Tech_2 at Folly - a small Gallery and New Media Resource in Lancaster, and Grizedale - a fairly remote and very beautiful forest in the Lake District with a sculpture park and lots of arts programmes - is a month long residency looking at the idea of "low impact tech"... how to use salvaged computers, free software, readily available connectivity and skills, and sustainable energy sources, to create public media resources: media labs, open public networks, and shared publishing systems.

In the first half of the residency (16th - 26th August), Redundant Technology Initiative will come to Folly for a 10 day period to work with Access to Recycled Technology (A2RT), a new group from Birmingham. They'll build a free-software based network and workstations, ready to be taken down to Birmingham to make an access space there.

30th August to 2nd September (to be confirmed) we welcome Hugh Piggott, a renewable energy systems expert who will teach a three-day workshop on how to build Small Sustainable Energy Systems - suitable for running either a small network of workstations, or single units such as wavelan nodes or radio transmitters. His workshop will cover wind turbines, photovoltaic cells, small hydro turbines and the energy storage and distribution issues. Read the programme outline here. Cost is £30 per participant. Email map@mediaartprojects.org.uk for more info and to book your place.

For the final part of the programme we will work between Folly and Grizedale forest, trying out mobile communication systems and facilities, and presenting the results of our efforts. Programme details to follow.

Please get in touch if you are interested in coming. We endeavour to supply free accomodation, and food to share. We are interested in all your ideas on how to grow your own media lab, so visitors are welcome at any time. But remember! all participants are expected to be contributors, so great ready to join in with linux installations, wireless node building, wind turbine design and a lot of cooking.

FULL PROGRAMME INFO

Hosted by the Cube Cinema despite fire damage at their usual premisis, tech_2 spreads itself across various unusual venues and locations across Bristol.

They'll be practical workshops and skill sharing sessions, presentations and discussions about initiatives locally and internationally.

If you are already involved in setting up and running your own communication channels, or would like to, then get in touch about getting involved.

They'll be day long practical workshops on how to set up networks so that you can share domestic internet connectivity such as ADSL, and your electronic content, with friends and neighbours, and we'll be investigating the possiblities for setting up a block-wide micro-TV station on your housing estate. We'll also be looking at software tools that have been built for particular social contexts, users and situations.

The daytime workshops and discussions take place at Windmill Hill City Farm - we're intending to set up a wireless network there so come and work with us among the animals and the plants! The evening events take place upstairs at the Hatchet Pub, which will also be open each night, 21st to 25th for relaxed, lounge style music, visuals and special events from Ambient TV, sulphric [p]lacid, Independent Heroine and more. Stand by for workshops, screenings, wiring experiments and extreme DIY activity. Its for you to get involved.
FULL BRISTOL PROGRAMME INFO

In September an intensive series of practical and content development workshops with Archway members will build multimedia dimensions to their existing work in visual media, sound, music, writing and spoken word. This will culminate in an open day at HOST (a newly built media resource centre in Leeds) on 15 september, that will present various independent performance, arts and media projects. After a month of supported access to equipment for the workshop participants, Tech_2 returns to Leeds during Black History Month, for a one-day seminar (13 October) that will put the workshop in a broader context, looking at what the Tech_2 project can offer to debates about history, archiving, and self-documentation.

Following this seminar, Archway workshop participants will showcase their work, "#009933"together with performances by local DJs, poets and dancers. The programme for this will be developed during the Archway Versions workshops.
FULL LEEDS PROGRAMME INFO