Hello Culture…nice to see you!

News
16/06/2017

Bringing together artists, arts organisations, academics and creative technologists, Hello Culture, the Midlands-based series that explores the digital and media impact on cultural and heritage organisations, is back for its 2017 programme. The free two day event will take place on June 22 and 23 at Birmingham City University, Birmingham with a day of workshops to encourage collaborative innovation at Birmingham City University’s (BCU) new STEAMhouse on June 22 and the Sound and Vision Conference on June 23.

Hello Culture 2017: Sound and Vision will explore how the arts and digital technology can collaborate and deliver new opportunities for communities, businesses and content creators. The programme features keynotes and panels involving experts from Birmingham Hippodrome, the Royal Shakespeare Company and NESTA, as well as Will Saunders, creative director at BBC Studios.

"Technology, such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), provides a whole new spectrum of creative opportunities for artists,” explained Lara Ratnaraja, programme curator of Hello Culture 2017. “The cultural landscape is being transformed for artists and audiences alike. Sound and vision are no longer linear experiences, as developments in technology is enabling artists to create new content for audiences to experience in new ways.”

The full day conference follows the one day STEAMlab #2 workshop for SMEs on June 22, which is part of the STEAMhouse programme of activity being led by BCU in partnership with Eastside Projects and is funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Arts Council England. STEAMhouse has been developed to drive innovation and research to create business solutions that will fuel long-term economic growth and the STEAMlab #2 workshops will form a platform for discussions around Hello Culture’s focus on VR and AR technology.

Clayton Shaw, programme manager for STEAMhouse, said, “With a programme that includes practical workshops to create in VR, 360 video and animation, as well as creative discussion, STEAMlab and Hello Culture will enable artists and creative technologists the opportunity to explore, develop and be involved in innovative discussions around digital collaborations and the creation of cultural experiences.”

Supported by Arts Council England, Hello Culture has grown in response to the changing cultural landscape since its launch in 2011, and saw over 200 artistic curators attend its last conference in 2014.

“We have invested in Hello Culture 2017 as a critical forum for discussion about the use of technology in artistic practice,” said Peta Murphy, relationship manager creative media at Arts Council England. “Virtual and augmented realities offer a new perspective on performance, the cultural experience and the notion of ‘live’ art.

“By featuring artists exploring this field and arts organisations that are active in working with technology and creative media practitioners, this event will be an exciting lively programme sparking new ideas and offering lots of networking opportunities.”

Artists, musicians, theatre and film producers and creators are invited to register to attend Hello Culture 2017: Sound and Vision on June 23 at Birmingham City University. More information on the programme and how to register your interest can be found at www.helloculture.co.uk.