May You Live in Interesting Times: Festival of Creative Technology :: October 22-24, 2009 :: Cardiff, Wales.

May You Live in Interesting Times is a biennial Festival that is all about ‘do-it-yourself’ and features a programme that celebrates the latest intriguing uses of everyday technology and social innovation, enabled through shared ideas. There’s a fantastic range of commissions, exhibitions, a Maker Faire, discussions, workshops, screenings and participant-driven events. Highlights include: Alfred Sirleaf: Analogue Blogger, from Liberia; Eddo Stern’s first solo exhibition in the UK; Ghana Think Tank solving Wales’ problems; a dynamic, participant driven game show featuring The People Speak; an unConference that explores Technological Tinkering, Wales’ first Maker Faire and a range of new commissions from artists based in Wales.

May You Live in Interesting Times, Festival of Creative Technology, is a partnership between bloc: Creative Technology Wales and Chapter. The 2009 Festival programme has been developed in collaboration with the British Council, Ffotogallery, Safle, and Wales Arts International.

The Festival has been further supported by: 4iP, @Wales, Academi, Arts Council of Wales, G39/WARP, Cardiff Design Festival, ELFEN, iShed, National Museum Wales, Maker Faire, University of Glamorgan, University of Wales, Newport, National Theatre Wales, Wales Innovators’ Network and UnLtd.

PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS

Alfred Sirleaf, Analogue Blogger: Cardiff Castle, ongoing

Alfred is the Director of Daily Talk, a news kiosk in the centre of Liberia, Monrovia in West Africa. He collects local news via his mobile phone and then updates his estimated 10,000 daily readers on the latest big stories in the city - chalked up on a series of blackboards. 
During the Festival, Alfred will run a mobile news station that will encourage members of the public to text him local news and Festival activity updates to create a lively hub of information and activity that will connect together the city and the Festival.

Eddo Stern Exhibition: October 22; 7:00 - 9:30 pm (and ongoing), Chapter Gallery.

Eddo is an internationally renowned American/Israeli artist at the forefront of experimental work. His practice incorporates video game modification, machinima and installation and explores new modes of narrative and documentary, technology and history, and cross-cultural representation in film, computer games, and on the internet. This is his first solo exhibition in the UK.

Ghana Think Tank: October 22; 6:00 - 8:00 pm (and ongoing), Ffotogallery, Turner House.

Ghana Think Tank is a collective of international think tanks that have been commissioned to set out to solve the problems of Wales. 

In a series of playful social interventions, a solution generated in one context is applied elsewhere, often on the other side of the globe. 

Drop boxes around Cardiff and Penarth, and interviews with passers by have helped to generate a body of problems related to everyday life in the city.

Micro Maker Faire Wales: October 23-24; 11:00 am - 4:00 pm, Chapter Stiwdio.

A lively event for DIY enthusiasts! Individuals and collectives will come together to demonstrate their homebrew technical concoctions that will be showcased through this dynamic event that’s part village fete, part hands-on workshops. There’s 20 individuals and organisations who will be joining us in a celebration of inventiveness including Solar Powered Spin Painting; The Amazing Rolo; Dorkbot Bristol; Kathy Hinde’s Music Box Mapping; Pedal powered smoothie making; media mitten knitting workshop and much, much more! Be prepared to be surprised and engaged and to go home informed and inspired.

The People Speak, Who Wants to Be…?: October 23; 7:00 pm, Chapter Cinema 1.

A game show where all of the audience have the chance to propose ideas, to discuss options (good, bad or just plain outrageous), and then 
to vote on the new technology-based commissioning opportunity that will absorb the entire 
evening’s box-office takings using an interactive voting system. In asking the audience to set the questions, provide the answers and decide what the rules are, Who Wants to 
Be…? gives people an insight into the possibilities of their collective imagination. Don’t miss out on taking part; go to http://www.chapter.org/17069.html to book your seat.

unConference: technological tinkering, the next 10 years, here and beyond…: October 23; 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, Chapter Firstspace.

What is the future of do-it-yourself technologies for creative practice and enterprise? What could WE do? What tools will WE need and what do WE have to offer? This innovative event will explore the future possibilities presented by do-it-yourself technologies for artists and creative entrepreneurs working across cultures and disciplines. Unlike a conference, an unConference is user generated. The agenda is driven by participants and is an opportunity for you to share your ideas, projects and aspirations for the future! Places are limited so book now to avoid disappointment http://www.chapter.org/17071.html.

The Festival is packed full of other events and activities including Pits, Screenings, Clinics, Professional Development Workshops, Live Performance and a Welsh Language Blogging Commission.

Our website will tell you all the details that you need to know and is designed to make navigation straightforward, plus you can download a PDF that includes a Map of the relevant venues, and a day-by-day schedule of events. The Timetable also lets you know if you need to book your place for an event and whether there’s a charge involved.

For more information contact the Festival team on 029 2132 8082, 07531 486 886
, email admin [at] mayyouliveininterestingtimes.org.uk or go to our website where you can view the programme in full, or download the Festival Diary PDF by clicking on ‘Timetable’.