Another day, another lecture!

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.

Lecture at University of Huddersfield

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 visited to present the lecture.

News: Apollo win at York Press Business Awards

Apollo Creative tonight received the award for Best Higher Education and Business Link at the York Press Business Awards.

Fighting off competition from companies including last years winner and heavy weight opponent Northern Rail, Apollo triumphed at a glittering awards ceremony.

The award recognises Apollo's comittment to working with a range of educational establishments from Primary Schools through to Further Education. Recent work has included a series of lectures and mentoring at Scarborough Campus University of Hull for the Creative Music Technology course, and guest lecture slots at Hull, Huddersfield and York.

You can read about the work that lead to Apollo Creative being named the winner of the Best Higher Educationa and Business category here on the company blog;

Charms of the Sea

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!

Apollo win York Press Business Award

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 the judges for its strategy of engagement across Higher Education.

Thanks to everyone at Apollo and to all our colleagues that we've worked with across education over the past few years. As you can see by the post below we already have some more collaborations planned for the coming year.

Ensemble at 'Inclusion not Exclusion'

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 effects and recording studio technology.

Jacki Dealtry, Project Manager, said “This is fully inclusive, allowing students from mainstream and special needs schools/colleges to take part. It’s a brand new initiative and something that has never been done before in the East Riding”.

The project has acquired two portable kits, with laptops, Ensemble Hubs, lighting, speakers and a range of Ensemble sensors and switches. Delegates at the event had the chance to play on the kit, triggering sounds and lights with a carnival feel.

York Press Business Awards 2010 - The build-up

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 University of Hull (which was developed jointly with the Creative Music Technology lecturer Rob MacKay), we also have the following on-going or scheduled in:

• "Interactive Technology in Action" Lecture and student feedback session, University of Huddersfield, November 2010 
• "Practical applications of Creative Music Technology" Lecture, Scarborough Campus University of Hull - December 2010
• Support for GCSE Design Project - Radio Design
• Support for A-Level Product Design Course - Bubble Lamp
• A series of lectures in the Department of Electronics, University of York
• Continuing work with the Research and Innovation Office, University of York

That's not to mention some of the bigger, longer term projects I'm not allowed to talk about. Even if we don't win this year we'll have plenty to recommend us for next years awards.

Fingers crossed for tomorrow night.