Manchester Digital Development Agency » Adrian Slatcher http://www.manchesterdda.com Manchester Digital Development Agency is the lead organisation for the development of a digital strategy for Manchester and the surrounding region. We do lots of other stuff, too. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:30:33 +0000 en hourly 1 Making the City a Digital Playground http://www.manchesterdda.com/2010/07/14/making-the-city-a-digital-playground/ http://www.manchesterdda.com/2010/07/14/making-the-city-a-digital-playground/#comments Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:55:39 +0000 Adrian Slatcher http://www.manchesterdda.com/?p=1467 If applauding Andy Murray at Wimbledon was too nervy, watching England in South Africa too fraught, and the thought of the Open Golf at St.Andrews far too wet, then maybe this is the weekend that sports lovers of all ages forget about whether you’re a participant or spectator, and get involved in “pervasive gaming.”

For those who have been on a workout on a Wii fit, wiled away a train journey playing Flight Control on the iPhone or becoming Mayor of Starbucks on Foursquare, you’ve probably already got a sense that computer games are moving out of the bedroom  and into every day life – with technology as the enabler. “Pervasive Gaming” is a new type of “play” that allow you to interact with your every day environment, turning the drab shopping centre or the dull town square into a real life gaming environment.

Not sure if its coincidental, or simply these ideas coming of age, but this weekend there are two great opportunities to “join in” yourself. Firstly, the Larkin’ About festival comes to Manchester city centre on Saturday. A series of unusual events and collaborations take place in the Arndale, Piccadilly Gardens and Halle square, offering passers-by and other participants a chance to become part of a range of inventive “pervasive” games. Whether you’re in town anyway, or want to try something different, it should be a fantastic day of unexpected interventions and inventions.

Over in Eccles Shopping Centre meanwhile, there’s something scary happening  – as the shopping centre has been taken over by Zombies – and you’ve got to stop the Zombie virus spreading.  Join Lets Go Global to help stop the Zombie invasion by becoming part of the story – and then, help “mash up” the video footage of the event to make a short film about the experience!

By combining digital technology and street performance, these are two great opportunities to break down the barriers between being audience and participant, and take the video game out of the bedroom and onto the streets, and a chance to have fun with friends and strangers alike.

]]> http://www.manchesterdda.com/2010/07/14/making-the-city-a-digital-playground/feed/ 0 24:7 Theatre Festival Live Webcast http://www.manchesterdda.com/2010/06/14/247-theatre-festival-live-webcast/ http://www.manchesterdda.com/2010/06/14/247-theatre-festival-live-webcast/#comments Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:23:43 +0000 Adrian Slatcher http://www.manchesterdda.com/?p=1364 Manchester’s 24:7 Theatre Festival has provided a unique opportunity over the last few years for actors, writers and directors to collaborate on new work. The festival’s plays have frequently been nominated for awards and the best of each year’s festival gets “showcased” later in the year throughout the region.

This year’s festival takes place from 26th July-1st August 2010 at New Century House, Corporation Street, where two stages will be set up to show a total of 14 new plays will be on show.

If you’ve never been to 24:7 Festival, then this year there will be a golden opportunity to “taste” the festival at the launch event on 15 June. Taking place at the Contact Theatre on 15th June, Manchester Digital Development Agency is pleased to be able to support the festival by live streaming the launch event.

Live on the web from 6.15pm you’ll be to look in on the launch of this year’s festival and see a range of live actors and filmed pieces that will be a taster for this years’ new plays.

Whether too busy to attend the event, wanting to get a sense of which plays are being performed this year or looking in from another city or country, we hope this live webcast will provide 24:7 with another great opportunity to promote this year’s festival.

Tune in from 6.15pm on Tuesday 15th June 2010 at http://247theatrefestival.co.uk/

We are able to support 24:7 Festival with this webcast because of the work MDDA is currently doing to encourage use of “next generation broadband” down the Oxford Road Corridor. We are currently using the Contact Theatre as one of our next generation testbed sites, using connectivity that is wirelessly provided from our own city centre offices. Over the next few months we will be undertaking more tests of the type of services that can be made available over next generation broadband. If you’d like more information please get in touch via our contact form.

]]> http://www.manchesterdda.com/2010/06/14/247-theatre-festival-live-webcast/feed/ 0 Free Digital Advice and Support for the Voluntary and Community Sector http://www.manchesterdda.com/2010/02/02/free-digital-advice-and-support-for-the-voluntary-and-community-sector/ http://www.manchesterdda.com/2010/02/02/free-digital-advice-and-support-for-the-voluntary-and-community-sector/#comments Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:30:57 +0000 Adrian Slatcher http://www.manchesterdda.com/?p=985

Connecting 2.0 Communities Event Logo

Register for this event online

Please register for this free event so we can make sure you get the most out of it.

About this event

If you are a voluntary or community sector organisation, freelancer or creative who would like to know more about “digital technology” and how it can help your work or your organisation it can sometimes be difficult to know where to go for advice and support.

Yet Manchester has a wide range of digital communities – from programmers, to social media specialists to digital content producers – who meet up regularly to share good practice.

Connecting 2.0 Communities is a pilot event to give anyone in the not-for-profit sector an opportunity to meet these digital communities – many of whom are happy to provide free advice and support, and would like to work more with community groups.

What you will find out

At this free to attend “drop in” event there will be an opportunity to :-

  • get a one-to-one advice session about your own particular digital needs
  • find out more about Manchester’s many “user groups” and informal meet-ups
  • hear short introductions about key topics such as developing a Wordpress website, and using social media.

Where and when does it take place?

The event takes place on Wednesday 17th February from 2.00-6.30pm at the MadLab (Manchester Digital Laboratory), at 36-40 Edge Street, Manchester, M4 1HN, in the Northern Quarter (opp. Common Bar) Drop in any time after 2.00 – either stay for a short time, or stay all afternoon.

There will be food and drinks provided, and though you don’t need to book it will help us with numbers – and help identify who might be best for you to speak to – if you register at our online registration.

Who will be attending?

We’ll have more details soon but here’s a taster.

  • Manchester Digital Development Agency, offering advice and support on all aspects of digital Manchester
  • Madlab, find out about this new “community space” for digital working
  • Speak to a Geek, get technical support from digital experts
  • Social Media Cafe & Social Media Surgeries, find out more about these regular groups to help you use the social media more effectively
  • Lets Go Global – &  other digital organisations, learn more about what organisations there are that can help you out.

Need to find out more?

For more information contact Adrian Slatcher:

Find out more about MadLab.

Who has organised it?

This event is funded by the Working Neighbourhoods Fund and run on behalf of Manchester City Council. It has been organised by Manchester Digital Development Agency in partnership with MadLab. Many thanks to all the digital organisations who have agreed to attend to make this event happen.

]]> http://www.manchesterdda.com/2010/02/02/free-digital-advice-and-support-for-the-voluntary-and-community-sector/feed/ 5 Arts and Social Media Resource Page http://www.manchesterdda.com/2010/01/25/resources-for-the-art/ http://www.manchesterdda.com/2010/01/25/resources-for-the-art/#comments Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:15:11 +0000 Adrian Slatcher http://www.manchesterdda.com/?p=947 This is a resource page aimed at artists and arts organisation working with social media.

The resources were produced for the two-day “Understanding Social Media for the Arts” course funded by Arts Council England, and delivered at MDDA in November 2009 and January 2010 by Adrian Slatcher. The course was aimed at Local Authority arts engagement officers.

Day one

Presentation: Understanding Social Media for the Arts – Day One.

You can download the presentation Understanding Social Media for the Arts – Day One from Slideshare.

Day two

Presentation: Understanding Social Media for the Arts – Day Two

You can download the presentation Understanding Social Media for the Arts – Day Two from Slideshare.

Presentation: Some things to think about when making a video

You can download the presentation about video from Slideshare.

The Social Media Toolkit – Useful Links

Communication Tools

Blogs

Microblogging

Social Networks

Bespoke Social Networks

Specialist Tools

Collaboration Tools

File Management

Office Apps

Comms Tools

Mapping Tools

Sharing Content

Mobile

Video Blogging

Audio Blogging

Rich Media

Photos

Video

Streaming

Audio

Helpful Utilities

Twitter Clients

Where to Find Out More

Digital Development for the Arts

Other Useful Sites

Other Useful Events and Conferences

For many more resources visit the AmbITion website and AmbITion Toolkit Website.

Further Useful resources will be placed here when they become available.

]]> http://www.manchesterdda.com/2010/01/25/resources-for-the-art/feed/ 0 The return of the anonymous blogger http://www.manchesterdda.com/2009/10/22/the-return-of-the-anonymous-blogger/ http://www.manchesterdda.com/2009/10/22/the-return-of-the-anonymous-blogger/#comments Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:17:30 +0000 Adrian Slatcher http://www.manchesterdda.com/?p=803 In the refurbished splendour of Band on the Wall, the 2009 Manchester Blog Awards returned last night, a regular fixture on Manchester’s digital calendar. A packed Band on the Wall saw a new host for the evening, Social Media Café’s Maria Ruban, who introduced a range of short readings by some of the evening’s shortlisted bloggers.

The Blog Awards, which MDDA has supported since its inception, remains a uniquely Mancunian event, with the city’s creative community never slow in putting their opinions down on a diverse range of blogs, that ranged from the personal to the provocative. As Kate Feld, the organiser and instigator of the event, made clear in her introduction, the quality of the submissions this year had been so great that each category shortlist had been extended from four to five blogs.

Dave Carter, head of MDDA, is one of the judges, and in the office, we always enjoy having a look through the shortlisted entries here in the office. With prizes for best new blog, best neighbourhood blog, best personal blog, best arts and culture blog and best writing on a blog there’s a diverse range of entries. Both the winners and the shortlisted writers always seem to be genuinely pleased at the recognition – after all, unlike many other genres, blog writing is a truly democratic one, open to all.

Blog of the year was an unusual one however, as the writer of Lost In Manchester preferred to remain anonymous. A celebration of the “weird, wonderful and just plain ordinary” that most of us don’t notice when walking around our city, it’s a great place to start exploring the shortlist. In the early days of blogging, the anonymous blog was quite common, as writers chose a pseudonym rather than let everyone know their name. It was nice to see that some of the best blogging still prefers to keep anonymous.

This year also saw the return of a previous blog award winner, Jenn Ashworth, whose first novel, a domestic psychodrama set in a drab suburb in Fleetwood, “A Kind of Intimacy” has been one of the year’s best novels. We were treated to an extract of her second novel, “Cold Light,” a genuine exclusive, as it’s the first time she’s read it in public. Collective shivers ran down the spine as a very ordinary civic scene, this time set in Morecambe, turned grisly.

Amongst the various digital communities of Manchester, the writers, commentators, and photographers who write regular blogs in the city remain a key part of the creative economy – and so it was great to see Creative Tourist, the recently launched website for all that’s cultural in Manchester, sponsor the best arts and culture blog award, won by arts blogger, Ella Wredenfors, for her “Run Paint Run Run” blog. Her prize is a commission to write a piece for the Creative Tourist website.

As the number of new blogs entered for the awards this year shows, there remains a large part of the “blogosphere” that speaks with a Mancunian accent.

View the photos captured on the night

]]> http://www.manchesterdda.com/2009/10/22/the-return-of-the-anonymous-blogger/feed/ 0 Pixelate – Call for Artists! http://www.manchesterdda.com/2008/09/17/pixelate-call-for-artists/ http://www.manchesterdda.com/2008/09/17/pixelate-call-for-artists/#comments Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:57:57 +0000 Adrian Slatcher http://www.manchesterdda.com/?p=99 As part of the Pixelate project Lets Go Global are looking for freelance artists to deliver a series of community media projects from April 2009 – April 2010.

The projects will focus on a combination of:

Broadcast/TV Production
Interactive New Media
Video/Short Film Making
Presenting/Live Interview Skills
Drama/Acting Skills
Digital Photography
Script Writing
Storytelling

We welcome people from across Greater Manchester but have a particular interest in artists who live or work in Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham and Stockport

All artists must have previous experience of delivering workshops within community settings. We are particularly interested to hear from those artists with experience of working with groups with challenging behaviours.

If you are interested please send an updated CV and examples of your work to Sarah McLoughlin, Lets Go Global, 3-5 Malvern Row, Old Trafford, M15 4FD or email sarah@letsgoglobal.tv by the 1st October. We will then be inviting a selected number of artists in for interview.

Rates of pay, further project details and other terms and conditions will be discussed at the interview. An enhanced CRB disclosure, self employment tax reference and personal liability insurance will be necessary for any work undertaken with us. If you do not currently have these things in place we will help you to organise this.

For more information on the project go to www.letsgoglobal.tv/pixelate or contact Sarah on 0161 850 5555

]]> http://www.manchesterdda.com/2008/09/17/pixelate-call-for-artists/feed/ 0 Consultation on the provision of voluntary services in Manchester http://www.manchesterdda.com/2008/08/12/consultation-on-the-provision-of-voluntary-services-in-manchester/ http://www.manchesterdda.com/2008/08/12/consultation-on-the-provision-of-voluntary-services-in-manchester/#comments Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:54:53 +0000 Adrian Slatcher http://www.manchesterdda.com/?p=93 There is a questionnaire now posted on the Manchester City Council website for voluntary and community sector organisations to complete. The questionnaire is to gather information about the infrastructure support services used and where there might be gaps in provision.

The information gathered from the questionnaire will be used to inform the commissioning process to invite tenders for this work.

You can fill out the questionnaire online.

]]> http://www.manchesterdda.com/2008/08/12/consultation-on-the-provision-of-voluntary-services-in-manchester/feed/ 0 Got an idea for an interactive project? http://www.manchesterdda.com/2008/07/30/got-an-idea-for-an-interactive-project/ http://www.manchesterdda.com/2008/07/30/got-an-idea-for-an-interactive-project/#comments Wed, 30 Jul 2008 11:10:40 +0000 Adrian Slatcher http://www.manchesterdda.com/?p=86 Manchester Beacon want to commission an interactive project that drives collective creativity to connect people, places and knowledge across Manchester and Salford.

Four ideas will be selected and receive £1,000 to develop their ideas further. The final commission will be £25,000 in total.

Upload your seed ideas in no more than 150 words with a supporting image onto the bTWEEN.co.uk Mapping Creativity page.

The commissioned project will use disruptive, open source or social technologies to maximise Manchester’s creative communities.

It will facilitate better communication between two or more social groups and provide tools to visualise this interaction.

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