Plug In Symposium 2023 was a two day celebration of creative digital learning, featuring a lineup of artists and organisations from across the East of England sharing their inspiring projects and insightful best practice.
We’re very excited to share a selection of the presentations from our Plug In Symposium event, so that those who couldn’t make it in person can still engage with the wonderful presentations from our speakers.
Digital, Diversity and Community
Jo Nancarrow is Digital Lead at Essex Cultural Diversity Project, which runs festival, projects, events and commissions to energise diversity in arts and heritage. Using case studies from ECDP’s commission programme, Jo will talk through how artists use technology in their work to capture and amplify the voices of diverse communities.
Jo Nancarrow, Essex Cultural Diversity Project.
Expression, Animation & Playful Creativity
Looking at how using animation and playful creativity can be a helpful way to get people to express emotion. This will focus on a stop motion animation project done with a year 6 group based on the theme of change.
Emily May-Gordon, Artist
Cross Curriculum iPad Filmmaking
Maddie will share her experience devising and delivering filmmaking workshops on a historical theme using iPads in Mayflower Primary School, Harwich. Maddie will talk through the co-creation process and how she took an outcome based approach.
Maddie Exton, Artist.
How can video games development support digital literacy and engage new audiences with archive collections
A short talk on a current R&D project between Virtually There Studio CIC, Sewell Park Academy and Norwich Puppet Theatre will give an overview into methods of partnership working using video games as a vehicle to engage new audiences and support digital literacy with archive collections. A mini workshop introducing participants to MS MakeCode Arcade will follow where participants will have the opportunity to make their own version of the hit game Flappy Bird.
Emily Godden, Virtually There Studio CIC
Introduction to Accessible Instrument Development
There are too many people for whom traditional musical instruments aren’t accessible, resulting in their exclusion from music making activities of all kinds. Tim will give an introduction to accessible musical instruments and bespoke accessible instrument development. From the tools that are available to use, where to get started, through to case studies of successful instrument development, there is huge potential to make progress and radically increase inclusion.
Tim Yates, Artist.
Indigenous knowledge, citizen science and creative data collection
In this talk Lora will present her recent UK-EGYPT project Motanafas: A Space To Connect which forms part of the British Council’s COP27 Creative Commissions bringing together art, science and digital technology to offer innovative, interdisciplinary, and inclusive responses to climate change. She will present what it means to work digitally on international commissions/projects as well as sharing insights into working with remote indigenous knowledge, the power of citizen science, creative data collection and visual storytelling.
Lora Aziz, Artist
Neurodiversity and Digital Art
Digital artist and NUA Fine Art student Brad Rumble will share his experience delivering “Introduction to 3D modelling” workshops for neurodivergent young people, and how his own borderline personality disorder affected the planning and delivery of the project.
Brad Rumble, Artist
CW: Self harm
Inclusive Video Art Collaborations
Discover how glitch art and random procedures can facilitate experimental filmmaking for different abilities. Experiment with Hydra a virtual video synthesiser and create psychedelic imagery whilst learning how interact with the program, manipulate and capture visuals.
Judd Moses Druce, Artist
