The City as Living Lab or Play Space
Drew Hemment
http://futureeverything.org
http://imagination.lancaster.ac.uk
Festivals as Living Labs
Co-creating networked urban futures.
Transforming the city into a living lab for participatory
experiments in art, society and technology.
A global festival of art, music & ideas
4 days / 300 artists and speakers / 100 events / 40 venues.
Established 1995.
The FutureEverything Festival
Global festival of art, music & ideas
The FutureEverything Festival
Global festival of art, music & ideas
The FutureEverything Festival
Global festival of art, music & ideas
The FutureEverything Festival
Global festival of art, music & ideas
The FutureEverything Award
Bringing the future into the present.
The EyeWriter
FutureEverything Award 2010 Winner
The FutureEverything Community
Global Network.

A destination for a world-wide community of
artists, technologists and future-thinkers.
FutureEverything Labs
Bringing the future into the present.

FutureEverything Labs devise and test innovations
in art, society and technology.
Art in the public realm
Mobile Connections
(2003-5)
Mobile Connections
(2003-5)
Loca: Set To Discoverable (2004-6)




Loca consists of a small network      inside each node is a Bluetooth device,   encased in concrete for use in the
of nodes...                           made of readily available components,     urban environment.




The nodes are deployed in public spaces.
Art For Shopping Centres (2007)
Social Networking Unplugged (2008)
Environment 2.0 (2006-9)
The City Experiment (2009-10)
Open Data Cities (2009-10)
New Mobilities (2009-11)
Bringing the future into the present

Research connections
FutureEverything
The only way to predict the future, is to invent it.

FutureEverything is an art, technology and
social innovation organisation that runs year
round innovation labs and an annual festival
of art, music and ideas.
ImaginationLancaster
Using design, innovation and
creativity to stimulate and enable
interdisciplinary research into
people, products, places and
systems for the future.
Lancaster University

http://imagination.lancaster.ac.uk
FutureEverything as Research Project
FutureEverything (formerly Futuresonic) was a part
of Lancaster University's successful RAE2008
(Research Assessment Exercise) return.
Rated among the top 4 UK universities for research
in Art & Design.
The method.
FutureEverything Labs
Bringing the future into the present.

Year-round innovation labs, lasting between 9-36
months, each looking at a specific theme.
FutureEverything Labs
New Mobilities (2009-11)          Low Grade (2005)
Open Data Cities (2009-10)        Mobile Connections (2003-5)
Distant Collaboration (2009-10)   FutureDJ (2004)
The City Experiment (2009-10)     Turntable Re:mix (2004)
Environment 2.0 (2006-9)          Migrations (2002-3)
Social Networking Unplugged       Blacktronica (2002)
(2007-9)                          Sensurround (2001-2)
Art For Shopping Centres (2007)   BrokenChannel (2001)
Futurevisual (2007)               Audiovisions (2000)
Off The Map (2006)                SenseSonic (1999)
Instrument (2006)                 Sub.merge (1998)
Festival as Living Lab
Bringing the future into the present.
The festival creates a space in which participants
can experiment and play - transforming the city into
a space of experimentation, making it come alive.
Festival as Living Lab
Bringing the future into the present.
Participatory art-design interventions construct
possible futures and enable people to inhabit
them experientially and experimentally, bringing
the future into the present.
Festival as Living Lab
Bringing the future into the present.
These experiments devise and test innovations in
art, society and technology, and collaboratively
generate ideas and concepts.
Festival as Living Lab
Bringing the future into the present.
Activity can include artworks, technology prototypes,
social innovations and design projects.
Co-creating networked urban futures.
The evolution of the method and the
approach to the public realm.
Mobile Connections
(2003-5)
Locative Media:
The return of the “Here”
Locative Arts
Or, art by the geospatially uninhibited




New ways of seeing, sensing
and representing
Radar, sonar, GPS, WiFi,
Bluetooth, cellular, GIS, etc


Seeking an art of mobile
communications:
Are there any forms of expression
that are intrinsic or unique to mobile
and wireless media?
•We are all being mapped,
•all of the time
•The devices we carry leave
 traces of our movements
Loca: Set To Discoverable (2004-6)




Loca consists of a small network      inside each node is a Bluetooth device,   encased in concrete for use in the
of nodes...                           made of readily available components,     urban environment.




The nodes are deployed in public spaces.
Mobile Connections
  Loca: Set To Discoverable (2004-6)
(2003-5)
•We are all being mapped,
•all of the time
•The devices we carry leave
 traces of our movements
Locative media energised an renewed
engagement in the city.
Art For Shopping Centres (2007)
Art For Shopping Centres (2007)




Art as intervention in the city;
locative media, net-art and
free-media in urban spaces.
Mediashed The Duellists (2007)
Social Networking Unplugged (2008)
Environment 2.0 (2006-9)
Environment 2.0
Exploring the interface
between digital footprint
and environmental
footprint, drawing on new
approaches to the
environment from
pervasive and locative
media and work on
issues related to climate
change and sustainability
http://futuresonic.com/09/env20
One billion eyes
"A populace so knowing and capable that
all problems get noticed and addressed,
quickly, by a billion eyes."
- David Brin
Biotagging
Discovering and creating a
folksonomy of the city's
urban wildlife. People
moved through a range of
microclimates observing
and identifying the plants,
animals and fungi they find
along the route. A 'Rover'
vehicle was used to film and
collect data. Participants
were able to think up their
own ways to classify and
record the wildlife they
discovered.
Christian Nold, Rebecca Ellis,
John Tweddle, Drew Hemment
Climate Bubbles
A playful, participatory
project in which bubble
blowing games enable
people across the city
of Manchester to test air
flow circulation, and by
sharing the results
online, enable the Met
Office to get a snapshot
the Urban Heat Island
phenomenon
Drew Hemment, Carlo
Buontempo, Alfie Dennen
Open Data Cities (2009-10)
FutureEverything is leading the charge to
make Manchester an Open Data City.
The City Experiment (2009-10)
Serendipity City Challenge
Distant Collaboration (2009-10)
Exploring new ways to be globally connected,
and the potential for artworks involving remote
collaboration.
Globally Networked Event (GloNet)
Developing a new type of global event taking us to
new corners of the globe and reducing air travel.
Shifting from a single city event, to one taking
place simultaneously at venues around the globe.
New Mobilities (2009-11)
A collaborative project, join us!

FutureEverything - The City as Living Lab or Play Space

  • 1.
    The City asLiving Lab or Play Space Drew Hemment http://futureeverything.org http://imagination.lancaster.ac.uk
  • 2.
    Festivals as LivingLabs Co-creating networked urban futures. Transforming the city into a living lab for participatory experiments in art, society and technology.
  • 3.
    A global festivalof art, music & ideas 4 days / 300 artists and speakers / 100 events / 40 venues. Established 1995.
  • 4.
    The FutureEverything Festival Globalfestival of art, music & ideas
  • 5.
    The FutureEverything Festival Globalfestival of art, music & ideas
  • 6.
    The FutureEverything Festival Globalfestival of art, music & ideas
  • 7.
    The FutureEverything Festival Globalfestival of art, music & ideas
  • 8.
    The FutureEverything Award Bringingthe future into the present.
  • 9.
  • 10.
    The FutureEverything Community GlobalNetwork. A destination for a world-wide community of artists, technologists and future-thinkers.
  • 11.
    FutureEverything Labs Bringing thefuture into the present. FutureEverything Labs devise and test innovations in art, society and technology.
  • 12.
    Art in thepublic realm
  • 13.
  • 14.
  • 15.
    Loca: Set ToDiscoverable (2004-6) Loca consists of a small network inside each node is a Bluetooth device, encased in concrete for use in the of nodes... made of readily available components, urban environment. The nodes are deployed in public spaces.
  • 16.
    Art For ShoppingCentres (2007)
  • 17.
  • 18.
  • 19.
  • 20.
  • 21.
  • 22.
    Bringing the futureinto the present Research connections
  • 23.
    FutureEverything The only wayto predict the future, is to invent it. FutureEverything is an art, technology and social innovation organisation that runs year round innovation labs and an annual festival of art, music and ideas.
  • 24.
    ImaginationLancaster Using design, innovationand creativity to stimulate and enable interdisciplinary research into people, products, places and systems for the future. Lancaster University http://imagination.lancaster.ac.uk
  • 25.
    FutureEverything as ResearchProject FutureEverything (formerly Futuresonic) was a part of Lancaster University's successful RAE2008 (Research Assessment Exercise) return. Rated among the top 4 UK universities for research in Art & Design.
  • 26.
  • 27.
    FutureEverything Labs Bringing thefuture into the present. Year-round innovation labs, lasting between 9-36 months, each looking at a specific theme.
  • 28.
    FutureEverything Labs New Mobilities(2009-11) Low Grade (2005) Open Data Cities (2009-10) Mobile Connections (2003-5) Distant Collaboration (2009-10) FutureDJ (2004) The City Experiment (2009-10) Turntable Re:mix (2004) Environment 2.0 (2006-9) Migrations (2002-3) Social Networking Unplugged Blacktronica (2002) (2007-9) Sensurround (2001-2) Art For Shopping Centres (2007) BrokenChannel (2001) Futurevisual (2007) Audiovisions (2000) Off The Map (2006) SenseSonic (1999) Instrument (2006) Sub.merge (1998)
  • 29.
    Festival as LivingLab Bringing the future into the present. The festival creates a space in which participants can experiment and play - transforming the city into a space of experimentation, making it come alive.
  • 30.
    Festival as LivingLab Bringing the future into the present. Participatory art-design interventions construct possible futures and enable people to inhabit them experientially and experimentally, bringing the future into the present.
  • 31.
    Festival as LivingLab Bringing the future into the present. These experiments devise and test innovations in art, society and technology, and collaboratively generate ideas and concepts.
  • 32.
    Festival as LivingLab Bringing the future into the present. Activity can include artworks, technology prototypes, social innovations and design projects. Co-creating networked urban futures.
  • 33.
    The evolution ofthe method and the approach to the public realm.
  • 34.
  • 42.
    Locative Media: The returnof the “Here”
  • 43.
    Locative Arts Or, artby the geospatially uninhibited New ways of seeing, sensing and representing Radar, sonar, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, cellular, GIS, etc Seeking an art of mobile communications: Are there any forms of expression that are intrinsic or unique to mobile and wireless media?
  • 44.
    •We are allbeing mapped, •all of the time •The devices we carry leave traces of our movements
  • 45.
    Loca: Set ToDiscoverable (2004-6) Loca consists of a small network inside each node is a Bluetooth device, encased in concrete for use in the of nodes... made of readily available components, urban environment. The nodes are deployed in public spaces.
  • 46.
    Mobile Connections Loca: Set To Discoverable (2004-6) (2003-5)
  • 47.
    •We are allbeing mapped, •all of the time •The devices we carry leave traces of our movements
  • 48.
    Locative media energisedan renewed engagement in the city.
  • 49.
    Art For ShoppingCentres (2007)
  • 50.
    Art For ShoppingCentres (2007) Art as intervention in the city; locative media, net-art and free-media in urban spaces.
  • 57.
  • 58.
  • 65.
  • 66.
    Environment 2.0 Exploring theinterface between digital footprint and environmental footprint, drawing on new approaches to the environment from pervasive and locative media and work on issues related to climate change and sustainability http://futuresonic.com/09/env20
  • 67.
    One billion eyes "Apopulace so knowing and capable that all problems get noticed and addressed, quickly, by a billion eyes." - David Brin
  • 68.
    Biotagging Discovering and creatinga folksonomy of the city's urban wildlife. People moved through a range of microclimates observing and identifying the plants, animals and fungi they find along the route. A 'Rover' vehicle was used to film and collect data. Participants were able to think up their own ways to classify and record the wildlife they discovered. Christian Nold, Rebecca Ellis, John Tweddle, Drew Hemment
  • 69.
    Climate Bubbles A playful,participatory project in which bubble blowing games enable people across the city of Manchester to test air flow circulation, and by sharing the results online, enable the Met Office to get a snapshot the Urban Heat Island phenomenon Drew Hemment, Carlo Buontempo, Alfie Dennen
  • 70.
    Open Data Cities(2009-10) FutureEverything is leading the charge to make Manchester an Open Data City.
  • 71.
    The City Experiment(2009-10) Serendipity City Challenge
  • 72.
    Distant Collaboration (2009-10) Exploringnew ways to be globally connected, and the potential for artworks involving remote collaboration.
  • 73.
    Globally Networked Event(GloNet) Developing a new type of global event taking us to new corners of the globe and reducing air travel. Shifting from a single city event, to one taking place simultaneously at venues around the globe.
  • 74.
  • 76.