From the 7 – 8th October 2014 Julie’s Bicycle and Watershed will host an Environmental Data Lab at the Watershed’s Pervasive Media Studio, Bristol.

Applications are now open until 9am Monday 1st September 2014 for participants. There will also be public showcase of the Lab outcomes and works-in-progress on the 8th October.

See below for further details of the open call.

About the Lab

As the world gets more connected, we are surrounded by devices, networks and infrastructure which carry data about the buildings and places in which we live and work. But whilst we collect data on everything from energy consumption to WiFi signal strength, weather predictions to traffic, this data often feels abstract and inscrutable. Would we feel and act differently if it was made more tangible, more accessible? Would it help us to understand and trace our own environmental impact if we could interact with the data in more human-centred ways? The cultural sector has a real opportunity to connect with other disciplines to make interventions which explore the value, meaning and potential of environmental data and what we do with it.

Focusing on the environmental data that we collect from cultural organisations and our immediate surroundings, including both pre-prepared and live data sets, Julie’s Bicycle and Watershed will run an exploratory Lab on 7 and 8th October 2014.

The two-day Lab aims to make the ‘invisible’ environmental data around us visible by bringing together a diverse community of artists, technologists, data analysts and designers, to explore how environmental data might be visualised and made tangible in creative ways to increase public engagement and data literacy, and inspire long-term behaviour change.

Through a two-day process of thinking through making, we will engage in playful enquiry, and prototype new ideas for sustainable futures.

Open call for applications

This Lab invites creative individuals and/or cultural organisations who would like to explore the opportunities inherent in environmental data sets, to submit an application to attend.

There are three spaces available to individuals and/or organisations with a strong vision for participation. Applications will be particularly welcomed from those that can bring one or more of the following skills and approaches:

• Interest and/or experience in how data can be creatively translated to drive change
• Ability to analyse data from a technical and/or creative perspective
• Ability to develop code
• Some level of environmental literacy as relevant to the arts and culture
• Experience of behavioural and/or organisational change approaches

What support is on offer?

Lab participants will receive:

• £300 bursary for two days participation, including travel.
• One night’s accommodation in Bristol, where necessary.
• Breakfast, lunch and refreshments on both days. Pizza will be provided at the end of day one.
• A variety of materials for use during the Lab.
• A structured process featuring making, discussion and a sharing event.
• A peer community of potential collaborators for current and future projects.

What do we expect from you?

• Participation in an online conversation prior to the Lab, to help with planning.
• Attendance and participation in all Lab activities over two days.
• An open, rigorous, experimental approach.
• An informal group presentation of a work in progress prototype as part of a sharing event at the end of day two of the Lab.
• Completion of a short evaluation following the Lab.

Where

The Lab will be hosted at Watershed’s Pervasive Media Studio. Located within the Watershed building in Bristol’s historic Harbourside, the Studio brings together an active network of over 150 artists, creative companies, scientists, technologists and academics to work on new and emerging ideas.

Timetable

• Open for applications: 10th July 2014
• Close to applications: 9am, 1st September 2014
• If your application is successful you will hear by: 10th September 2014
• Successful applicants announced: 15th September 2014
• Lab takes place: 7-8th October 2014

How to apply

If you are interested in applying for the Lab, please complete a short application form and return it to sholeh@juliesbicycle.com by 9am Monday 1st September 2014. Click here to download the application form.

Contact

If you have any questions or queries please contact:

Sholeh Johnston, Arts Manager, Julie’s Bicycle | sholeh@juliesbicycle.com | +44 (0)20 8746 0400