Project blog

Jo Lansdowne, Watershed's Executive Producer – Pervasive Media Studio 10thBirthday

On Valentines Day the Pervasive Media Studio turned 10 years old. We wanted to celebrate by looking forward rather than backward, outward rather than inward and by foregrounding the work of the community of extraordinary people that make the Studio our home. 

So we threw open our, sometimes hidden, doors to a public audience and invited the residents to share a birthday gift with them. I can’t remember the number of people that turned up (but I know that it was LOADS) or the overwhelming range of things that they played with, ate, watched and shared… but what does stay with me is the spirit of generosity, openness and welcome and how it shone very bright in a tough 2018. 

Vanessa Bellaar-Spruijt Network Producer for Network for Creative Enterprise: Layered Realities Showcase in March

My favourite moment was the Sunday morning of Layered Realities. We nearly had to stop the show due to snow and ice. The whole organisation came together to help out and to make it happen through being in tune with each other, and it worked. It highlighted the collaborative values we all try to make integral to our work.

Read more about Layered Realities here.

Hilary O’Shaughnessy, Producer for Playable City – Playable City

Earlier this year Playable City took artists to Tokyo for a residencythat explored technology, inclusivity and play in public space. Sophie, one of the artists, created a very simple version of Japanese hopscotch, Ken Ken Pa outside the gorgeous Chiyoda Arts Centre. I remember sitting in the lovely garden and witnessing complete strangers engage in meaningful conversations about design, play and culture and the differences between the UK and Japan. I was again reminded that the simple act of creating a space for people to play in public can genuinely led to really great connections.