Interview with Blast Theory – narrative, interaction and performance

Interview with Blast Theory, Wellington Road, Brighton, January 2012

Blast Theory is renowned internationally as one of the most adventurous artists’ groups using interactive media.

In this interview Blast Theory – Matt Adams, Ju Row Farr and Nick Tandavanitj – discuss a selection of projects created over the last twenty years including, Fixing Point (2011), Machine to See With (2010), Ivy4Evr (2010), Ulrike and Eamon Compliant (2009), I Like Frank (2004), Uncle Roy All Around You (2003), Desert Rain (1999) and Stampede (1994). Relationships between narrative, interaction and performance, dialogue as a structuring device, game design and methods of development are considered.

Funded by The Teaching & Learning Directorate, Plymouth University (2011-12) www.expandednarrative.org

ICIDS2015 The Lost Index: NATMUS, National Museum of Denmark & Dieselhouse Museum, Copenhagen

The locative narrative The Lost Index: NATMUS was featured at 8th International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling in Copenhagen.

The Lost Index: NATMUS, photo James Brocklehurst

Audio guides and games have long been staple modes of interpretation in museums. The medium of locative narrative, defined here as participatory site-specific story experiences that are heard on headphones, offers alternative modes of engagement with archives and collections where the visitor becomes a participant in an unfolding drama. The confluence of the existent world and narrative representations is an often-reported feature of “mixed reality” [1] experiences [2] [3] [4].

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The Lost Index: No.2 – The Turning, App Launch 18 October

The Lost Index: No.2 – The Turning

Download from the iTunes store

A museum has been infiltrated by secret enemy forces. A complete index has disappeared. Many objects can no longer be identified or verified. Stability has been disrupted. There are serious consequences that extend beyond the museum. Time is running out. Can you avoid danger and help intelligence forces stop ‘The Turning’, before it is too late?

Using iBeacon technology, this app asks one or multiple players to navigate through the museum against the clock and restore the index whilst avoiding enemy agents.

The Turning uses binaural sound and techniques from hypnotic induction in conjunction with real-world artefacts to create imaginary experiences.

This is the second in a series of The Lost Index smartphone games created by Trulyimagined for Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery that utilise perceptual illusions to create playable imaginative story-worlds.

Come and play at the app launch on 18th October 2014 at Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery 10.00 -5.30pm

The Lost Index No.2 – The Turning – preview

The Lost Index No.2 – The Turning is a novel sci-fi adventure game for iPhone and the second the series of The Lost Index apps, now freely available on iTunes.

The museum is under attack from covert enemy forces who have destroyed an index, with far reaching consequences. Many objects can no longer be identified or verified. Something strange is happening to the museum but what and why? Time is running out. Can you avoid danger and help intelligence forces stop The Turning – before it is too late?

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Review of Digital Research in the Arts and Humanities Conference 2014

The Digital Research in the Arts and Humanities (DRHA2014) conference took place between 31^st August and 4th September at the University of Greenwich, convivially convened by Anastasios Maragiannis, Academic Portfolio leader in Design and Senior Lecturer in Design Theory & Practice.

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trulyimagined

Bespoke immersive storyworlds that are experienced in real-world locations using a mobile phone and your imagination.

Trulyimagined create immersive storyworlds that participants can step inside. These bespoke virtual locations are experienced within public buildings or outside in gardens, parks and urban spaces, using participants’ own smartphones to affect perceptual illusions and stimulate the imagination.

narrative to create immersive experiences
game mechanisms to produce engaging interaction
spatial sound to create illusions and simulate virtual locations

Trulyimagined work with heritage sites, museums and commercial enterprises to develop new ways to engage audiences, creating immersive narrative experiences that inspire and inform. We welcome commissions from historical sites, museums, theatres, public spaces and the commercial sector. We also develop academic research projects.

Contact:

Emma Whittaker: emma.whittaker [at] plymouth.ac.uk

James Brocklehurst: james.brocklehurst [at] plymouth.ac.uk

www.trulyimagined.org

Seth Kriebel ‘The Unbuilt Room: Scratch Quartet – Part 1’

The Unbuilt Room: Scratch Quartet – Part 1

At the Battersea Arts Centre, Friday 5th Sept, 9pm, pay what you can.

“Small groups of players wander through rooms real and imagined in a collaborative act of memory to create imagined, immersive theatre. ”

And at The British Library new edition of the Unbuilt Room, written to accompany the BL’s World War One exhibition Enduring War: Grief, Grit and Humour.

The British Library, Tuesday 16 Sept from 6pm.

“The Unbuilt Room is a performance-game exploring histories and memories of World War One. Written to accompany the invaluable digital resource created from the Europeana 1914-1918 project and the exhibition Enduring War: Grief, Grit and Humour at the Folio Society Gallery of the British Library, players experience objects from the collection in a new way, navigating poetry, patriotism and doomed youth in a verbal maze. Inspired by early text-adventure computer games and Alan Turing’s famous test, The Unbuilt Room combines theatre and choose-your-own-adventure stories to form a live game of interactive fiction. Small groups of players work together to explore an imagined landscape… without leaving their seats.”

More info at www.unbuiltroom.com/news

Video: http://www.unbuiltroom.com/video

Fascinate Conference, Call for Submissions

FASCINATE 2014

27-31 August : Falmouth – Cornwall – England

Call for Submissions Deadline 19 May 2014

FASCINATE is an interdisciplinary conference investigating the current and future applications of ubiquitous computing technologies in visual and performance arts, games, architecture, craft, design and interactive media.

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‘The Letters’, release of the new locative narrative app

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Creative Reading Writing and Film in Interactive Storytelling Workshop

RIDERS Project Event

25 November 2013, Manchester

This event will mix creatives with computer scientists to create a day of synergy, IS exploration and great networking opportunities.

There are a talented and diverse line up of speakers, Christine Wilks, Daniel Kudenko, and Oliver Case. Nathan Jones from mercyonline, the experimental literary and new media organisation, running the digital creative writing workshop so members can get hands on with some experiential digital writing. The full agenda on the talks and workshop to follow shortly.

Spaces will be limited, first come, first served. Interested parties can email Vivienne at: v.m.macdonald@hw.ac.uk to notify their wish to attend.