Martin O'Leary
Pervasive Media Studio
As Studio Community Lead, Martin supports our community of residents in their creative and technical work.
Studio Community Lead
Worked on
Alternative Technologies: A Just Transition
This workshop series examines technologies and their past, present, and future role in climate justice (and breakdown) and explores what the alternatives could be, through a process of carefully facilitated design thinking
Improvised Human Machine Conversations - Instrumental Extensions and Amputations
Craig Scott was the recipient of Watershed's Patterns in Practice Residency - an opportunity to develop artistic ideas and conversations exploring data mining and machine learning.
Gathering Moss
A digital landscape populated with artistic ideas made in response to the climate emergency.
MyWorld - Strength in Places
Watershed is excited to be a partner in MyWorld, a project led by the University of Bristol that will celebrate the West of England's reputation as an international trailblazer in creative technology and screen-based media.As Studio Community Lead, Martin takes care of our community of residents, and gives support in their creative and technical work. He leads the Studio Community team, which supports an ongoing and changing community, identifying and responding to their needs, as well as signposting opportunities, supporting the health and balance of the ecology, and connecting it to wider audiences
His responsibilities also include researching emerging technologies and communicating that research to the Watershed community through prototypes, demonstrations and face-to-face support. He looks after the Studio's collection of weird technology, from heart-rate monitors and conductive ink, through to the latest VR kit and an impressive selection of out-dated mobile phones.
Before joining Watershed, he had careers in software development, in academia and in exhibition design. As a freelance technologist, he's done everything from data analysis for the fashion industry through to consulting on the geology of fantasy worlds.
He also maintains his own digital arts practice, and a small collection of drawing robots.
