The event has been postponed until June 2010 (tbc). In a statement, data.gov.uk said:

“Due to the impending elections it looks highly likely that the event will fall during purdah. Should this happen, data.gov.uk would not be able to support the event in the manner we would like, and therefore we’ve taken the decision to delay the event until after the elections and have it in summer, in June.”

“People who have already signed up will be guaranteed a place at the event when we next announce a date. We ensure to announce to you all at the same time via email.”

“Once again, apologies for the push back, data.gov.uk want to ensure maximum support and visibility for the work done over the weekend which we would be unable to do in purdah.”

About the event

Data.gov.uk, BBC Backstage and Manchester Digital Development Agency (MDDA) will be running an ‘unconference’ focussing on data visualisations. The unconference will team up 100 developers and 100 designers to create diverse and imaginative data visualisations from open data.

The aim of the event taking place over the weekend of 10 and 11 April 2010 is to facilitate an unusual opportunity allowing the diversity of the two traditional job roles to bring together imaginative use of open data sources.

Richard Stirling, Head of Making Public Data Public and data.gov.uk said, “To bring together teams of developers and designers in this way, with each adding to the other’s skill set is an exciting proposition. We’re extremely interested to see the results, and see what great data re-use will come from the weekend.”

By combining the networks, data and experience of the three public bodies, the Data Visualisation Weekend has a vast resource to draw on, making it one of the most exciting and joined up unconferences for 2010.

“MDDA is proud to support this event as it is a great opportunity for Manchester’s digital communities to show their skills, network with other digital creatives and learn more about the data.gov.uk project.” – Dave Carter, Head of MDDA

Interested designers and developers can find out more and apply for an invitation at the Data Visualisation Weekend website.

Notes

Data.gov.uk is part of HM Government and uses an open licence to allow government-owned data to be freely reused by anybody.

BBC Backstage was formed in 2004 and is the BBC’s early adopter network to encourage participation and support creativity through open innovation.

Manchester Digital Development Agency (MDDA), part of Manchester City Council, is the lead organisation for the development of the digital strategy for the Manchester city region, and has a role in supporting the region’s digital sector.

A live synchronised performance by Manchester Camerata and the Venetian ensemble Ex Novo will be relayed to the Venice World Forum on Climate Change via the Internet, using the latest groundbreaking technology. Together they will perform Green Piece, a world première by Michele Dall’Ongaro, specially commissioned for the occasion. The performance takes place on Friday 2 October, as part of a free lunchtime concert featuring music by Charles Ives and Oliver Knussen, during the connection between the orchestras will be kept open, with a trumpeter in Venice providing the trumpet solo for Ives’ ‘Unanswered Question’.

Manchester Camerata will perform their contribution live at Manchester University at 12.45pm GMT, linking in over the internet with Ex Novo, who will be playing simultaneously in the Concert Hall at the Venice Conservatoire, at 1.45pm local time. The resulting performance will be broadcast live via a high-speed internet connection to the delegates at the Venice World Forum on Climate Change, based in the Doge’s Palace in St Mark’s Square.

This is the first time that the two orchestras have worked together at all, let alone in this innovative way. The combined performance, simultaneously working across a time delay, has been made possible thanks to technological help from Manchester Digital Development Agency (MDDA) working with Manchester University and Feedback Italia.

The Venice World Forum on Climate Change is an international event held over two days, which brings together leading experts on the environment, Nobel Laureates and ministers.

One of the overall objectives of this year’s event, hosted by the International Academy of Environmental Sciences (IAES), is to establish a European Environmental Criminal Court and an International Environmental Criminal Court. This would enable the court to take environmental polluters to task and make disasters such as Bhopal easier to respond to.

Manus Carey, Head of Artistic Planning at Manchester Camerata, said: “We are a 21st century orchestra embracing the issues of our time and raising awareness of environmental concerns through the power of music. We are incredibly proud to be taking part in this groundbreaking event and we hope to help raise the profile of the work of the International Academy of Environmental Sciences here in the UK. Manchester Camerata has an international outlook in-keeping with the city’s philosophy. We are eager to make an impression in Europe; this way we can do it without carbon emissions or incurring air-miles.”

We are grateful to our project partners: Creative Concern, Manchester Digital Development Agency and the University of Manchester.

Time & Date: 12:45pm, Friday 2nd October 2009 [Doors 12:15]

Venue: Cosmo Rodewald Concert Hall, Manchester University

Tickets: Free on a first come/first served bais. Please email rshaw@manchestercamerata.com, stating how many you require.
IF YOU CANNOT ATTENDED THIS EVENT IN PERSON YOU WILL BE ABLE TO WATCH A LIVE STREAM [FROM MANCHESTER] AT THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE:

http://www.manchestercamerata.co.uk/interact

The NextGen Euro conference was aimed at giving practical examples of best practice fibre networks from across Europe. The event gathered together some of the foremost examples of FTTH development presented by leading experts.

The Keynote videos above currently feature [1st July 2009]:

Welcome speech by Dave Carter [Head - Manchester Digital Development Agency]

Amsterdam fibre after two years: problems & fails, lessons learned, successes and how all things end well – Dirk van der Woude, City-Net Project, City of Amsterdam

Thomas Lecker – FTTH [Fibre To The Home] in Germany

Benoît Felten (video interview) – an overview of European fibre deployments

The future ain’t what it used to be: perspectives on investing in fibre – James Enck – Analyst, investor, blogger and journalist.

NextGen 09 Conference, welcome & opening speech by Sir Richard Leese [Leader, Manchester City Council]

THIS EVENT WAS CO-FINANCED BY THE DIGITAL CITIES [INTERREG] PROJECT

Visit the Digital Cities website

Visit the INTERREG website

This video is in HD, older computers or slow internet connections may affect playback.

The 16th to the 20th March 2009 saw the Greater Manchester Brussels Office host Manchester Week, MDDA were on hand to film, stream and tweet the event. MDDA also set-up a LIVE video conference to allow a remote participant to present & interact with one of the events taking place within the European Parliment.

This video gives a flavour of the many events that took place during Manchester Week 2009.

About Manchester Week:

The Manchester City Region is a city of firsts. Manchester was the first industrial city, it is where the first computer was built, where the atom was first split and the first test tube baby born. In the European Year of Creativity and Innovation Manchester Week is an opportunity to share some of Manchester’s latest firsts, via a series of discussions, debates, presentations and performances.

For more information & videos visit http://www.manchesterweek.com
To learn more about the Greater Manchester Brussels Office visit http://greater-manchester.eu/

Telecities, as part of Eurocities, was launched here in October 1993 and it is a great pleasure to welcome the forum back to Manchester as a founder member of the network. It is remarkable to think how the internet and the web have transformed our lives and this conference takes place at a crucial time in the development of European policy for this area.

The event will look across three important areas of European policy and practice: the future of  the internet and next generation networks; the role of ICT and digital services in tackling climate change; and the potential for the digital sector to play a key role in the European Recovery Plan.

For more information & booking click here!

All arts organisations, whether large or small, will have some kind of marketing strategy, whether through a leaflet drop, a brochure or local press advertising. Yet, as the arts audience begins to move online, the importance of a digital marketing strategy becomes ever more important – and it’s not just about your website and your email, important though these are.

When we were looking to put together a “one day” Digital marketing event for the Arts for AmbITion arts organisations our main challenge was to decide what to include and how to pitch it.

We wanted to put on a day that would appeal across art forms, for venue and non-venue based artforms alike, and which would cover all of the main aspects of digital marketing for the arts; we also had to encompass both the beginner and the expert.

So, quite a challenge – since you can at least a day learning about any one of the topics that we were hoping to cover.

In order to ensure that the day was relevant and up-to-date, we brought in eConsultancy, the leading eMarketing training consultancy, who developed a bespoke training day for us.

The day was built around developing a digital marketing strategy for an arts organisation – so that we could cover, in quickfire format, eMail Marketing, web analytics, Search Engine Optimisation and online PR, within a packed day.

The Bluecoat in Liverpool has recently undergone not just a large building programme and refurbishment but changes in its organisation and focus. At an early stage in its redevelopment, the Bluecoat’s chief executive Alastair Upton realised that digital development was a vital part of this change.

In this video, we have visited the Bluecoat to speak to some of the people who were involved in ensuring that digital development was a key component of the new Bluecoat. Consultants Hannah Rudman and Taylor Nuttall began working with the Bluecoat early in the process, taking account of changes to the building, staff and the organisation in recommending how digital technology could enhance the Bluecoat’s artistic vision.

The challenges that the Bluecoat faced are ones that are common to many organisations. By bringing in external experts, working closely with staff and management, AmbITion is currently working with 15 organisations to take them through a process of digital development. At the Bluecoat, some of the benefits of this approach are already clear, underpinning the artistic vision with the technology that can increase participation and enhance the audience experience.

This video was developed as part of AmbITion, which is an Arts Council England funded programme, working to develop 15 beacon arts organisations across the NW and East of England, using digital development across all aspects of their organisation.

The podcast is part of a wide range of dissemination activities looking at spreading good practice in digital development for the arts. For more case studies, and other examples of good practice visit http://www.getambition.com

As our organisations begin to implement a range of changes, to improve their digital capacity, we wanted to see where they – and their artform – were at.

Lantern House, Litfest and Ludus Dance are all North West based organisations that are using digital technology in different ways to engage with their audience, and support their artistic vision.

This video gives a snapshot of three thriving arts organisations as they begin to “develop digitally.”

The podcast is part of a wide range of dissemination activities looking at spreading good practice in digital development for the arts. For more case studies, and other examples of good practice visit http://www.getambition.com or contact Adrian Slatcher

Manchester is home to a wide range of user groups, run by and for the city’s vibrant digital communities.

From Geekup, to .Net, from Drupal User Group to the Free Software Foundation, Manchester is proving to be a thriving place for freelancers, coders, programmers and self-proclaimed “geeks.” This video takes a snapshot into the world of Manchester’s digital underground, what they do and why.

Looking to make contact? Here’s an ongoing list of users groups in and around Manchester.