Brighton Digital Festival

The festival has just announced its full programme which includes the familiar dConstruct and Reasons to be Creative conferences alongside new activities and workshops.

One of those is Error in Time by Nancey Mauro-Flude which as well as making the lovers and computers assertion, asks ‘Is there a place for women in “geek space” and what news might a female hacker bring back for the rest of us?’

Mauro-Flude takes on the role of female hacker, using live code manipulations to explore the intimate workings of computer/human interfaces, surveillance and social media. It takes place on 2 September.

On the same day PixelPyros’ digital fireworks will be beamed onto the Jubilee Library and controlled by motion detector sensors placed in the hands of the public.

‘A riot of DIY projection’ is billed for 4 September at the tunnels of the Brighton dome which will follow a session of making generative computer art at the Bring Your Own Beamer event.

Improving Reality 2012 is a half-day conference on 6 September which looks at how designers artists and makers, are using technology to shift our perceptions of reality.

Designer and researcher Usman Haque, installation artist Luke Jerram, and interaction service and speculative designer  Anab Jain will take part in Improving Reality 2012. 

Meanwhile festival staple dConstruct, which is already sold out, is running with the theme Playing With The Future tacking everything from playing with the future, to Preservation and Science Fiction.

Pitched mainly at web designers and developers, organisers have written in the caveat, ‘The presentations may not contain any practical tips you can take back to work on Monday morning but you will gain insights into the direction our digital technology is taking.’

Of the workshops, An introduction to Working with Soft Circuits for Women with MzTEK, on 8 September, looks to be one of the standouts.

Although sartorially questionable if this image is anything to go by, the workshop offers the know how to make soft circuits – stitched or wearable electronic and interactive artworks.

Organisers say, ‘Make crochet chains with conductive yarn, sew with conductive thread and make buttons with conductive material.’

Brighton Digital Festival takes place throughout September across multiple venues.