Using Ether Pad for Education.
This was one of the great ideas I picked up while at the fabulous sandpit web 2.0 session by Digital 20/20. A few weeks back I went to this event which introduced me to a new collaborative tool. Etherpad. This tool was new to almost everyone at the event (perhaps everyone actually) and we set about a group collaborative task. (more…)
When: February 4 at 8 p.m. Eastern Time
What: VIRTUAL CAMPUS – St. Johns University, New York
Yes, that’s right virtual. College debate involving students from St. Johns and University of Vermont will go head to head in the virtual environment of Second Life. 
The topic will be whether or not colleges should limit tenure for professors.
The director of debate at St. John’s University, in New York, Stephen Llano is trying this as a first ever event, and there will be challenges.
Web cams have been used in past debates but this will be a first.
The hope is, that it will be a success and it would potentially launch into wider participation and competition, possibly opening international challenges that would not be possible otherwise.
You can read about the event here.
What are your thoughts on using a virtual environment like SecondLife? Would there be a better environment? Are certain teams at an advantage? What problems do you think they might face?
Here are pictures from the event… All Photographs taken by Umi Baden-Powell.
Performed at the Slade School of Art on Wednesday 14th, Simon Morris – writer, performer and publisher of Information as Material - was launching The Voice and Nothing More, a short festival of workshops, an exhibition and performances exploring the voice in contemporary art.
He performed his piece with Jazz Musician Rob Lavers.
[EDIT] After receiving a comment from someone who has looked at the images, I have decided to update this post with an additional set of images taken from the event. These new photos are below, thank you for your interest.
[guest post] see David Berridge’s blog: more milk yvette
All images from Voice and Void, curated by Thomas Trummer, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum (sep 16 2007 – Feb 24 2008). (ABOVE:) Christian Marclay, Double Doors (The Electric Chair), 2006. Private Collection. Courtesy Paula Cooper Gallery, New York.
At the Slade School of Art on Wednesday lunchtime, Simon Morris – writer, performer and publisher of Information as Material - was launching The Voice and Nothing More, a short festival of workshops, an exhibition and performances exploring the voice in contemporary art.
Befitting his role as scene setter, Morris read a text that seemed to outline different properties of the voice. I heard sections on laughing, crying, and female orgasm. Several times he screamed mightily into the microphone. I say “seemed” because Morris shared the stage with the saxophonist Rob Lavers. Lavers used the saxophone as an extension of voice, or maybe his voice was an extension of the saxophone. He breathed, growled, shouted, blowed raspberries, hissed and much more. Sometimes voice alone, othertimes into the saxophone mouthpiece, which was sometimes joined to the instrument strung around his neck, sometimes not.
Other times the microphone was inside the bell of the sax. It expanded voice and instrument both. Oftentimes it seemed to expand beyond both. It lasted maybe twenty minutes – Morris talked of feeling, in this context, it should be the length of an academic presentation – prompting the fantastic thought of a panel session comprising three such pieces! It was a fantastic way to theoretically explore the subject of the voice whilst fully inhabiting its physicality and potential.
Taken from his site (news section at Sam Belinfante) he is presenting an very impressive line up for this forthcoming event. The link for information goes to his site where you can download a PDF of the programme artists and performers.
Invited performers include Mikhail Karikis, Lore Lixembourg and Juice, as well as a specially formed large-scale vocal ensemble.
Performers, working with the artists and resident composer Claudia Molitor, will create new score-objects culminating in a series of new performances. Artists Martin Creed, Simon Faithfull, Dryden Goodwin, Bruce Mclean and Cornelia Parker along with emerging artists Athanasios Argianas, Amy Cunningham, Nick Laessing, Phoebe Unwin and Sarah Kate Wilson are just some of the 50+ artists taking part.
To help launch the festival leading artist and educator Simon Morris will lecture on the voice ~
PDF cover for event
Following on from last years Notations Sam will be presenting The Voice and Nothing More an event curated in collaboration with Neil Luck. The event will be open to the public on the Thursday and Friday evenings and will be broadcast on Resonance 104.4fm.
The Voice and Nothing More will be a week-long festival exploring the voice as both medium and subject matter in contemporary arts practices. Both established and emerging artists will work with leading vocal performers and composers in an exploration of the voice outside language.
Artists and performers come together to generate exciting new collaborative works.
Wednesday 14 January from 12pm
The festival will culminate with a presentation of groundbreaking objects/installations/performances, open to the public ~
Thursday 15 and Friday 16 January from 6pm where performances will start from 7pm
www.thevoiceandnothingmore.com
Slade Research Centre
University College London
10 – 11 Woburn Square
London
WC1H 0NS