pervasive media studio

Public Engagement

One of pervasive media’s most exciting abilities is embedding digital information in the physical world around us. By adding a digital identity to places, buildings or objects, it invites all of us to see our every day surroundings with different eyes. Community collaborations, educational projects and creative and practical workshops have highlighted the potential of pervasive media to engage all age groups with their communities.

Designing the experiences of a pervasive media environment requires a diverse set of skills and insights as well as a collaborative and inclusive approach. Through a programme of workshops and support, the studio seeks to cross cultural and community boundaries to widen participation for schools, further education and community-based projects and networks.

Past engagement projects include:

BBC Blast Roadshow

Project manager, Holly Edwards from RIO consulted with PMStudio on devising potential workshops for young people attending the BBC Blast Roadshows in Bristol and Clevedon in July 2009. Studio Residents Thought Den and Helen Bentley provided some entertaining mobile and web-based activities.

Virtual Voices

This mscape presentation and demo explored the question of how young people can become media literate content creators and storytellers, and was part of a Futurelab’s conference that brought together the media industries with young media makers and their teachers and tutors.

South West Sound 08

Mscape demo created for the South West annual music convention. The demo used local bands music and has since been tried out by many young people visiting pervasive media studio, giving them an introduction to local bands as well as concepts of locating pervasive media.

Writhlington School

An after school group at Writhlington School in Radstock created a heritage/tourism trail for their local cycle path, using mscape; in collaboration with Radstock Mining Museum.

eShed

eShed.net is a Bristol-based film and media website for young people aged 14-21. It is run by a steering group of young film-lovers and film-makers and supported by Watershed. In an Mscape workshop, the group explored new opportunities and platforms for young filmmaking.

Carbon Makeover Project

This project in Knowle West aims to provide local answers to the global problem of climate change. PMStudio was asked by Knowle West Media Centre to run a Mobile Technology workshop for members of the carbon makeover project to explored novel ways to disseminate information about their work.

Time2Share

The charity Time2Share is working to support families who are caring for disabled children or young adults, primarily focusing on breaking social isolation. Their Zookah club, a group of young people with Aspergers, introduced its members to mscaping, with support from PMStudio.

If you have any questions about community engagement projects please don’t hesitate to get in touch: shirin@pmstudio.co.uk