1. Wearable Technology: Lilypad Arduino for Beginners!

    Back by popular demand!

    For all you techie women, join our one day introduction to the LilyPad Arduino and get your garments interactive!

    During the course of the day you will be introduced to the basics of soft circuitry, some basic electronics, Arduino software, programming, and reading a sensor. At the end of the day you will have a functioning interactive patch, which you can sew onto a garment, bag or cushion cover.

    PLEASE BRING WITH YOU:

    A piece of fancy fabric of your choice. It is best to use something non-stretchy and stiff, something like cotton or canvas – perhaps with a ‘Christmassy’ twist? ;)

    If you want to bring your own laptop, please make sure you have installed the latest Arduino Software on it.

    A USB to mini-USB (you are bound to have one somewhere, we thought best not to buy more ;)

    Fee: Including LilyPad Arduino £75 + £1.60 booking fee – This includes the LilyPad Arduino, LilyPad Battery Holder and FTDI board.

    Not including LilyPad Arduino £35 + £1.60 booking fee – This is for those who do not require a LilyPad Arduino Kit as above. There will not be spares to borrow unfortunately, please make sure you have one for the workshop if you purchase this ticket.

    When:

    15th December ‘2012 10am – 5pm

    Where:

    SPACE, 129—131 Mare Street, London, E8 3RH.

    Tutor:

    MzTEk’s Sophie McDonald

    Sign up here!

    If you have any queries, please contact us on info@mztek.org.

    Please note that this is a women’s workshop only.

     

     

     

     

     

  2. MzTEK at the Brighton Mini Maker Faire!


    This Saturday the Mini Maker Faire is coming to Brighton and for the first time we’re going to be part of it, showcasing some pieces from Chi-TEK!

    Chi-TEK is a tea inspired showcase of technologically modified teapots by internationally acclaimed women interaction designers, sound artists, bio artists, architects, and performance artists.

    Chi-TEK, based on the acronym for Computer Human Interaction, celebrates the talent and innovation that women bring to arts and technology. The exhibition of technologically modified teapots first showcased at the V&A Sackler Centre, and in the V&A John Madejski Garden as part of London Design Festival 2011, in the playful guise of a tea party. Almost a year on from the Chi-TEK tea party MzTEK brings a selection of the Chi-TEK hacked teapots to the Brighton Mini Maker Faire.

    The showcase of playful, witty and thought provoking work explores themes of ritual, nostalgia and sociopolitical contexts surrounding tea and tea making. Some women embraced and embellished the rituals, some women rejected them, while others reinvented the teapot. Chi-TEK challenges the cultural association between masculinity and technology, whilst providing a tongue-in-cheek take on what women really get up to around the kitchen table.

    The interactive art works at the Brighton Mini Maker Faire by Mouna Andraos & Melissa Mongiat, Tine Bech and Artemis Papageorgiou, are a selection of the 15 amazing hacked teapots by leading women artists and designers commissioned for Chi-TEK with the support of ACE Grants for the Arts.

    This Is Not A Teapot by Artemis Papageorgiou

    LightPot by Tine Bech

    On The Difficulty of Serving Tea by Mouna Andraos and Melissa Mongiat

    The details for the Brighton Mini Maker Faire are as follows:

    Venue:

    Corn Exchange and Dome Foyer Bar
    Brighton Dome
    12a Pavilion Buildings
    Castle Square
    Brighton
    BN1 1EE

    Timings:

    Saturday 8th September, 10am – 5pm

    For more info about the Maker Faire please visit the website, and for any further information about Chi-TEK please email us at info@mztek.org

     

  3. SuperCollider Workshop for Beginners

    Interested in producing sound art but waiting to discover the perfect tool in which to do it? Then maybe SuperCollider is the one for you! 

    SuperCollider is an environment and programming language for creating real time audio compositions. It is open source and is used by lots of different people working with sound including musicians, scientists and artists. It is an efficient and expressive dynamic programming language providing a framework for algorithmic music and interactive programming.

    A Beginners guide to SuperCollider guides you through the basics with a series of creative tasks culminating in writing a short composition. By the end of the workshop you should have the skills to begin to design your own creative projects with the programme. During the day you will learn how to work with the programme, from creating basic sounds and controlling them, to using synthesis techniques and making more complex patterns, and finally scheduling events and arranging a short piece.

    The workshop will be lead by Birmingham based composer Shelly Knotts, who is an expert in instrumental, electroacoustic and live electronic music. Shelly is a member of the sound art collective SOUNDkitchen. You can listen to her work on Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/shelly-knotts

    When: Saturday 15th September ‘2012, 11am – 5pm

    Where: SPACE, 129—131 Mare Street, London, E8 3RH.

    Cost: £25 + £1 booking fee

    Please note that this workshop is for women only.

    If you have any queries, please contact us on info@mztek.org.