A meditation on superstructure.

In this talk Tim Kindberg will report on his first trip to sub-Saharan Africa: a 2.5 week trip to Accra and Nairobi in March & early April. Tim worked for the British Council for a few days in Nairobi, acting as a mentor on their Culture Shift programme at the iHub. The rest of his trip was a personal exploration - well, a toe in the water - of the technical and cultural scenes in those two very different cities. Tim gave presentations and talked to people in universities, start-up hubs and the independent creative sectors. His goal, ultimately, is to find a mid/long-term point of engagement: a project in which he can learn from this continent.

Tim will talk about some of the technology he found out there, the creative hubs & outlets that exist (or not), and a very preliminary view on what his (our?) points of engagement might be. In so doing, he will try to articulate the role played by what he will call superstructure, i.e. that socio-technical-cultural layer that can be built on the old order (despite it). Superstructure may be a viable workaround where infrastructure is broken in Africa and, Tim would like to think, a basis for positive change. He will leave plenty of time for discussion so do come and share your own thoughts and experiences.

 

 

This Lunchtime Talk is part of Open Studio Friday, which takes place at the Studio every week.

Do you want to find out what is going on at the Pervasive Media Studio? Are you interested in meeting our residents, talking about a specific project or curious about pervasive media? Why not pack a sandwich and join us for one of our Lunchtime Talks and Open Studio Friday.

Lunchtime Talks are informal presentations by Studio residents and associates. They normally take place at 1pm on Friday, are free and open to everybody who’s interested in what we do.

After the Talk, we also invite you to stay with us for the afternoon to continue the conversation or work on your own projects. We provide chairs, tables, wireless and a great space. You bring what you need to work with (laptop/mobile). Our open afternoons close at 5pm.

Let us know if you’d like a tour of the space and we'll be happy to show you around. Send an email to admin@pmstudio.co.uk