FreqOUT! hits local news

This week young people's achievements were recognised by the Paddington, Marylebone and Pimlico Mercury. They have been working on the 'Video Sniffin' project with artists from MediaShed to make a film using wireless cameras. The project is supported by the Lottery through the UK Film Council's First Light Movies initiative. The film will be screened at Vital Regeneration's Awards Ceremony on the 27th of November at the Cockpit Theatre.

FreqOUT! visits the RSA

FreqOUT! visited the RSA this week to listen to a debate surrounding how the advent of technology has opened up the potential for placing young people at risk. Speakers included award-winning teacher and star of “The Unteachables” Phil Beadle, international internet consultant on child safety John Carr; media literacy consultant, Cary Bazalgette; and Sarah Dyer, director of new media, Beatbullying. They asked; What structures can we put in place to reduce the risks and how do we draw the line between ensuring protection and allowing free access? And what is the role of government, regulatory bodies, parents and teachers? An interesting and lively debate ensued and you can listen to the comments here.

Reaching Excluded Communities Successfully

The final showcase of 'Being Connected' at the Science Museum was truly inspirational! 13 young women from the London Tigers gave a musical presentation using their 'singing sculptures' made with artists from the 'Scrap yard challenge'. 50 members of the Bangladeshi community supported the young people on the night, many having never been to the Science Museum previously. One participant commented, "At first I thought hmm.. Science.. that is not for me, I don’t want to do it, it sounds boring! But then Jenny and Ruth showed us films and took us to the Museum to see the Listening Post and I thought it was amazing! I had never seen anything like it before and wanted to join in the project!"

Get Yourself Connected

During the last week of October 2008, 10 young students from London Tigers will work alongside professional artists at the Science Museum in a creative exploration of how contemporary digital technologies transform the way see and understand our culture.

Drawing the inspiration from Listening Post, an acclaimed artwork by Mark Hansen and Ben Rubin, the week of activities will culminate in a final celebration that will show case much of the creative work that will be produced.

The artists that will be involved are Graham Peet, Furtherfield, MediaShed, Johan-Brucker-Cohen and Katherine Moriwaki.

FreqOUT! visits Dana Centre

FreqOUT! visited the Dana Centre this week to debate 'Perverting Technologies'. Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, creator of the installation Under Scan, talked about his work, which opens in Trafalgar Square in November. Project Manager Jenny Irish has also previously worked as a visualisation designer for 'Greyworld' who also talked at the event. 'Greyworlds' Andrew Shoben captured the crowd with his 'art for all' approach and subsequent discussions about community consultation in public art.

The Big GPS Draw!

FreqOUT! will be running it’s own workshop focusing on GPS drawing. Young People will work with Jeremy Wood to make GPS drawings of the local area. Using the latest GPS receivers this is an innovative project that pushes the boundaries of drawing in the digital age.

FreqOUT! Partners with the National Portrait Gallery

FreqOUT! is working in partnership with the National Portrait Gallery. A three day workshop entitled 50 Pieces of Personal Info will run daily from 29 - 31st October, 11.00 - 16.00.

Using digital equipment, artists will construct their own multiple data portraits, featuring some of the personal information required for the forthcoming ID cards. The course is inspired by the Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer’s Life, 1990-2005 exhibition and led by artists Melissa Bliss and Miranda Lopatkin. A screening of everyone's work will be held on Friday 31st October at 17.00.

Video Sniffin with Media Shed

Artist collective Media Shed will be working with 20 FreqOUT! young people at the Queens Park New Media Centre to make films using CCTV footage. The young people will work with international artist collective Media Shed to devise films based on issues that interest them. The group will be discussing their projects at the Photographers Gallery on the 15th of November so come along and chat to them there!

My Movie - North Fulham NDC

5 young people from North Fulham worked with film maker Lucy Williams to make a short film about issues they felt were important to them. They interviewed members of the community in Normand Park to uncover what they felt could be improved in the area. The young people showcased their final films at the Brunswick Club and put added their film online.

Accolade for youth media initiative!

FreqOUT! has received coverage in Regeneration and Renewal magazine this month, adding to the wide coverage leveraged by the 'Catalyst Awards'. You can read the online article here. For more information on how you can volunteer with the FreqOUT! team contact Project Manager Jenny Irish on jirish@cwh.org.uk or call 02072452263.

FreqOUT! covered by the Society Guardian

The Wednesday 30th July issue of the Society Guardian covered news of the FreqOUT!'s 'Catalyst Award' win with the article also available here for online readers. The article outlines the power of social technologies when working with marginalised groups. A wide community of interest is developing in this innovative area, with interest from NESTA, BERR, the Cabinet Office, Unltd. and the Council on Social Action.

FreqOUT! covered by NESTA

This week the FreqOUT! project was covered in a press release issued by NESTA. The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts - a unique body with a mission to make the UK more innovative. NESTA invests in early-stage companies, inform and shape policy, and deliver practical programmes that inspire others to solve the big challenges of the future. You can view the press release here.

Westminster Summer University

This week FreqOUT! worked with young people recruited through Westminster's Summer Uni Scheme to create a digital record of their local area. 7 young people worked with lead artist Jonathan Hall to take photographs, video footage and record sounds around Queens Park.

Using only mobile phones and MP3 sound recorders the group created a fantastic online story of their local area using Google Earth.

There are still some places on the Summer Uni scheme- call Jenny on 020 7245 2263 for more information!

FreqOUT! wins Catalyst Award

FreqOUT! has been praised by the Prime Minister as it joined a list of winners at the inaugural UK Catalyst Awards this week. Vital Regeneration’s FreqOUT! project won the ‘Chalk & Cheese’ category for their groundbreaking technology projects which have worked with more than 400 young people in London who are disadvantaged.

Gordon Brown chatted with Vital Regeneration’s project team and beneficiaries before presenting the Catalyst Awards. Youth ambassadors for FreqOUT! explained to the Prime Minister how they use technologies such as GPS, PDAs, Web 2.0 and Bio-mapping to change society for the better and break the negative perceptions they often face. They illustrated how young people in Westminster worked with artist Christian Nold to investigate their perceptions of urban spaces using bio-mapping technologies. As a result, a report was presented to the local neighbourhood management team to inform plans for neighbourhood open spaces.

FreqOUT! Project Manager, Jenny Irish said, “winning a UK Catalyst Award is absolutely fantastic! This really rewards the efforts of the young people involved, who have got really involved and moved into areas such as market research, even setting up their own film companies. We are extremely proud to be recognised as a pioneer in the world of social technology and innovation. We are excited about the new relationships and opportunities that will arise as a result of winning.”

You can view photos from 'Make Your Mark' at the event here.

CATALYST AWARDS

The UK Catalyst Awards recognise those who use technology to make a positive difference to the world around them. Our FreqOUT! project has been working since 2005 to provide young people with access to film and new media technologies, inspiring their ambition and increasing their employability.
Vital is nominated for the UK Catalyst 'Chalk & Cheese Award' which rewards work that brings two different groups of people together. One of the key successes of FreqOUT! has been the empowerment felt by our young people through access to cutting-edge technology, expert artists and innovative ideas.

Award winners will be announced on 24 July 2008.

Catalyst Award Nominee

Exploding Narrative!

FreqOUT! visited the ICA to watch 5 finalists pitch their ideas for mscape location based games, stories and educational journeys. They are experienced on GPS-enabled PDAs and based on easy to use software developed by HP Labs. The finalists pitched their ideas to an audience who gave their feedback with the aim of improving the presentations for the final competition. You can watch the final videos here and vote for your favourite ideas!

http://www.just-b.com/btween/hp-labs

Mobile History Walk Pilot Phase Complete

Artist and previous FreqOUT! intern Daniela Boraschi led members of the FreqOUT! Steering Group, Frank Longworth (Capgemini) and Charlotte Fergusson (Westminster Arts Service) around Victoria to mark the completion of the pilot testing phase of the Mobile History Project. The group listened to sounds, narratives and viewed imagery generated from the Westminster Archives; triggered at specific points on the PDA. Mscape software allowed the participants to become immersed in the history of the area whilst walking around the contemporary urban landscape. FreqOUT! is now in the final development stage before rolling the project out to local young people.

Westminster Arts Strategy - FreqOUT! a case study

The FreqOUT! project has been included as a case study in the Westminster Arts Strategy which was launched at the London Transport Museum. Photographs taken by Jake Novak as part of the Perceptual Landscapes project were showcased alongside images from the Photographers Gallery in the theatre foyer. You can download a copy of the strategy here.

FreqOUT! at the Royal College of Art

Jenny Irish presented the FreqOUT! project as part of the Design Interactions practitioner lecture series, alongside Steering Group Chair, Julie Freeman. Jenny is currently recruiting artists to collaborate with on FreqOUT! projects in the future. If you are an arist with an idea you would like to work on with the FreqOUT! team please contact Project Manager Jenny Irish at jirish@cwh.org.uk for consideration.

Innovation Exchange - Share Your Idea

The Innovation Exchange is dedicated to fostering innovation within the third sector and as part of this, finding ways of improving relationships between third sector social innovators, public service commissioners and investors. The Exchange works through events, research, facilitation and online exchange. The Next Practice programme, provides the best innovations with support and access to a £200k fund from NESTA. This programme will enable evaluation, knowledge-sharing and seek to draw in further resources, helping cutting edge projects to develop and grow. FreqOUT! have launched a blog on the Innovation Exchange website where you can see an overview of our project and comment on future developments: FreqOUT! Innovation Exchange

Signs of the City

Signs of the City employs digital photography and new media in a 15 month international project. The project explores sign systems in European Cities by creating a visual inventory of Berlin, London, Sofia and Barcelona.

As part of the London consortium FreqOUT! set up workshops alongside 3 other leading arts organisations; Watermans, Independent Photography and Space Media. Young people worked with award winning artist Melissa Bliss to take photographs of their urban environment using mobile phones. The images were then uploaded to social networking sites. The dialogue takes place virtually and physically through the images on an internet database, and as an exchange between young people, artist, youth art organisations and cultural institutions. FreqOUT! worked with young people from Cardinal Hume, Centrepoint, Marylebone Bangladeshi Society and Churchill Gardens to deliver the work shops.

The project runs from October 2007 to December 2008 with exhibitions of the work being displayed in public spaces and galleries in each of the participating cities. Final images from the FreqOUT! workshops will be displayed as part of the London exhibition at Watermans during October this year.

Mobile Movies - Team Building Days

FreqOUT! hosted a corporate team building day on Friday 2nd May 2008. This was a pilot for a future project that will give corporate companies across the UK the chance to work with new technologies whilst developing key team building skills. The staff of Vital Regeneration were the first to try out this new team building experience. They started the day with a treasure hunt that involved taking photos and solving clues by texting back the answers to HQ. The afternoon was spent in groups making mini mobile movies that were edited and later showcased to the whole team.

“Great activities, nice to be out and about and getting to know the local area” (Fiona Black)

“I have learnt what blue tooth is and how to edit film clips on my phone” (Judith McKee)

The day was a success and marks a new venture for FreqOUT! Once we have developed and refined the pilot, phase two will be to roll out to other companies. Lookout for more news on our team building days here on our blog and if you’re interested in taking part contact Jenny Irish jirish@cwh.org.uk and we’ll put you on the waiting list.

Handheld Histories

Freqout! Design Intern Daniela Boraschi recently undertook a research project to build a ‘Mobile History Walk’ around ‘The Devils Acre’ in Victoria. The project entitled ‘Handheld Histories’ used a PDA device donated by BT. Daniella devised the walk using the ‘Create-A-Scape’ software developed by Future Lab which was downloaded onto the PDA. Using the software and PDA she was then able to successfully access the Wireless City Network.

After the first phase of research the next step is to work with young people to help them to develop their own bespoke walks based on their local area. Young people will be able to log on wirelessly in the centre of London so they can access information remotely, they are then free to learn on the move without having to return to their youth club or base. The project creates new and innovative learning opportunities outside of the traditional school environment and opens up discussion and debate through interaction with location.

Westminster City Hall Exhibition

Photographs from Mobile Movies, Perceptual Landscapes and Signs of the City were exhibited at Westminster City Hall between 21st April - 9th May 2008. The exhibition was part of Westminster City Council Arts Service’s exhibition to highlight the creative talents of some of the most disadvantaged young people living in the city.

Inspired Mobile Films

Artist Melissa Bliss and the FreqOUT! team worked with young people from Churchill Gardens Youth Club this week to create short films inspired by a trip to the Tate Gallery. Four short films were made on the day and the group devised innovative ways to use mobile phones to capture issues of importance to them. This method of low fi film making is encouraging young people to think more creatively what they can do with technology that is accessible to them.

Perceptual Landcspaes Launches in Church Street

Young people from the Marylebone Bangladeshi Society worked with artists Christian Nold, Daniela Boraschi and the FreqOUT! team to interview members of the Church Street community to find out what people thought about living there. The young peolpe used MP3 sound recorders to build a rich audio representation of their community. Christian and Daniela worked with the young people to transcribe their audio onto project laptops, and then created a digital diagram of the results in consultation with the group. The final maps will be exhibited at a display at City Hall in April alongside photographs from the workshops.

On the Margins of Technology

FreqOUT! visited SPACE Studios on Friday to see the grande finale of 'Not Quite Yet'. Artists have responded to research with groups of older people in East London considering how the UK’s ‘ageing’ population can engage with future design processes of Technology. What if everyone had a role in deciding how society uses digital technologies? The growing relationship between networks and computer systems means the way we live is being increasingly determined by technology. The UK has an ‘ageing’ population who live with the implications of these design decisions. The artists have been invited to respond to a research project that engages groups of older people in East London exploring their relationship to technology and its development.

FreqOUT! Visits BETT 2008

FreqOUT! Project Manager Jenny Irish took a trip to BETT this month at Kensington Olympia. BETT is the world’s largest educational technology event which spans both the National and the Grand Halls at Olympia, featuring 600 stands and close to 30,000 visitors. FreqOUT! visited the Futurelab stand which featured Reactable – an electronic musical instrument designed for use by several people at the same time. Developed by a team at Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, the Reactable has a round surface like a tabletop, and users play it by moving or rotating different objects on the surface. We guarantee you will never have experienced anything like it!

FreqOUT! is showcased on the Futurelab website, you can find out more here

Future Lab Website