In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic Knowle West Media Centre ran a project called 'Forms of Intelligence'. It brought together people who work closely with animals and plants, from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds, to go on a learning journey together. We started by wondering why A.I is often modelled on human intelligence when so many other inspirational multispecies forms of intelligence exist. We explored these other forms, thought about what they could teach us and imaged more caring, less extractive tech systems informed by these learnings. The group ranged in age from 18-80 and through their embodied knowledges, of working closely with birds, trees, spiders, coral, soil we dreamed, generated ideas, made podcasts and a set of cards for interspecies care. 
 
Martha King is the Creative Co-Director at Knowle West Media Centre (KWMC) in Bristol. KWMC is an arts and community tech organisation with a mission to 'make fair and thriving neighbourhoods together, with arts tech and care'. She is also co-founder and director of Control Shift, an international arts and tech festival, based in Bristol. She has developed and delivered numerous participatory and critically engaged arts and tech projects and ran community tech co-creation programmes exploring topics such as data ethics, AI and commons-based approaches to citizen sensing. Martha has a background in theatre and performance making; which means collaborative and embodied practices are central to her work. 
 
She has a UCL accredited service design qualification and is a currently on the Clore Leading Systemic Change Programme. She is co-author on HCI published paper 'A City in Common: A Framework to Foster Technology Innovation from the Bottom up' and co-author of the chapter ‘We Can Make: Co-Creating Knowledge and Products with Local Communities’ in ‘Co-Creation in Theory and Practice Exploring Creativity in the Global North and South’.

Join us online on YouTube Live, or in the building on Friday 22nd November 2024 at 1pm for the talk and to take part in the Q and A discussion afterwards. 

The Pervasive Media Studio is a partnership between the Watershed, University of the West of England and University of Bristol. The lunchtime talks are partly supported by MyWorld, a project led by the University of Bristol to support creative industries in the region. Watershed is supported by Arts Council England.

Address:
Watershed, 1 Canon's Rd, Bristol BS1 5TX

Directions:
The Lunchtime talks take place in the Pervasive Media Studio Event Space. To access the Studio, please go to the Main Watershed Box Office entrance and go upstairs to the Café Bar. Walk across the cafe bar, turn right and walk towards the double doors. Go through into the corridor and walk all the way down until you reach the Studio. A member of staff will sign you in, and check your ticket, if you have booked.

The Studio is wheelchair accessible, and the events space has a hearing loop. The last talk of every month is BSL interpreted. 

For more information on accessing the studio take a look here.

*Please note this is a hybrid event and will be live streamed so please be aware you will be in the live broadcast and recording when watching in the Studio.