News: Student samples the world of work with Apollo Creative

Not everyone realises it, but employers’ value work experience almost as much as the qualifications you achieve. As well as increasing your knowledge and experience in the world of work it helps to build on your experience of life within the workplace.

One person who doesn’t need reminding of this is University of Hull degree student Ben Johnson, who has been on a placement with Knaresborough based Apollo Creative for the last two months.

Ben is studying a three year Creative Music Technology degree at the University’s Scarborough Campus. This course centres around the creative use of the latest technologies including sound recording, mixing, sound design, electronics, web authoring and multimedia.

Mark Hildred, Creative Director of Apollo Creative, regularly presents a lecture on the course covering real-world applications of this technology. Following Mark’s most recent lecture, Ben was inspired to approach Apollo about securing a work placement over his summer vacation.

Apollo Creative was set up to specialise in the innovative design, development and manufacture of interactive light and sound products, providing a perfect fit for Ben and his studies. Ben was given the opportunity to help work on the development of the company’s latest product the “Ensemble16” – an interactive control system that allows lighting and sound to be controlled from switch and sensor inputs.

The product, due for launch in September 2008, can be used across a range of disciplines including museums, play areas, and sensory rooms. It also has applications within special needs schools, something Ben has been exploring through a series of workshops at the Forest School in Knaresborough - a special school for pupils aged between 2½ and 16 who have a range of learning difficulties.

Ben has also worked on the innovative sci-art project “Me, Myself and MRI”, designing a working prototype of the final exhibition. This project explores the idea of individuality using contemporary neuro-imaging technology, photography and audio-video work, and is a collaboration between several partners including Geodesic Arts and Archbishop Holgate's School, York. The final exhibition is due to launch at the National Science Learning Centre in February 2009 before touring around galleries and public spaces across the region.

Ben Johnson says – “It is fantastic to have been given this opportunity to work in such a creative environment especially as it is so close to what I have been studying. I hope that my experience here will help me with my final year studies and look forward to coming back to see how some of the projects have progressed.”

New KidsOut Sensory Room - Frenchay Hospital

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 school room at Frenchay Hospital over the Summer, before being moved to a new venue in september.

News: Apollo gets creative with Sci-Art project

Apollo Creative is excited to announce its involvement with the innovative sci-art project Me, Myself and MRI. As a key partner, Apollo Creative is providing technical expertise through the involvement of its Creative Director Mark Hildred.

The project, being lead by the arts partnership Geodesic Arts, has been awarded funding by the Wellcome Trust and Arts Council England. It has been designed to explore the idea of individuality using contemporary neuroimaging technology, photography and audio-video work.

MRI Scan of Geodesic artist Damian Murphy's head

Geodesic are working together with Archbishop Holgate CE School, York and York Neuroimaging Centre to realise the project, which will culminate in a touring exhibition of digital portraits in 2009.

Year 8 students from the school have been working on the project since the beginning of 2008 and will choose six people to be the focus of the work. Approaches are currently being made to a range of people suggest by the group, from teachers to celebrities. The foundation for their selection is based on the question “what makes an individual?” and could focus on anything from their career, their background through to their every day lives.

The chosen subjects will be invited to undergo an MRI scan as well as sit for photographic portraits and take part in video and audio interviews. The information and data collected will then be transformed into a series of digital portraits which will provide a unique representation and insight into who they really are.

Mark Hildred, Apollo Creative and Technical Producer on the project, has been involved since the project’s inception and will be responsible for the realisation of the final exhibition. Mark has been actively involved in both the planning and running of the project sessions within the school, together with liaising with the galleries for the final exhibition.

Mark Hildred said – “It is always exciting to work with young people on innovative arts projects such as this. At Apollo Creative we actively seek involvement in this area as it helps us to develop new ideas and technologies. This ethos often provides us with ways for us to expand upon the work we already do within schools; and so develop the potential for future creative and technically skilled employees.”

James Evans, Head of Science, explains why the Archbishop Holgate CE School got involved. “It is an exciting, collaborative project that has engaged the pupils, teachers and outside agencies. It is an opportunity to celebrate the exciting developments in science, explore the ethical issues raised and marry them with the creativity and expression of art."

He believes that the project is significant to the pupils as “to experience the ‘wow’ factor of science with inspirational people, to make links with many facets of the curriculum, to be engaged by science and express through art, ICT and media is priceless.”

As well as learning about creative digital technology, the students are also exploring the development of contemporary neuro-imaging techniques such as MRI and MEG and the science behind them. Staff at the York Neuroimaging Centre are acting as scientific advisors to the project, explaining how modern-day techniques have developed, investigating ethical issues surrounding these techniques and carrying out MRI scans on the people selected to take part in the project.

The students are also finding out more about the development of portraiture as an art form and the links between science and the arts, as they are working with an art historian to discover how art and science together can help us make sense of the world around us.

The final exhibition is due to launch at the National Science Learning Centre in January 2009 before touring to York Hospital and Impressions Gallery, Bradford. The project forms part of the community and education programme for SightSonic, York’s International Festival of Digital Arts.

For further information, see the projects blog at: www.geodesicarts.org or contact Mark Hildred

MRI Project - Interactivity

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 excited by the idea of being able to control sounds from different body movements.

The rest of the session involved linking this to how we might control the final portrait exhibition. More info on the project blog:

http://geodesicarts-mri.blogspot.com/

Muscial Monuments

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.

UPDATE

Accessible Arts have decided to use the Apollo Ensemble later in the year for a project with the SoundWeavers.

Gordon Parry Updates

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 expertise and feedback. The flexibility built into the software means that we have been able to implement many changes onsite. This includes adding lighting fixtures, simplifying the display and changing help text.

The Centre opens officially in October 2008.

Gordon Parry Centre Training

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 the Apollo Ensemble software.