First Friday is a monthly social event open to anyone. These events are somewhere between the last meeting of the week and the first event of your weekend. You might meet an artist or an engineer, a school teacher or a city leader. It is a place to connect with someone you might not otherwise meet, and hear about stuff you didn’t already know. All are welcome - from inside and outside the city, online or in the Watershed building.



September 2023 event

The next First Friday will take place both in Pervasive Media Studio and online on Fri 1 September 17:00-18:00.



This event will showcase work from the Make Shift network, a Watershed programme supporting early career creatives, who are curious about film and/or creative technology.

People joining online can participate in short speed networking conversations, facilitated by our chat roulette style software. You will be paired up at random for a series of five minute conversations, one-to-one with other guests. There is an option to take a break between each chat and you are welcome to pop in and out whenever you like. It's fine to join the event late and leave the event early.

People joining us in person will have the opportunity to have a look around Pervasive Media Studio and to find out more about some of the work that happens here. There will also be some equipment set up to chat with people joining the event remotely.

As well as the chance to socialise in the Studio, attendees joining the event in person will also get to see a selection of work by early career creatives in the Make Shift network.

This summer six early career creatives took part in Watershed’s first Make Shift Camp. Inspired by the work of the late David Graeber, across 5 days Campers explored the theme of 'Making the World Differently', considering how we collectively make the world we live in, and how we might choose to make something better. Through this process they came up with fun interactive prototypes experimenting with creative technology. First Friday attendees will get the chance to see their early-stage ideas, which includes a reimagining of public phone booths and a bus stop quiz. 

Rufus Firth, who spent some time at the Studio on a Work Experience placement recently, will be sharing a playful competitive weighing scales game.

Attendees will also have the chance to chat to Ella McDonald (Talent Coordinator BFI NETWORK SW & BFI Film Academy) and to find out more about opportunities including Short Film Fund, BFI Film Academy Short Courses, and more!

The hosted element of the event will finish at 6pm. After that, in person attendees are welcome to continue conversations in Watershed's cafe bar area.

 

Join the First Friday mailing list here.

This event is supported by MyWorld.

 

Booking info

To join us online sign up here. You will be asked for your email address so we can send you your personal link. Please try and use either Chrome or Firefox on your computer (rather than a mobile device).

If you are attending in person, there is no need to pre-book. Head to our main bar area, buy a drink if you want to, and then follow directions down to Pervasive Media Studio.

 

About Pervasive Media Studio

The Pervasive Media Studio hosts an international community of over 100 artists, companies, technologists, and academics exploring experience design and creative technology. We are a space for risk taking and early ideas; for the kind of projects and questions that inhabit the meeting points of art, technology, and society.

Our projects span play, robotics, location-based media, food, connected objects, interactive documentary, new forms of performance and more.

We have an open plan studio with a culture if generosity, curiosity, and interruptibility. We believe that by clustering people together from a broad range of backgrounds, with differing skills, experience, and opinions, all of our ideas become better.

 

Access

Pervasive Media Studio is wheelchair accessible and there is an accessible and gender neutral toilet. There is also a baby changing area.

We have a dedicated quiet room where there is low lighting, sofas, bean bags and space to lie down. This is away from the general open space of the Studio.

If drop in events aren't accessible for you, please email studio@watershed.co.uk to book in. When you book in, we will link you up with a member of our team who will reach out to find out where you would like them to meet you and what time you will arrive. That team member can also arrange a time for you to visit the Studio for a 1-2-1 tour so you can familiarise yourself with our space before attending.