tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91720281439048603392011-12-11T15:56:55.369Zgeodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comBlogger891100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-23437667339596846292011-12-02T15:00:00.000Z2011-12-11T15:23:22.818Z

Me, Myself and MRI Following on from my lecture at Huddersfield on Tuesday, today I was at Scarborough giving the same talk to students on the second year of the Creative Music Technology course. The lecture covers a wide range of projects from my time before Apollo Creative, as well as more recent work like 'Me, Myself and MRI' and the Fountaineers Project.

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-21275768338851999592011-12-01T14:27:00.000Z2011-12-11T14:31:58.391Z

We're proud that this years official Apollo Christmas card was designed by Jack from The Forest School whilst he was on work experience with us in the summer. 

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-41581303598417089272011-11-29T19:00:00.000Z2011-12-11T15:11:12.050Z

Today was my annual lecture at the University of Huddersfield, talking about real world examples for interactive installations. It's an opportunity for the students to see how some of the work they are doing might be applied in the 'real world'. I also stayed around after the lecture to provide some feedback on the students work and also to chat to Anton, who is doing an MSc by research and will

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-20259947479589438642011-11-23T18:00:00.000Z2011-12-11T15:56:55.381Z

It was great to have the opportunity today to demonstrate the Apollo Ensemble to participants of the 'Making Music with Special Children' course, organised by Jessie's Fund. Lesley provided some examples of how technology can be used as a musical instrument to enable children to participate in music making.  I was able to show the benefits of the Apollo wireless sensors, especially the Press

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-78408940521764415432011-11-16T16:00:00.000Z2011-12-11T15:06:03.904Z

The 'Charmed Lives' exhibition opens today at the Rotunda Museum in Scarborough, featuring touch screen interactives created by students from the University of Hull. The interactives were created over six weeks by students on the Creative Music Technology course, with mentoring and lectures provided by Mark from Apollo Creative. You can see a brief overview of the pieces on the cultiv8 blog.

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-3082304285615411802011-11-05T15:30:00.000Z2011-12-11T14:51:58.281Z

Apollo were at the 'Music & Inclusivity' Conference at York St John University today, showing the Apollo Ensemble. We were joined by Andrew Cleaton, who has recently been interviewing people for our new series of case studies. The Ensemble was also being showcased in a workshop run by Accessible Arts and Media.

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-76462399021409680882011-11-01T13:41:00.000Z2011-12-11T14:50:43.592Z

The Apollo Ensemble features in an article this month in Music Teacher Magazine. It includes pictures of the Ensemble and E-Scape in use at SKUG in Norway, plus comments from Diane Paterson and Joanna Winster from the Gordon Parry Centre. You can read the full interview with Diane and Joanna on our Case Studies page on the Apollo Ensemble website.

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-19429643397782503322011-09-05T08:00:00.000+01:002011-12-11T14:21:24.396Z

We'd like to welcome Andy to the Apollo team, who will be joining us for the year from the University of Huddersfield. He is currently studying on the BSc Music Technology and Audio Systems course. Andy will be working on a number of different projects, including a software development toolkit (SDK) for the Apollo Ensemble and new foley sounds for our copyright free sound library.

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-47418601158151520372011-07-18T08:00:00.000+01:002011-12-11T13:27:33.776Z

This week we welcome Tess from St. Aidan's School on work experience. We hope she'll enjoy getting to grips with the Apollo Ensemble in our demo room and producing some resources.

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-19070584197874624672011-07-15T15:11:00.002+01:002011-12-11T14:36:12.488Z

Earlier I told you about a student from King James's School in Knaresborough who designed a triangular bubble wall as a tabletop show-piece. Well since then he has gone on to win several awards for his design. Charlie visited Apollo Creative many times during the design and construction of his piece in order to use our knowledge of building and customising bubble walls. His first award came

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210517434206690727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-70729473411072292502011-07-08T13:21:00.007+01:002011-12-11T14:53:52.131Z

This week we have had a student from a local school on work experience. A year 10 student from The Forest School, has been using his interest in art to help design a new company logo, product posters and graphics for the Apollo Ensemble software. He produced some great paintings which we will be using with the Ensemble software as background images for two of our ready made themes, 'jungle'

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210517434206690727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-76923628585920451652011-06-01T11:14:00.000+01:002011-08-03T15:17:06.574+01:00

Earlier this year we worked with a student from King James's School to help design a triangular bubble wall as a concept and also build a working prototype.The product was designed to fit on a table top as a corporate showpiece. It includes the air pump and the lights in a small compartment and was seen as a smaller, more affordable bubble wall.Various changes were made to the original design (

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210517434206690727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-85629245403322397882011-05-12T20:00:00.000+01:002011-05-16T10:04:08.233+01:00

The Malvern Spring Gardening Show opened today and we travelled down to have a look at Lindsay's finished garden. The results were great, with food dye the bubble tubes really turned into test tubes. Lindsay won a bronze medal from the Royal Horticultural Society and attracted a lot of attention from the public, especially after encouraging people to write their own messages on the reverse of the

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210517434206690727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-65964780971932191092011-05-04T10:12:00.003+01:002011-05-04T10:24:17.272+01:00

We've just received a behind the scenes picture from Lindsay which shows the garden taking place with the 5 bubble tubes at the back. Food dye was put into the water in the tubes so that they have a brilliant colour, even outside in bright sunlight when LEDs wouldn't be very effective.You can start to imagine them as test tubes already!

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210517434206690727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-79789491944068149932011-03-29T09:59:00.002+01:002011-05-04T10:11:27.230+01:00

For Lindsay Warwick's show garden we've adapted our existing bubble tube design to allow them to be used outdoors. They now have more bubbles, and all 5 tubes run from a single pump!The test tubes are taking shape!

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210517434206690727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-83378097637132836142011-03-04T09:06:00.005Z2011-05-04T16:48:06.274+01:00

We have been approached by Lindsay Warwick, a graduate landscape designer who, as part of being shortlisted for the Chris Beardshaw Scholarship, has been asked to design and build a show garden at the Malvern Spring Gardening Show 2011. 'Atom' is the theme for this years scholarship gardens, celebrating the UNESCO year of Chemistry, and 'Chemistry ... all that matters' will be Lindsay's show

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210517434206690727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-20376112003748795272011-02-02T19:05:00.015Z2011-02-14T09:31:07.685Z

Today I was at a conference at the National Centre for Early Music in York, aimed at making music in early years settings. I helped Andrew Cleaton present a talk on the use of music technology, covering both the pros and cons. The talk concluded with a look at the Apollo Ensemble equipment, featuring the Hub together with a number of wireless sensors and switches. Particularly popular with the

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-33015766271861735652011-01-24T15:59:00.000Z2011-01-24T15:59:49.277Z

It was great to receive a letter and card from the Children's Oncology Ward at Leeds General Infirmary, to whom we donated a bubble tube before Christmas. The tube forms part of a play room, helping children and their siblings who are undergoing treatment.

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-48375275080809941052010-12-03T17:36:00.004Z2010-12-06T17:39:33.380Z

Today was my annual visit to the Creative Music Technology course in Scarborough, to give my overview of practical applications of Creative Technology. Most of the group braved the snow and cold to get in for the 9.15 lecture slot. Luckily for me the trains from York were running pretty well despite the cold.

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-14364541263677394442010-11-30T17:21:00.008Z2010-12-01T21:28:49.218Z

In full flow in the lecture theatre Today I was at the University of Huddersfield delivering a lecture to students on 'Interactive Technology in Action' (part of the Undergraduate Music Technology course). This involved looking at how interactive technology has been used to create a range of installations covering everything from sensory rooms to exhibition stands. This is the second time I've

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-42456727677285480252010-11-26T18:34:00.005Z2010-12-01T18:47:21.985Z

The Charms of the Sea project that we ran at Scarborough Campus University of Hull was featured in the Scarborough Evening News. If you want to catch the exhibition at the Rotunda then make sure you get down before Sunday!

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-4217144605324718752010-11-18T23:58:00.002Z2010-11-19T13:02:52.910Z

Mark (right) collecting the award from York University Pro-Vice-Chancellor Colin Mellors (c) The Press, York All the hard work of the last four years paid off tonight when Apollo Creative scooped the Best Business and Higher Education category at the York Press Business Awards. Beating off stiff competition from Northern Rail (last years winners) and Natures Laboratory, Apollo was commended by

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-88007871666109620952010-11-18T20:44:00.002Z2010-11-23T21:54:29.526Z

The Apollo Ensemble took centre stage at the 'Inclusion not Exclusion' event run by East Riding Voluntary Action Services. It was part of the display and presentation for the Inclusive Youth Theatre Project. The club is free to join and teachs skills in dance, music, singing, drama and performance. There are also opportunities to learn backstage techniques including prop making, creating sound

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-26920782833923676002010-11-17T22:37:00.002Z2010-11-23T18:35:56.803Z

The York Press Business Awards are tomorrow night and Apollo Creative is short listed in the Best Business and Higher Education category. Judging was about two months ago now, so it all seems a distant memory. Having said that, our work across the education sector continues with any potential award being purely the icing on the cake. As well as the course just completed at the Scarborough Campus

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-87277112642464333072010-11-15T22:15:00.002Z2010-11-23T18:36:58.836Z

It was the final session in Scarborough today, where the students had to present their finished installations. The four interactives have been combined into a single, touchscreen podium, installed on the first floor of the Rotunda Museum. All four groups have done a fantastic job, producing installations that wouldn't look out of place on permanent display. Combining learning and games, each one

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-57702940566734856452010-11-01T20:30:00.015Z2010-11-23T18:31:30.519Z

The students at Scarborough today presented their prototype installations to Jan and Ian from the Scarborough Museums Trust, Rob McKay and I. This was the first opportunity for us to see working versions of the systems that the four grousp are designing. Overall I was impressed by how far most of the groups had got within such a short space of time. It's only four weeks since we set the

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-50610889170283140272010-10-04T19:37:00.015+01:002010-11-23T18:31:30.521Z

Today was the first lecture for the Creative Music Technology Course (Scarborough Campus, University of Hull). Following on from last years successful project, I am acting as the client/consultant for the students as they attempt to produce some exciting interactives for the Rotunda Museum. This year they are working with some more of Clarke's Charms, helping to show to the public 'charms of the

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-83720835622528109252010-08-11T11:48:00.010+01:002010-08-16T13:06:02.770+01:00

Following an update on the economy from the Bank of England this morning, the BBC News team have been on site at the Knaresborough Technology Park to talk to businesses. Mark was interviewed for a live broadcast immediately following Mervyn King's press conference at 11.40. He was also interviewed for the World at One broadcast on Radio 4. Both reports featured our demo and testing room playing

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210517434206690727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-65261701253340958162010-07-21T15:44:00.019+01:002010-08-04T16:24:22.999+01:00

This morning I gave a talk at Archbishop Holgate's School, York on MRI technology as part of my role as a STEM Ambassador. Together with Kirsty Halliday from Geodesic Arts, we talked the pupils through the 'Me, Myself and MRI' project and specifically the process of undergoing an MRI scan. The talk was sponsored by NYBEP and links in with the launch of the new education website for 'Me, Myself

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-80048867756009189552010-07-07T18:03:00.001+01:002010-08-04T16:22:28.220+01:00

Today Ben and I attended Inspirations 2010 held at the Yorkshire Air Museum - one of the events run by NYBEP to encourage STEM work (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).  We ran an exhibition stand allowing the school groups and teachers to have a play with the Apollo Ensemble and control some sounds and lights. The stand also featured one of the pieces from the 'Me, Myself and MRI'

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-31944116085658681192010-06-14T12:33:00.002+01:002010-11-17T22:18:54.506Z

Apollo was happy to support and exhibit at this recent conference held at the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability in London. The two days attracted a wide range of people from across the globe, all keen to share ideas and experience. I was also on the organising committee for the event and was pleased to help with some of the early preperations. Congratulations should go to Dr Wendy Magee and

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-89181594044021688042010-05-21T21:57:00.002+01:002010-08-05T13:08:43.158+01:00

The Scribble New Media Orchestra has been put together by Music Links in Kendal, Cumbria. Using a whole range of musical instruments, sessions are open to 13 to 18 year olds with the aim to have fun and make music. The Orchestra includes an Apollo Ensemble kit including the Ensemble16 and a range of switches, helping make music accessible to all abilities. The project also makes use of the

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-65782117247333772242010-05-14T11:35:00.004+01:002010-05-18T15:39:20.314+01:00

Music Technology Now and in the Future David M Howard Any arbitrary sound can be created using technology and of course, electronically created sounds can be used to make music. "Connecting" the player, composer or user into the sound creation system involves the provision of an interface with which a musician can make music in a performance situation. This lecture will consider the needs of

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-26984392281069024142010-05-11T13:44:00.001+01:002010-05-11T15:39:13.492+01:00

The Apollo Ensemble will be making a guest appearance in the IET Young Professionals Event in London tomorrow night, as part of Professor David Howard's lecture 'Music technology now and in the future'. David will be using the new EnsembleHub, together with an Ensemble Connect and Dice sensor, to allow the audience to join in with some demonstrations. This marks the beginning of a long term

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-33076125598850520502010-04-19T21:49:00.006+01:002010-08-04T16:32:49.292+01:00

I've just been involved in a project with the artists from Geodesic Arts again, this time working with the York Museums Trust and Creative York. The project has involved looking at artefacts in the Yorkshire Museum archive, specifically pieces from the Mesolithic Period. We've then had to create an installation for the studio space at York Art Gallery. You can follow the background to the

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-55994575675396395912010-03-31T19:46:00.019+01:002010-05-11T15:35:37.111+01:00

I've been down in Bristol today for a workshop at Futurelab on re-imagining outdoor spaces for play and learning. Together with a group of other people from a whole host of other areas, we've been looking at how you can create exciting outdoor spaces, particuarly for use in new schools. This follows on from other work by Futurelab including the Fountaineers project. A Futurelab publication will

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-22754899815015507132010-03-19T19:00:00.029Z2010-08-04T16:34:55.598+01:00

Today we were at Knottingley High School, near Pontefract, to demonstrate what new technology might be available for the building of a new school. This was part of an Inspiration Day for parents and pupils, who also had to undertake a series of activities. BSF is a Government funded scheme to rebuild or remodel every state secondary school in the UK. Knottingley is just beginning the

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-48118166423942430892010-02-11T12:54:00.003Z2010-05-11T14:20:51.441+01:00

Manor School came to site today to have a look around. They were faced with the realities of work - the realisation that even exciting, creative work like Apollos relies on accounts, purchasing and very mundane looking offices. On the upside they did get to have a short play in our demo room.

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-77334170060358478112010-01-10T18:23:00.011Z2010-11-23T18:37:45.257Z

The project with Scarborough students at the Rotunda was completed in November, since then they have gone on to work on other projects. It was therefore nice to see some feedback on the University of Hull website, backing up the project objectives originally devised my myself and Rob MacKay. "Charmed assignment very enjoyable – a real life brief so felt the pressure of getting it right and great

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-57583598845631555112009-12-07T16:03:00.001Z2009-12-21T16:34:56.275Z

The Halloween sensory space that we created in October has been changed to Christmas themed Grotto, complete with Father Christmas and bags of presents!Instead of employing a witch, the Grotto uses the help of an Elf, who guides the children round the space exploring the different sounds, lighting and images and using the interactivity to tell stories and play games.The highlight of the space is

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210517434206690727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-1440565160872568792009-11-11T16:27:00.002Z2010-05-11T14:22:04.236+01:00

Following on from the session last week at Manor School in York, today I was at Wilberforce College in Hull for their IT Diploma. The students there are going to be looking at the Ensemble Designer and Player software, offering their expertise on icons, window design and technical support documentation. We hope that their assignments will lead directly to some visible changes to the software.

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-40826444060996829392009-11-10T19:00:00.014Z2010-11-23T18:30:34.644Z

Today was the final session on the Interactive Technology course at the University of Hull, Scarborough Campus. The students had to present their interactive installations at the Rotunda Museum and allow those of us marking to have a play. Apart from a few technical issues (most of them not to do with the students) the whole event went very well. Each group had devised a creative way to present

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-33970866348224815662009-11-05T21:04:00.002Z2010-05-11T14:23:51.291+01:00

I was at Manor School today in York as part of the new Creative Diplomas. As well as giving an overview of Apollo and the Ensemble system, I've also left the students with the task of developing a 'cookbook' to use with Ensemble. I'm looking forward to seeing what they devise over the coming weeks.

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-42821599202524764232009-10-28T10:15:00.006Z2009-10-28T10:30:03.572Z

To celebrate Halloween we have changed the MRI portrait with us here in Knaresborough Technology Park to an image of a ghost. Using an infra-red distance sensor and the Apollo Ensemble system, when a person walks in front of the screen the ghost comes alive and starts telling jokes and rhymes!

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210517434206690727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-43299010488001483032009-10-23T09:05:00.004+01:002009-11-13T09:55:46.618Z

With the help of Camel Event Productions we have completed the Halloween sensory space for Creepy Crawlies. Using the Apollo Ensemble system, a computer controls all sounds, lights and videos when triggered by hidden switches.Featuring a bubble tube, projector, fibre optics, ultra-violet, colour changing lighting and a sound system, the space makes the best use of Halloween props to create a

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210517434206690727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-21604921944660656982009-09-28T08:49:00.002+01:002009-11-11T16:35:43.558Z

We have begun work on a Halloween-themed sensory area for Creepy Crawlies, a large childrens play centre just outside York. The space, a rather compact 2m x 4m, will house hidden floor switches which trigger lights, sounds and videos to create a spooky atmosphere. The space will be open for the week leading up to Halloween and we'll soon post some more pictures. We will even have an interactive

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210517434206690727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-34021141703050546212009-08-26T12:22:00.006+01:002009-08-26T12:31:40.989+01:00

The 'Me, Myself and MRI' exhibition will be closing at York Hospital on the 3rd September. The feedback has been fantastic and we are currently in discussions to feature the show in other locations across the UK. In the meantime several of the individual pieces will be on display at partner organisations. This includes one portrait that wil be gracing the reception area here at Knaresborough

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-89116487122904481932009-05-21T16:30:00.002+01:002009-08-09T17:49:56.690+01:00

The MRI Exhibition was moved today to a new venue at York Hospital. The exhibition space is close to the main reception, meaning that it will get a lot of footfall during its residency. Unfortunately one of the pieces was damaged during transit, so for the moment only five pieces are on show in the space.

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-62525325073494872532009-04-30T19:00:00.004+01:002009-08-26T12:32:54.001+01:00

Today we took everyone from Apollo and GSPK Design to Impressions Gallery to visit the 'Me, Myself and MRI' exhibition. After a brief overview from Sarah at Impressions, I gave a bit more background to the project. Everyone then spent the next hour looking at the exhibition and the other galleries at Impressions.

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-35446237070764220272009-04-04T15:34:00.005+01:002009-08-01T14:07:05.260+01:00

The Me, Myself and MRI exhibition moved today to Impressions Gallery in Bradford. This venue gives a completely different setting for the show, with the pieces in a more traditional gallery space. I also updated each piece to add an additional image from the photographer and change the activation distance of the infra-red sensors.

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-61196351157416600242009-03-17T13:09:00.003Z2010-05-11T14:24:45.856+01:00

Today I returned to the University of Hull, Scarborough Campus, to see what the students had achieved for Brain Awareness Week. I was impressed to find all the groups had managed to design some really interesting interactives. They ranged from a touch sensitive head to show the effect of drugs on the senses to a Wii inspired brain training game.

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-39054430392377288372009-02-24T15:30:00.003Z2009-02-27T10:22:47.109Z

Today was the launch of the MRI Exhibition at the National Science Learning Centre in York. The morning was spent doing final tweaks to the audio and video tracks, setting levels and then tidying up. In the afternoon the group we've been working with from Archbishop Holgate's School came in for a preview before the evenings official launch. General impressions were good and there was some

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-73304774381853095702009-02-17T22:01:00.004Z2010-05-11T14:25:20.910+01:00

I returned to Scarborough today to give a follow up to my regular Interactive Technology lecture on the Creative Music Technology course. This time I've been talking to the students about pitching for work and working as a team. Rather than just talk at the students, we set them the task of pitching some ideas back at me. They had to work in groups to come up with an idea for an interactive

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-65567624055189102142009-02-10T22:07:00.000Z2009-02-23T22:22:12.937Z

The MRI Project I've been working on for the past couple of years is finally reaching completion, with the launch only a few weeks off. Today we moved the exhibition pieces to the first launch venue and started setting everything up.You can follow the progress in detail on the Geodesic Arts blog.

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-58307361691010442512009-02-05T22:10:00.005Z2010-12-01T21:44:03.474Z

Mark, Ben and Damian review a portrait Today was a technical rehearsal of sorts for the MRI Project (http://geodesicarts-mri.blogspot.com/). It was the first time we had more than just the single prototype exhibition piece setup and running in one space. Each unit consists of a 32" screen, with a small PC together with a custom Apollo Ensemble unit and the development version of the new Apollo

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-42373007788531361962008-10-22T16:54:00.002+01:002010-12-01T21:36:38.565Z

Camel Event Production are using the Apollo Ensemble system over the next two weeks to help it light up Brodsworth Hall near Doncaster. As part of the Enchanted Gardens event, the Apollo system is allowing visitors to take control of lighting the main house. Camel are testing the latest version of the Apollo Ensemble, which will be released in the new year. It incorporates some additional

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-31427459586655108082008-10-18T16:45:00.000+01:002008-10-28T16:49:38.559Z

As part of the MRI project (Me, Myself and MRI) we need to interview each of the project participants and record this - both audio and video. I've been volunteered as the interviewer, so I'm doing my best Michael Parkinson impression for the project. Luckily it is just the interviewees that are being recorded.The questions have been selected by the group and seem to be doing a good job at finding

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-68978614809719820702008-10-11T17:07:00.000+01:002008-10-28T17:10:32.141Z

The Apollo Ensemble system is already getting international acclaim, with a unit currently under test at the SKUG Centre in Norway. It's being used today as part of their opening performance.

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-66914878833786929132008-09-10T17:12:00.001+01:002010-12-01T21:39:13.641Z

The Activity Hall - Before the upgrade work I've been working with the Dales School in Morton-on-Swale for a number of years, helping them incorporate new accessible technology into the school. The latest upgrade involves ripping out the existing ShowMagic system in the Activity Hall and replacing it with the Ensemble system. This makes the interactive lighting accessible to more of the pupils

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-29013436960833221502008-09-08T16:35:00.001+01:002008-10-28T16:38:48.334Z

Today we made a video of how to build the KidsOut Portable Sensory Rooms at the National Centre for Early Music in York. The idea is for a DVD to accompany the units to allow people to move them between different venues.

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-48869055753821236612008-08-28T21:00:00.002+01:002010-12-01T21:40:28.633Z

Over the past few weeks we've been building an interactive light and sound area at Dame Hannah School in Ivybridge. This is part of a larger music room in their post-16 unit. The room is based around the Apollo Ensemble system, with all the lighting and music controllable from a range of switches and sensors. Today I was down at the school providing some training to the staff.

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-63067039394388602902008-07-23T22:31:00.002+01:002008-07-24T09:39:09.125+01:00

Today we installed a second Portable Sensory Room for KidsOut. Based on the prototype, currently based in a school in Reading, this unit features some changes based on feedback.Featuring a bubble tube, fibre optics, colour changes lighting, star cloth, projector and sound system, the space will be used by children on the Barbara Rusell Ward whilst there is no school.The unit will be based in the

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-56904251226098162702008-06-16T18:20:00.002+01:002010-12-01T21:49:37.189Z

The Me, Myself and MRI project continued today with a session at the school on interactive technology and interactive art works. We started the session by letting the group have a play with the Apollo Ensemble and some of our prototype sensors. As we had a very short time to setup, this demo only involved playing sounds and music rather than a full sensory experience. The group seemed quite

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-23571801197397066012008-06-13T13:29:00.002+01:002008-10-28T16:43:55.768Z

Apollo will be supporting Accessible Arts Musical Monuments project from the 28th July - 1st August. They'll be using the Apollo Ensemble system to help young people of all abilities create and perform their own music.Today I provided them with some quick training on the system to help with their planning for the project.UPDATEAccessible Arts have decided to use the Apollo Ensemble later in the

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-70393140988537988382008-06-06T18:04:00.000+01:002008-06-18T11:15:13.420+01:00

Developments at the Gordon Parry Centre in Leeds continue as they begin to explore more aspects of the Apollo Ensemble. Having fitted a small moving head light during my last visit, today I was adding extra features to the control block in the Ensemble software and providing some general software updates. The Centre have been working with us as we develop the Ensemble system, contributing their

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-7733475926587027712008-05-07T17:01:00.000+01:002008-06-18T11:04:04.836+01:00

This afternoon I provided some training at the Gordon Parry Centre in Leeds on their ever expanding light and sound room. The room runs on the Apollo Ensemble system, with switches and sensors plugged into sockets spread around the room. The latest addition is a small LED moving head light that can be told to point anywhere in the room.This project is providing us with vital feedback to refine

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-63167201330847232162008-05-01T15:15:00.000+01:002008-06-18T11:22:36.516+01:00

A nice part of this work is when you get the occasional chance to give things away! I've just been to Harrogate Hospital to install a bubble tube in one of their Children's Wards. As the closest hospital to where we are based in seemed natural to see if they could make use of a tube. Hopefully it will bring some enjoyment and relaxation to the young people spending time there.

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-25548259740258082222008-04-30T17:25:00.002+01:002010-05-11T14:30:23.833+01:00

Today was the latest session before the summer with the young people taking part in the Me, Myself and MRI project. The primary focus was on using video to capture a portrait of someone and the different methods we might use. More on the project blog at: http://geodesicarts.blogspot.com/

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-46880282985408928652008-04-25T11:37:00.002+01:002010-05-11T14:33:04.280+01:00

Over the last couple of days I've been down in Bristol on what is probably my last trip to work on the Interactive Fountain at Luckwell Primary School. This has been a great project and involved working with the children at the school on the ideas and design of the fountain. My job this time was to present the final, installed fountain to the children and show them what it could do. Obviously

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-9843159714138688602008-03-17T22:21:00.003Z2010-05-11T14:33:59.860+01:00

This afternoon I acted as Technical Director for the setting up and running of A Sense of Place. This interactive sound and light piece reflects a 2000 year link between two historic sites in the City of York. A Sense of Place [Revisited II] is a re-working of the original piece which was presented in Bootham Bar for three months in 2005. This version has the emphasis on the audio composition,

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-16731962336194764202008-03-10T22:17:00.003Z2010-05-11T14:37:09.051+01:00

I visited Bristol today to visit the workshops where the interactive fountain is being created for Luckwell School. The main structure is now in place and the day centred around testing and setting up some of the sensor systems.I'm aiming to return to Bristol in a couple of weeks to work with the fountain onsite at the school.

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-28975900694464923832008-01-18T16:32:00.002Z2010-05-11T14:39:09.623+01:00

The portable sensory room installed at Whitley Park Infant School was officially opened today with a reception. Since the initial installation last week, all 320 children at the school have been through and experience the area. Ann Tanner, Headteacher, commented: "We are excited at Whitley Park to be given the chance to explore with the children the possibilities for learning this brings. We

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-73385100043879453822008-01-16T18:44:00.001Z2010-05-11T14:40:39.902+01:00

Today was the first official session in Archbishops Holgates School, York for the 'Me, Myself & MRI' project. Following on from the introduction we carried out before Christmas, the young people today got the oppotunity to visit the York Neuro-Imaging Centre (YNIC). A key part of the work is to involve the young people in both the arts and science side of the project. You can find out more on

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-41015066995859130332008-01-07T17:59:00.001Z2008-12-09T18:24:24.490Z

Today we built the prototype of the Portable Sensory Room at Whitley Park School in Reading. Funded by KidsOut, the room will be undergoing tests at the school over the next few months. It is hoped that the feedback from these will help us develop the design of the space.Coloured lighting and background sounds are controlled by the Apollo Controller, with users inserting a USB stick to activate

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-5950193077375563882007-12-07T15:47:00.001Z2010-05-11T14:41:27.410+01:00

Today I gave what has become an annual lecture at Scarborough Campus of the University of Hull. It is part of the Interactive Technology course and involves looking at some of the real-world applications of this technology that I have been involved with.

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-52571192450341376302007-12-05T17:58:00.001Z2010-05-11T14:41:46.569+01:00

The 'Me, Myself and MRI' project kicked off today with the introductory lecture at Archbishops Holgate School in York. Myself, Kirsty and Damian from Geodesic Arts presented a pack hour long session covering everything from basic magnetics to Da Vinci, the Nobel Prize to artistic installations. The main project kicks off next year. You can find out more details on the Geodesic Arts website at:

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-29875570123064800302007-11-27T16:46:00.001Z2010-05-11T14:42:12.972+01:00

Apollo tries to work closely with education providers and trainers to help young people who might want to work in the Creative Industries. This includes providing work placements, year in industry opportunities and supporting other learning initiatives. Today I was working with Jacki Dealtry from NYBEP, who is working with interactive sound and light equipment. She uses this as part of NYBEP's

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-4161939665750793582007-11-13T17:52:00.002Z2011-01-26T10:25:36.334Z

Today I was working in the Multi-Sensory Room at the Department of Health Sciences at the University of York. This is a room used for training and research, forming part of the 'mock ward' in the building. Apollo is working with the Department to upgrade the room and provide training to staff on the use of this flexible resource.

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-41723664373173566942007-10-31T17:57:00.001Z2010-05-11T14:42:48.403+01:00

I visited the Gordon Parry Centre today to provide a software update to the Apollo Controller installed in the room. It also gave me the opportunity to provide some basic training to the staff at the Centre. The gradual development of this space has allowed the staff to get use to each element, before adding another to the space.

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-40061478414815874542007-10-22T15:49:00.001+01:002010-05-11T14:43:34.154+01:00

Last Monday and Tuesday (15th & 16th October) I spent all day at Luckwell Primary School in Bristol as part of the Futurelab Fountaineers Project. I was invited by Futurelab to follow up sessions I carried out earlier in the year, where I worked with the children on their design for an interactive fountain. As the projects 'fountain expert' I've been answering questions and help the children

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-20749728761155858492007-09-27T15:16:00.001+01:002010-05-11T14:43:56.484+01:00

The latest version of the Apollo Controller went into the Gordon Parry Centre in Leeds today as part of the development of their Studio space. It is linked to socket panels around the room allowing users to plug in switches and sensors to control the lights and sounds.

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-58083142721780836422007-09-26T20:00:00.001+01:002010-05-11T14:44:24.764+01:00

Geodesic Arts, a group of York based digital artists and associated professionals, has received funding from the Wellcome Trust for a project called 'Me, Myself & MRI'. The group, which includes myself as a Technical Producer, will be working on an exciting sci-arts project from December 2007. The final touring production will include Apollo technology to help create an interactive exhibit that

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-15436841332740825822007-09-04T12:01:00.002+01:002011-01-26T10:28:35.346Z

Together with our colleagues at Camel Event Production, we today upgraded the multisensory room in the Health Sciences department at the University of York. The changes make it easier for the users to control the various lighting effects. This work is part of Apollo's direct engagement with end-users and collaboration with research projects.

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-41948220718646263882007-06-21T17:00:00.000+01:002007-10-23T12:03:21.772+01:00

KidsOut visited today to have a look at the Portable Sensory Space that we are putting together for them. This is a prototype which they are hoping to put into a school before the end of the year.Due to the size we built it at the lighting company premises, which also meant we could try out different lighting effects. The structure turned out to be a lot larger than it looked on paper and it was

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-24324132000597455842007-06-14T22:31:00.001+01:002010-05-11T14:45:46.592+01:00

Today was spent in sunny Bristol building and playing with a mock-up of the fountain at Luckwell School. Together with Graham and Tash from Futurelab, we built a full-scale mock-up of the fountain using anything we could find. This generally consisted of tables, chairs, coloured paper and plastic tubing. I worked with each year group to then make decisions about the fountain and ensure that

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-49325981191357143752007-03-09T22:26:00.002Z2010-12-01T21:48:15.127Z

Today I was back at Luckwell Primary School to work with the children with some interactive water jets. I built a basic fountain using a paddling pool, some Oase Nautilus pumps, a DMX dimmer pack and a prototype of the Apollo Controller. This meant that we could have a number of different sensors controlling the height of the water jets. The children played with the different sensors to help

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-18001094860825686872007-02-13T22:30:00.002Z2010-12-01T21:46:21.021Z

Today I visited Bristol to join the Fountaineers Project as their 'Fountain' expert. Fountaineers is a Futurelab Project to design and build an interactive fountain - a collaboration with the children and staff at the school. Over the next nine months the school will be designing their own fountain to be built somewhere on site. My job is to help guide them! Today was an introductory session

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-55712557189191341252007-01-09T13:00:00.000Z2008-12-09T18:24:25.771Z

Today saw Apollo kicking off a new project to develop a portable sensory room for an organisation called KidsOut. KidsOut exists to "transform the lives of disadvantaged children and young people by providing fun opportunities and positive experiences that work to significantly enhance their wellbeing and outlook for a happier future."I'll be designing a portable sensory space that can be built

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172028143904860339.post-45236112248827149162007-01-01T15:37:00.000Z2007-10-23T13:22:59.600+01:00

This is the blog for Apollo Creative. Here I'll be updating readers with the latest projects that we are undertaking.

geodesichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272140001527281468noreply@blogger.com