsinHollywoodandIevengottoameetingontheFoxlot.AndweshotapilotcalledDangerGameonthestreetsofNewYorkwithhiddencamerasandapremisethatsoterrifiedthefirstparticipantthatheactuallyranawaydownthestreet.Eachtimewewereapproached,thebroadcastersweresoexcitedbytheideaofinteractionandparticipation.Thatwasspecificallywhatwewerebroughtintodo.And,ingeneral,eachconversationhitthesamebumpintheroad.‘Ofcourse,thiswillneedtobepre-recorded.Outsidebroadcastingismuchtooexpensive.That’sforsportormusic.’Andsowelabouredtomakeinteractiveprojectsthatwerepre-recorded.Thismightsoundlikeanoxymoron.Itturnsoutthatitis.

Twoyearsagowedecidedtotrytoshortcircuittheproblem.WhycouldwenotbuildourownOutsideBroadcastingsystemthatischeap,light,interactiveandreadytodeploy?Itwouldn’tbe‘broadcastquality’butfranklyinaliveeventqualitymaynotbeasimportantasallthat.MP3hasusurpedCD.YouTubedoesn’tseemtolackviewers.IregularlywatchBBC1insteadofswitchingtowatchthesameprogrammeonBBC1HD.Already,Radioheadhavesanctionedafilmofoneoftheirgigsshotentirelybyfanswithconsumerlevelequipment.

Andnowthatvideocamerascapableofstreamingarepresentonmanymobilephonesthereisaninfrastructurealreadyavailable.WeworkedwithSomethin’Else–whohavebucketsofexperienceofliveTVbroadcasting–andtheUniversityofNottinghamtobuildandtestanoutsidebroadcastingsystemusingmobilephones,netbooksand3Gmodemsthatstreamedtotheweb.WiththesupportofTheSpace,wehavebeenabletotakethatprototypeandmakeI’dHideYou,thistimeworkingwithbroadcaststandardequipment.Likemostgamesit’sahellofaloteasiertoplaythantoexplain.Buttherulesareprettysimple.ThreerunnersonthestreetsofManchestertrytofilmeachotherwithoutgettingfilmed.

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Onlineplayerscanseewhatthoserunnersarefilminginrealtimeandcanjumpbetweenonerunnerandanotheratanytime.Ifyouseearunneronyourscreenatanytime,youclicktotakeascreenshotor‘snap’.Butiftherunnerwhosevideostreamyou’rewatchinggetssnapped,thenyoulosealife.Allthewhile,therunnersonthestreetsareguidingyouaroundtheirversionofthecity.We’reworkingwitheightyoungpeoplefromManchesterandeachrunnerwillchooseasecrethidingplace.Theywillintroduceyoutopeopletheymeetonthestreet.Thechatty,raucousqualityofanightoutinManchesterisasmuchthefocusasthesneakingaboutfilmingeachother.

WeareaimingtocombinealiveTVexperience(leaningback,fullscreenvideo,aninterestinstoryandcharacter)withagamesexperience(leaningforwards,meaningfulinteraction).Indoingso,wearecreatinginteractiveoutsidebroadcasting.Online,youcanchattotherunners,askingthemtogotocertainplacesortalktocertainpeople.Andthiscouldhaveimportantimplicationsformanyformsofliveperformance.Wehopethattheknowledgewegaincouldbeusedforimmersivetheatre,urbangames,protests,smallfestivalsorjournalism.TechnicallytherealreadyarangeofservicesavailableforlivestreamingsuchasQikorBambuser.Apartfromraisingthebarinpicturequality,thekeychallengeforusishowtotakethistechnologicalpossibilityandsynthesiseanengagingexperiencefromit,likethatuncannythrillthatyoufeelwhenyoufirstseeawebcam.

LikemanyofourprojectsI’dHideYouisriskyandastepintotheunknown.Untilitgoesliveat8pmonthe17thMaywewillnotknowhowpeoplewillinteract.Perhapsthegameplaywilldominate,sweepingallbeforeit.Playersmaybesilentandtwitchyastheyfocusontheirscoreinavideoversionofafirstpersonshooter.Oritmayleantotheotherendofthespectrumandbecomeafreeforallofchatandperipateticdiversions.Ican’twaittofindout.

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Ant BalletOllie Palmer

FutureEverythingisafestivalofconnectivity–acelebrationofconnectivetechnologies,andaninvestigationintothepossibilitiestheyofferus.AntBalletisalsoaboutconnectivity.Ithacksintoantcommunicationprotocolsandusesthemforitsownsubversivemeans,creatingnewwaystocommunicatewithdifferentspecies.Ashumans,weareusedtohierarchicalcontrolsystems–thatis,systemswithaclearleader.Oursocietiesarestructuredthisway–governments,armies,schoolsandchurchesallusethismodel.Antsaredifferent;theyhavenocentralleader.Instead,theyusepheromonestocommunicateandconnectwitheachother,buildingcomplexnetworksfromsimplefeedbackloops.

Asawell-fedantwalksalong,itdoesalittledance,tappingitsabdomenonthegroundeveryfewsteps.Thisreleasestrailpheromones–complexchemicalsthatpassonmessagestootherants.Whenotherantsencounterthechemicaltrail,theyinterpretitasasignalfromanotherant,andfollowthetrailtofindfood.Iftheyaresuccessful,theytoowilldance,tappingtheirabdomenonthegroundandreinforcingthetrail.Themoreantswhoreinforcethetrail,thestrongeritbecomes,andthemorelikelyotherantsaretofollowit.

Thissystemallowstheantstocreatehighlydynamicandefficientforagingnetworks,reactingdirectlytolocalenvironmentsandfeedingstraightbackintothem.AntColonyOptimisationhasbeenhighlyresearchedinacademiaoverthepast25years,andisanestablishedmeansofcarryingoutcomputationaltasksrelatingtoconnectivity.Virtualantsareconstantlymakingvirtualtrailsincomputersaroundtheglobe,assistingpeoplewithroute-finding,networkinfrastructuremaintenance,andmuchmore.

AspartoftheAntBalletproject,Ihavecreatedsyntheticantpheromones,basedonnumerousscientificstudies.Ihavebuiltamachinethatcanspreadtheseartificialtrailpheromonestorealcoloniesofants,subverting,warpingandcorruptingtheirnaturalforagingbehaviour.Theantscannottellthesyntheticfromthenaturalpheromones,andconnectwiththesetrailsasiftheyweretheirown.Overtime,theantscanbefeddifferentpatterns,creatingacolony-widedance.Themachinemonitorstheants,reactingtotheirmovements,andfeedsthemmoretrails.ItislikeaballeticPas�de�Deux–amachinedancingwithacolonyofantsdancingwithamachine.

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Itisonlyfromourhumanvantagepointthatweareabletolookdownontheantsandseethatthereisalargemachinedrivingtheirmovement.Theworkasksitsaudiencetoreflectuponissuesofcontrol,andtheirownrolewithinmuchlargersystems.TheAntBalletisaliteraltheatreoftheabsurd,aperformancespaceinwhichthedesiresofanentirecolonyaresubverted,connectedandentangledwiththoseofanother–allwithouttheknowledgeoftheplayers.Theprojectisdevelopinginfourphases,witheachoneexploringnewideas,fromautonomouscontrolsystemstohumaninputtointercontinentalantcommunication.Eachonewilldevelopnewcommunicationprotocols,andposenewquestionsaboutourpositionintheinformation

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Manchester’s Digital FutureSara Tomkins

ManchesterhasalongtraditionofbeingaprimemoverinthedigitalWorld.Theworld’sfirstrealcomputer,theManchesterSmallScaleExperimentalMachine,otherwiseknownas‘TheBaby’wasdevelopedinManchesterin1948andtoday,thecityhasthemostdynamicandlargestclusterofcreativeanddigitalbusinessesoutsideofLondon.Thissectorisgrowingandwillcreateourfuturejobs.

ThisiswhydigitalisoneofourprioritiesandThe‘DigitalManchesterStrategy’aimstosetoutourambitiontopromote,connectandsupportourgrowingdigitalsectorsowecanbeaworldleadingdigitalcity.However,wedoneedtokeepupthepaceandManchesterneedstoimproveitsinfrastructure,joinupaccesstodigitalservices,andensuredigitalskillsfromprimarythroughtosecondaryandfurthereducationsupportthejobsofthefuture.

ManchesterCityCouncilwasrecentlynamedoneoftheGovernment’s‘Super-connectedcities’with£12mtospeedupinfrastructureandhelpremovethedigitaldivide.Thisisapositivestepforwardbutthecitywon’tbecomeagloballeadingdigitalcitywithoutthepublicandprivatesectorworkingtogether.ThisiswhywesupportFutureEverythingasitchallengesandstimulatesthethinkingofourdigitalandknowledge-basedbusinesses,theeventalsogetsglobalrecognitionandrightlyputsManchesteronthemapasaleadingdigitalplace.TheCouncilalsospearheadsinnovationwiththesuccessofTheSharpProjectbeingjustoneexampleactingasanincubatoroftechnologyandsupportingjobsandgrowth.However,theneedforbetterconnectivity,improvedskillsandtheuseofdigitaltodrivereformareimperativetohelpenablefutureregenerationoftheCityandtheCouncil’spriorityofcontinuedgrowth.

Beingoneoftheworld’sforemostdigitalcitiesanddevelopingadigitalplaceisanambitiousstrategybutwebelieveacitymustbewellconnectedwithhighspeedsandwireless,weneedexpertsinITwiththeabilitytouseitandskillstocreatenewapplicationsandnotjustbasicITliteracy,weneedtobeacityofopendataandacityofdigitalenterprisetocreatejobs….digitalisManchester’scanaloftoday…..digitalisthecontinuedregenerationofourcity.

Editors: Drew Hemment and Charlie GerePublisher: FutureEverything, 2012

ThisworkislicensedunderaCreativeCommonsAttribution-NonCommercial3.0UnportedLicensein2012withtheexceptionofworksstatedbelowforwhichrightshavebeenassertedbytheauthorsinaccordancewiththeCopyright,DesignandPatentsAct1988.FutureEverythingPhotographyJan&EmilyDixonwww.wearetake.co.uk.