The first “MzTEK Unplugged” night will take place on March 18th, 7pm – 9pm at The Brittannia Pub (44 Kipling Street, SE1 3RU). MzTEK Unplugged is a new series of informal round table discussions at the local pub. Hosting a range of speakers who practice computer art, new media art, activism, curation, and promotion, “MzTEK Unplugged” is designed as an opportunity to shut our laptops for an evening, and draw on the skills and experience of the media arts community.
Unplugged gathers fortnightly through May 2009, and is open to the public. Guest speaker Lisa Haskel has worked with media artists for over 20 years, originally as an organizer, and more recently by providing technical support and teaching the technical fundamentals of creative work on the Web – including networking, programming, and server administration.
Demonstrating samples of former student programming projects, Lisa will open up a discussion on the importance and applications of programming knowledge for media artists, and strategies for acquiring these skills.
MzTEK is a peer-led, educational organization for women artists and technologists in new media and computer arts. With a helping hand from [ Space Media ] we aim to extend career development and education opportunities for women working or wishing to work in media and computer arts sectors. In addition to Unplugged, we host ongoing Peer2Peer workshops and will soon launch uTEK: a unique, peer-devised taught course in new media arts.
We’re excited to host the following confirmed speakers:
Lisa Haskel
18th March 2009
Lisa has worked with media artists over 20 years or so, originally as an organiser/administrator, and more recently giving technical support and teaching the technical fundamentals of creative work on the web including networking, programming and server administration. Lisa will showcase examples of student projects she have supported to open up a discussion on the importance (or otherwise) of programming knowledge for media artists, and strategies for gaining these skills.
Ruth Catlow
1st April 2009
Ruth will talk about Furtherfield.org, an independent media arts organisation that provides contexts and platforms for creating, viewing, discussing and learning about experimental practices at the intersection of art, technology and social change. (www.furtherfield.org)
Alex Zivanovic
15th April 2009
Alex will talk about the creative uses of Physical Computing – sensing and controlling the real world using programmable microcontrollers. In particular, he will talk about the Arduino (www.arduino.cc), a low cost microcontroller system specifically aimed at artists and designers. He’ll show how the system can be used to make interactive devices and installations. Alex has a background in engineering, but is increasingly working in the art and design fields. He is a visiting tutor at the Royal College of Art and Goldsmiths. His particular interest is in physical computing and interactive robotics as art installations. (www.zivanovic.co.uk)
Julie Freeman
29th April 2009
Julie will introduce the politics of Open Source software and code, and will introduce some of the useful programs, packages and tools available for artists, and tools she uses in her work.
Alex McLean
13 May 2009
Alex will talk about the nature of code, of geometrical space, and the relationship between them. This will lead into a demo of vocable synthesis, a way of controlling synthesized drums with words. Alex is one third of the live coding band http://slub.org , a PhD student at Goldsmiths digital studios and co-organiser of various events including dorkbotlondon. He enjoys computer programming as a way of making music and of interacting with the world. More info about his projects and activities may be found at http://yaxu.org/