This week, a large proportion of the Studio team have been scattered across the globe. REACT Producers Matt and Tom have been supporting the UnBox LABS in Ahmedabad, India. This saw participants explore ideas and develop responses to the lab’s 'FUTURE CITIES' theme. Studio Director Clare and Producer Verity headed off to SXSW in Austin, Texas to discuss Playable Cities versus Smart Cities. Producer Vic spoke at the Random String symposium in Coventry. With so much happening outside the Studio you might think it’s been a quiet week but our residents have kept the home fires burning...

Dancer and creative technologist Laura Kriefman has embarked on a project to create an interactive LED dress for Kicking the Mic, a solo performance which will blend interactive technology with tap dance. She will be working with fellow residents Phil and Kaspar among others to make the dress a reality, before premiering the project in Indonesia. Find out more about the project here and we’ll share pictures of the work in progress soon.

Rosie of Splash and Ripple has been working with CATH (an AHRC Research project led by University of Birmingham) and BrightStripe on a new 3D soundscape app. They have been testing the app in an Iron Age Hill Fort in an attempt to interpret the space through sound. Participants will wear earphones, and as they walk around the space the audio change in relation to where they are and the direction they are facing. The project is due to be tested on 16 March at Creden Hill in Herefordshire.

Next week, the first REACT Objects Sandbox workshop will take place in the Studio. This workshop will bring the six selected project groups together to begin developing their ideas. These include a range of approaches to connected objects, from cutting edge designs to taxidermy and ancient instruments. The projects are set to get more interesting as they progress through the iterative sandbox process. Have a look on the Objects Sandbox site to follow the projects throughout.

Another REACT Sandbox Scheme, which is an exploration of the concept of Future Documentary, is coming to a close. The Future Documentary Showcase will take place on Wednesday 19 March, at the very start of iDocs. If you are interested in finding out more about the six projects taking part in the scheme, please book your free tickets here.

We have a new addition to the Studio; App developer Pablo has joined Calvium to work on their wonderful App Tail projects. We are all looking forward to getting to know him better.

This Sunday, hearts will be in mouths as Pocket Spacecraft will be tracking the launch of their PS1X1 spacecraft from Cape Canaveral into space. If you’d like to join them for early morning coffee and cake and a countdown to watch the NASA/SpaceX launch from the Studio, book your free place here.