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.