The Digital R&D Fund for Arts and Culture:
Manchester Art Gallery - 27 July 2011
Delegate list – Arts and Cultural organisations
Renaissance East Midlands
Renaissance East Midlands (REM) is a museums partnership made up of six local authorities in the East
Midlands; Leicester City Council, Leicestershire County Council, Nottingham City Council, Derby City Council,
Lincolnshire County Council and Northamptonshire County Council. The programme is funded externally by
DCMS through the MLA but is currently in a transitional phase. During 2011-12, the digital elements of
Renaissance are being overseen by Leicester City Council.
Mythstories
Mythstories was the world’s first museum of storytelling. Its changing displays of legends and folklore break new
ground, making the intangible tangible. For 13 years it has devised and delivered unique projects using
storytelling and combined arts to improve literacy. The museum has an active and varied outreach and on-street
programme. Most importantly its educational website is used throughout the world.
Marsden Jazz Festival
Founded in 1992, Marsden Jazz Festival is one of the UK's longest established jazz festivals. We seek to bring
a wide variety of music from old school traditional jazz to cutting-edge contemporary jazz to an audience of all
ages.
LITTORAL Arts
LITTORAL is a non-profit arts trust that promotes new creative partnerships, critical art practices and cultural
strategies in response to issues about social, environmental and economic change. The trust’s work is informed
by arts, social, cultural, community and environmental research, and employs conferences, exhibitions, projects,
publications and research papers to propose creative solutions to real-life problems.
North West Playwrights
North West Playwrights supports and develops dramatic writers from all backgrounds and at all stages of their
careers. We give writers the chance to work with professional dramaturgs, directors and actors to develop their
work; and offer a variety of writing workshops and classes, tutored by established playwrights. We run a Script
Reading Service and a mentoring programme. We mount collaborative projects with producing companies and
other organisations.
Oldham Coliseum Theatre
Oldham Coliseum is a building-based producing theatre. The company produces eight shows a year on its main
stage, offering a balanced programme of drama, comedy, musical, new writing and the annual pantomime. In
addition to in-house produced work on the main stage, the theatre also takes in four weeks of touring theatre as
well as around 15 non-theatre performances including music, dance and stand up.
Freedom Studios
Freedom Studios is a theatre company that endeavours to challenge theatrical convention. We are willing to take
risks in pioneering a new artistic language and by exploring the potential of a new generation of artists. We want
to tell the stories of first and second-generation immigrant artists and challenge historical perceptions of the arts
through their voices. Our aim is to create theatre that gives everyone a cultural opportunity and to provide a safe
and secure environment for talent to flourish.
Emma Parsons Consulting
Emma works as a freelance consultant with arts and heritage organisations, specialising in audience
development, project management, and business planning. She is currently working on digital media projects for
the Cultural Olympiad and on advocacy work for a group of galleries and museums in Manchester. Prior to
consultancy, Emma spent almost six years as Head of Marketing & PR at Imperial War Museum North and has
worked in a number of North West venues.
Horse + Bamboo Theatre
Horse + Bamboo Theatre was founded in 1978. The company is based in Rossendale, Lancashire, UK and tours
nationally and internationally. Horse + Bamboo Theatre makes visual theatre in which music and story-telling is
central; the company uses masks, movement, puppetry, film and lighting in its productions.
Royal Exchange Theatre
Situated in the heart of Manchester, the Royal Exchange Theatre contains some of the most unusual and
attractive spaces in the North West. Convenient for all major road, rail and air connections, the theatre is also
within walking distance of several of the city's top hotels. It is well situated for a wide range of cultural attractions,
sports facilities and quality shopping. The theatre itself offers a varied programme of plays, concerts, and other
special events, which provide the ideal opportunity for you to enjoy a tailor-made theatre entertainment package
including catering.
24:7 Theatre Arts Network Ltd
Since 2004, Manchester’s 24:7 has heard more than a hundred humming first night audiences and countless
new characters finding their voice. We have a proud track record of producing incredible pieces of new theatre
that have glided effortlessly from the printed page and into the hearts of many thousands of guests.
Full Circle Arts
An arts organisation committed to inclusive practice in everything we do. We work with arts organisations to ‘get
it right’ in developing strategies and practice for inclusive engagement and participation, as well as offering
accessible routes into the arts for excluded communities. We’re only small, but passionate about what we do.
Pebble Gorge Theatre
Pebble Gorge Theatre produce high quality, ambitious and critical work, with a focus on developing innovative
ways to engage the audience. We are currently working on a mixed media theatre installation for children aged
seven-ten years. Pebble Gorge is led by independent producers, Jane McGibbon and Emily Coleman, who also
manage and deliver other arts projects in the South East.
Future Artists
Future Artists is an independent media and film production, sales, distribution and boutique exhibition company
run by Mark Ashmore and Jenny Inchbald. We create innovative strategies around films that utilize new
technologies and cultures during the finance, production, distribution and exhibition phases of film. Currently we
have also been working as consultants to the industry as well as organizing events to share our skills.
Storey Gallery
The Storey Gallery in Lancaster commissions promotes and presents a programme of contemporary visual art
by artists of national and international significance. It is based in a splendid Victorian gallery, located in the
Storey Institute; a Grade II listed building that has recently been refurbished to house the Storey Creative
Industries Centre.
Manchester Digital Laboratory
Manchester Digital Laboratory (MadLab) is a not-for-profit community space for the arts, science, tech and
creative sectors in the North. Based in the Northern Quarter of Manchester, it's a place for geeks,
artists, designers, illustrators, hackers, tinkerers, innovators and idle dreamers;
an autonomous R&D laboratory for Manchester's creative communities.
Lets Go Global
Lets Go Global is a creative media organization in the heart of Old Trafford. Set up in 2003, we’ve evolved from
an arts-led, internet TV channel, to a dynamic media organization offering training, workshops, video production,
project management, venue hire and consultancy. We have a high-spec media suite, a fully equipped broadcast
studio and a committed team of artists and professionals ready to help you learn, work and participate in the
creative media industry.
Creative Futures Cumbria
Creative Futures Cumbria was formed in April 2008, when Cumbria Arts in Education became the host
organisation for Creative Partnerships Cumbria. Creative Futures Cumbria works with creative professionals,
including artists, scientists, architects, chefs and web designers, promoting the capacity of the creative and
cultural sectors to work within education and across the community to put creativity at the heart of learning.
PSL [Project Space Leeds]
PSL is a not-for-profit artist-led organisation, founded in 2006, that engages creatively with the practice and
dissemination of contemporary art. Our projects include: a large-scale gallery space in Leeds’ city centre; offsite
projects; publications; mentoring; the active encouragement of interdisciplinary discussion; and events. In 2011
PSL successfully joined Art Council England’s new national portfolio, and is the only visual arts organisation to
gain ‘Major List’ status with Leeds City Council.
North Tyneside Council
North Tyneside Council covers east of Newcastle from Wallsend along the river to Tynemouth and up the Coast
past Whitley Bay to St Mary’s Island. Our Arts Service is changing from an arts centre focus (The Buddle,
Wallsend) to a broader development role and is exploring ways to use technology to raise profile and engage the
public.
Freedom Studios
Freedom Studios is a contemporary theatre company, which explores new writing and new talent to produce
great theatrical events. We provide a platform for the creative talents of first and second-generation born Black,
Asian and ethnic minority artists. We seek fresh ideas and fresh approaches to theatre practice. Freedom
Studios - where people and artists come to play.
Manchester Camerata
After 40 years of performing around the globe, Manchester Camerata is acknowledged as one of the UK’s
leading chamber orchestras. With a reputation for bringing audiences first-class performances that are bursting
with vitality, Camerata is truly a product of its creative environment - a 21st century orchestra in one of the most
exciting cities in the world. The orchestra’s name is inspired by a 16th century group called the Florentine
Camerata who met to share ideas and discuss the arts. It is this spirit of friendship that inspires Camerata’s
widely praised approach to programming as well as its fresh and imaginative interpretations of a diverse range of
chamber orchestra repertoire. The orchestra is based in Manchester, presenting an annual series at The
Bridgewater Hall, where it is the chamber orchestra in residence, as well as at the Royal Northern College of
Music (RNCM). The orchestra also performs throughout the North West region and enjoys flourishing
residencies in Stafford, Ulverston and Doncaster.
Axis
Axisweb.org is the best online resource for information about contemporary art. The website features profiles of
professional artists and curators, interviews, discussions, art news, debates and showcases the artists to watch.
Axisweb also assists other arts and cultural sector organisations in developing their digital presence.
Pilot Theatre
Pilot Theatre is an award-winning international touring theatre company based at the York Theatre Royal. We
offer a strong support network of educational resources, workshops and interactive opportunities.
Marge Ainsley Marketing
Marge Ainsley works freelance providing marketing, audience development, PR, research and project
management to various arts organisations across the UK. She is an Associate of the Market Research Society
and is the Northwest Member Representative for the Arts Marketing Association. Her clients have included Arts
Council England, Renaissance North West and Renaissance Yorkshire, All about Audiences, National Museums
Liverpool, the Harris Museum & Art Gallery, Contact & Rosehill Theatre.
Circle of Literary Friends
Circle of Literary Friends is a long-established collective of creative Urdu writers focused on developing talent
and promoting Urdu creative writing. It runs workshops, poetry performances, cultural festivals, publications,
exhibitions, active research, as well as arts and multimedia facilities. It especially supports women and younger
writers. We fund the organisation to deliver a year-round programme of live literature performances and events
across Liverpool and Merseyside, in partnership with other organisations across the region, supported by a
dedicated arts development worker.
Poetic Republic
Poetic Republic was born out of Poetica, a completely open writing forum based in Central Library, Manchester,
UK. In July 2007 Manchester was galvanised by a festival of original new work across the spectrum of popular
culture and art - Manchester International Festival. Yet somehow poetry missed out. This triggered a mission to
bring the same sense of vision to the writing and sharing of poetry. The result was the launch of a new kind of
poetry competition – the MAG Poetry Prize - a poetic e-democracy that fully takes advantage of the possibilities
opened up by the web. The Competition is for anyone across the world who writes in English. The winners are
selected by a community of poets and thus reflect the taste of a collective sensibility rather than one or two
individuals.
Comma Press
Comma Press is a not-for-profit publishing initiative dedicated to promoting new fiction and poetry, with an
emphasis on the short story. It is committed to a spirit of risk-taking and challenging publishing, free of the
commercial pressures on mainstream houses. Something happens in good short stories that's quite unique to
them as a form; the imaginary worlds they create are coloured slightly differently to those of the novel. Their
protagonists are more independent and intriguing. The realities they depict more arbitrary, accidental and
amoral. Comma believes British publishing is missing out on something in its neglect of the short story, and to
make up for it we are currently the most prolific hardcopy publisher of short stories in the country.
New Art Exchange
Skinder Hundal is Chief Executive of New Art Exchange, which is the first and largest facility for contemporary
visual arts in the UK that is dedicated to African, African Caribbean, South Asian and culturally diverse art.
Based in Hyson Green, Nottingham it champions the ‘new’ to the ‘established’, the ‘local’ to the ‘international’.
Since its launch in 2008, the organisation has commissioned and exhibited many emerging international artists
including: Zineb Sedira, Harminder Singh Judge, Raghu Rai, Nadim Chaudry, Ed Pien, Christian Marclay, Sokari
Douglas Camp, Gerard Hanson, Tahira Aziz and Donald Locke to name a few, and participated and led in major
events including British Art Show 7, Nottingham Mela and the Nottingham Annual Open. Based just outside of
Nottingham city centre and the heart of the inner city and community, the venue has won a number of awards for
design and architecture including the RIBA National Award, The Lord Mayor's Award for Urban Design and the
national Civic Trust Award. As a high quality contemporary visual arts venue, New Art Exchange is working in
partnership with culturally diverse communities to raise the impact, profile, market and reach of the arts at a local
and global level.
Manchester Mela
A colourful and vibrant celebration of Asian music, dance and culture.
CMA
The Community Media Association (CMA) is the UK representative body for the community broadcasting sector
and is committed to promoting access to the media for people and communities. The CMA is a non-profit making
organisation founded in 1983 originally to support community radio – and our remit now includes community
television and community-based internet projects. The CMA represents the community broadcasting sector to
government, industry and the regulatory bodies.
hÅb
hÅb is a production and development organisation based in Manchester, UK, founded in 1996. Specialising in
contemporary performance, live art and sited intervention, often working with regional, emergent artists.
Pagoda Arts
Pagoda Arts aspires to be a high quality organisation; to introduce Chinese culture to a wide and diverse
community and to develop our unique Youth Orchestra to be at the cutting edge of contemporary and classical
Chinese and Western music. Everyone who is involved with Pagoda Arts perceives the organisation like our
logo, 众 – multitude. We are a big family for those people who have interest in Chinese culture. Most of our
learners are from Merseyside, but some are from Chester, Greater Manchester, and Telford.
The Digital R&D Fund for Arts and Culture:
Manchester Art Gallery - 27 July 2011
Delegate list - Technology organisations
Community Media Association
The Community Media Association (CMA) is the UK representative body for the community broadcasting sector
and is committed to promoting access to the media for people and communities. The CMA is a non-profit making
organisation founded in 1983 originally to support community radio – and our remit now includes community
television and community-based internet projects. The CMA represents the community broadcasting sector to
government, industry and the regulatory bodies.
Freelance
A freelance digital designer whose work includes a wide array of digital and interactive projects - websites,
creative archive, video, interactive applications. These projects are mainly with small-scale arts companies and
individuals. Bob has a background in theatre, performance and music and is interested in the ways that different
forms do or don't interrelate, how they can co-exist and the challenges that this throws up.
The Jam Jar Collective
The Jam Jar Collective is a group of artists, makers, programmers and doers. We like to play with technology
and make nice things. We think that working with other people is a brilliant way to get things done and often
learn something in the process. We like openness, sharing, making and doing.
RP Jeffers
With more than 20 years' experience in arts marketing particularly online, recent projects include visitor
comments kiosks, museum interactives, social networking initiatives and timelapse movie production.
Anti Limited
We’re a small but perfectly (in)formed visual consultancy, solving problems by providing smart solutions in
simple, effective ways. We help you integrate innovative, exciting content into your wider marketing
communications strategy. We help you to engage, educate and empower your audience. We do cool, exciting
stuff and worry about the details… so you don’t have to. We love what we do… and we think you will too…
Savvy Productions
Savvy Productions is a cross platform production company with a specialism in drama and comedy. We produce
single, multiplatform and interactive content for broadcast and distribution as live theatre, radio, film, TV, mobile
and online and on a variety of connected devices.
Rytaway Ltd
Rytaway is a publishing company offering the opportunity for people from any walk of life, to take part in a fun
and creative project. Rytaway provides a set of web-based tools that help you to tell your story in any way you
like, with the chance to upload text, images, sound files and even google map coordinates and simply drop them
into our templates to build a unique web page. Working in a class or group, you can go on to publish your own
book which includes everything from your special dedication, to the blurb on the back. Nothing beats the
excitement of exploring a subject, putting new skills into practice to share that knowledge, then seeing the results
in a unique publication – whether online or in print - that you have put together.
Future Artists Ltd
Future Artists is an independent media and film production, sales, distribution and boutique exhibition company
run by Mark Ashmore and Jenny Inchbald. We create innovative strategies around films that utilise new
technologies and cultures during the finance, production, distribution and exhibition phases of film. Currently we
have also been working as consultants to the industry as well as organising events to share our skills.
Error Creative Studio
Error crafts digital campaigns, websites, apps, and identities. We dream up ideas and make them tangible.
That's ideas to market or engage with customers, and designs to excite or empower them. The way to do this is
by being our client's best friends. This is all done through our curious creative process and years of experience in
brand development, digital marketing, and design.
Defnet Media
Defnet Media operates to bring culture, creativity and technology together. We operate to inspire arts and
cultural organisations to use technology creatively, creating events that inspire others to engage with technology
and contemporary issues in a positive manner. We support new initiatives within the cultural sector
and nurture organisations, creating space for networks to flourish and empowering them with the tools of
production
City Broadcasting
City Broadcasting is a production and consultancy company, which makes documentaries like Soft Power, about
global news media, for BBC Radio 4 and TV programmes like Hidden Paintings for BBC1, through its associated
company, Moonbeam Films. City Broadcasting’s managing director is also a specialist in local media, having
launched off Channel M for Guardian Media Group, and has worked with cultural organisations such as Open
Culture in Liverpool.
The BradField Company
The BradField Company’s multi-award-winning transmedia title Inanimate Alice has captured the imagination of
educators and young people around the globe with its literary approach to education in games. Persona is a new
project that expands the potentials of transmedia in education, creativity and entertainment.
FACT
FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology) has been leading the UK video, film and new media arts
scene for 20 years with groundbreaking exhibitions, education and research projects. The organisation aims to
pioneer new forms of artistic and social interaction with individuals and communities.
Focus Innovation Ltd
Focus Innovation was born out of frustration at seeing people with good ideas fail to successfully take them to
market. Simple as that; although the process for companies to exploit their ideas in the digital content field is far
from simple. Focus Innovation helps innovators and entrepreneurs to build practical and well informed business
models.
Crowd.fm
Crowd.fm gets all your event information into one convenient, centralised place and updates listing and social
network sites for you.