[ELECTRON] open day info - rough draught

Wed May 20 11:58:08 UTC 2009

Hi,

Below is a rough draught of publicity info for the Open Day. This is the
long version, I'll work on a short version too.

I hope that this strikes a good balance between the range of activities
and interests we have going on.

There has been some chat about having a name for the open day, I haven't
been able to think of one myself and am happy to go with 'Electron Club
Open Day', but I have stuck in a few names to divide the programme up
into different strands: 'TESLA SOUL' for the maker stalls, demos and
baking as 'making' is the soul of the Electron Club (and 2009 is the
20th anniversary of De La Soul's Hip-hop classic '3 Feet High and
Rising'); 'TAPE-WIRE-HEAD-SCREEN' for the music and films because I
couldn't think of anything else and it kinda says on the tin what it
does; and then 'THE LIFE OF SOCIAL THINGS' for the discussions which is
a reworking of the title of a classic book on design, manufacturing and
society called 'The Social Life of Things'.

As ever, suggestions, changes, additions, etc are welcome.

By the way, Dorkbot-Alba have been in touch to say that they expect to
be at the open day but haven't had time to discuss what form that might
take.

Nina - many thanks for the raffle prizes.

We'll have a meeting next Monday at 7pm to go over the schedule for the
day and discuss any other related matters - can't promise any sushi for
this one but everyone is welcome.

best wishes
Si

*** START ***

Electron Club Open Day
2pm-8pm Saturday 13th April 2009
Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA), 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3JD

For more info see: http://www.electronclub.org
Contact: openday at electronclub.org

The Electron Club is a voluntary run space where people interested in
things like free open source software, circuit bending, hardware
hacking, computer recycling, streaming, audio and video editing, green
technologies, and amateur radio can meet, use equipment, and share and
disseminate their skills and ideas. The space supports both individuals
developing their own projects and a number of group projects, all of
which are not-for-profit initiatives with a community, educational or
environmental aspect to them.

Now in our third year, the Electron Club Open Days are an opportunity to
see and try out a range of things that people do, as well as having the
opportunity to meet others with similar interests, make, chat, discuss
and enjoy.

TESLA SOUL - Electron Club Makers Fair and homebaking

Stalls and demos by electronic makers, designers and artists. An
opportunity to see and play with some of the projects created by
Electron Club members and related groups - a theremin menagerie and mini
synthesizer kits, 3D paper engineering, circuit bending, micro FM radio,
DIY wind power technology, creative computer trash recycling, 101 things
to do with a dead keyboard and much more. Plus some of the excellent
home-baking that has been hallmark of all our Open Days. Come and do a
bit of soldering or have a cup of tea and chat with the people who make
things.

TAPE-WIRE-HEAD-SCREEN - music, film and sound arts

The Electron Club includes many people working in music, film and
experimental arts. For the Open Day we will be showing a preview of
films from Document, the UK's leading human rights film festival, with
works ranging from front-line reportage to cinematic explorations of
what it is to be human, along with films made at the Electron Club by
the Digital Desperados, a film-group for young black and Asian women.
We'll have a live performance of Alvin Lucier's legendary "Music on A
Long Thin Wire" by members of 'Obscure Desire of the Bourgeoisie' and
'BuffalobuffalobuffaloBuffalobuffalo' plus members of 'Inspector
Tapehead' performing and demonstrating their "Tapehead Inspector", a
custom built instrument for making music from old magnetic tape.
Outdoors, artist Lucie Potter will invite people on a specially planned
sound walk around the Garnethill area.

THE LIFE OF SOCIAL THINGS - socially-engaged technology forum

A series of discussions about different ways in which society and
technology come together.

Glasgow FabLabs

FabLabs are small scale fabrication and construction workshops that
provide computerised production technologies on an artisanal scale
making them available to communities and independent makers and
designers. From inner-city Boston to remote Indian villages, FabLabs
have become a worldwide network of community technology centres. Glasgow
FabLabs is a project aiming to bring such a centre to Glasgow. This
forum will present the ideas behind the Glasgow FabLabs project and
explore the benefits of community-access technology.

Community Media and Citizens Journalism

The internet has offered a platform for communities and groups outside
of the mainstream media to have a voice and share knowledge. Whilst
there are many notable examples of such activity, the tools to create
such a democratized media space are still often out of people's reach.
This forum will look at some practical examples of community media
coming from Glasgow, present some current projects looking to make
ordinary people's voices more prominent and explore the relationships
between the grass-roots and mainstream media.

Technology, Social Justice and the Environment

How can we use technology for the greater common good? Whilst the
advance of technology promotes the promise of a better world, that
promise has often been compromised or undermined in how we make use of
such advances. Certain technological developments have contributed to
environmental and social problems on a scale arguably never seen before.
Technology, however, has also been used to tackle such issues as climate
change and social injustice. This forum will share and explore some
practical examples being used in Scotland today, from noise monitoring
devices to participatory video and community mapping projects.

RAFFLE - broadband fundraiser

This year we are raising funds to improve our network facilities at the
Electron Club and we will be doing a raffle with prizes including a
group voucher to go paintballing.

http://www.electronclub.org

*** END ***