On the 19th century American lecture circuit, skilled orators attempted to dazzle and capivate their audiences with the latest technologies, stories from distant lands, or bold new scientific theories. Studio resident Tom McDonagh and his team are currently developing a theatre production called ‘Hollow’, which will bring to life perhaps the most successful of them all, Jeremiah Reynolds (1799-1858). He believed the earth was “hollow, inhabited within, and widely open at the poles” and successfully launched a doomed expedition to the South Ocean to discover an inner hemisphere.. 

The show will be an 1830’s lecture by Reynolds, staged with large scale light projections. At the lunchtime talk, Tom will discuss the development process behind two new optical techniques (3D shadows and reflective projection) and how they have combined digital manufacturing with older, handcraft processes. Using these new methods, they are exploring how the quality of analogue projected light and how the ‘liveness' of a performance affects audience engagement.

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