Make Shift is a space for 18-30 year old creatives to come together in the Pervasive Media Studio at Watershed on the first Tuesday evening of each month. This is an opportunity to meet other creative people in the city, use one of our hot desk spaces, seek advice on projects you're working on or next steps in your career in a welcoming environment.

Each month we’ll have a guest from the Pervasive Media Studio working in the creative industries who will speak about their practice and can give advice. Guest speakers will be experts in their field, anything from a VR film maker to a finance professional.

As part of October's Make Shift, freelance producer and filmmaker Jon Aitken will share thoughts around following your passions and juggling a freelance life.

Jon has a decade of experience telling playful and meaningful stories to international audiences. In 2014 he was scouted to join the debut cohort of content creators at Rife magazine, followed by a place on Watershed’s Future Producers programme.

Since then, he has directed, produced and edited factual content, collaborated to develop interactive digital experiences, and has spent time as a researcher in TV. Jon has created work for clients such as the Royal Shakespeare Company, Coventry City of Culture, Manchester International Festival, The National Lottery Community Fund, Penguin Random House and Bristol Old Vic.

Jon is also part of Queer Vision, a collective of LGBTQ+ programmers in Bristol shining a light on queer filmmaking in the South West, and is a writer too! In 2020 he was selected to join the BFI’s New Voices scheme and in 2021 he received Arts Council England funding to develop his long-form writing practice. He continues to write for screen and page, and is particularly interested in queerness and comedy.

Jon has bags of experience in working on client briefs, collaborating, pitching, developing his own practice, filmmaking, freelance practice and so much more. So come with questions and things you are thinking about. Jon is a brilliant person to bounce off!

The hosted element of the event will start at 17:30 and finish at 19:30. After that attendees are welcome to continue conversations or make use of our hot desks to do your own work in the Pervasive Media Studio until 21:00.

 

Booking Info

There is no need to pre-book. Head to the Café & Bar and then follow directions to Pervasive Media Studio.

If drop in systems aren't accessible for you, please email talentdevelopment@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. We have a dedicated quiet space and dedicated quiet desks area, which all visitors are welcome to use.

Keeping Each Other Safe

Here is some useful information on what we expect from you and what you can expect from us when visiting us.

We ask you to please do the following:

- Where possible, take a lateral flow test before attending the event.

- Wear a mask when moving around the building, unless you are exempt. You are welcome to take it off when seated and if you are eating or drinking.

- Wash your hands regularly and/or use the hand sanitiser provided.

- Not shake-hands with other attendees.

- Socially distance at the event, wherever possible.

- Not attend in person if you have any Covid symptoms or have been advised to self-isolate.

To help keep staff and visitors safe, Watershed staff will do the following:

- Make sure that the venue is well-ventilated (the space can get cold, so we suggest wearing a jumper / coat)

- Clean equipment between uses.

- Manage the capacity to make sure spaces do not get too crowded.

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.