Squidsoup is an international group of artists, researchers and designers (UK/NO/NZ) working with digital and interactive media experiences. Their work combines sound, physical space and virtual worlds to produce immersive and emotive headspaces where participants can take active control of their experience. They explore the modes and effects of interactivity, looking to make digital experiences where meaningful and creative interaction can occur.

Their work has been shown at numerous festivals, seminars and galleries around the world, including Ars Electronica Festival (Linz Austria, 2010), SIGGRAPH (LA, 2001 and 2010), Glastonbury (2010), Kinetica Art Fair (London 2010), ISEA (Belfast, Northern Ireland 2009 and Nagoya, Japan, 2002), the V&A (Late at the V&A, London, October 2008) as well as several online exhibitions.

Recognition includes an honorary mention at Prix FILE LUX (Interactive Art, 2010), an International EMMA for Best On-line Art (2000) and a BAFTA nomination (Interactive Arts 2002).

Grants, project commissions and collaborations from (among others): Royal Shakespeare Company (2010,11), Technology Strategy Board (2008, 2009), Oslo School of Architecture and Design (2009-11), ETHZ/Horao (2008), Future of Sound (2007), Cybersonica (2006-8), Arts Council England (2003,5), NESTA Futurelab (2002-7), Cornerhouse (2003), Watershed Media Centre (2002,4,5) and Mobile Bristol (2004).

Squidsoup’s work can be experienced online at www.squidsoup.org, and in shared spaces, physical and virtual installations, games and software tools.

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Squidsoup is an open group of collaborators, whose main members are:

Anthony Rowe
Anthony Rowe has around 15 years experience in digital media and interaction design; as an artist, designer, teacher and researcher. He is currently Associate Professor, Interaction Design at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design (Norway) where his responsibilities include strategy and coordination of the taught Masters curriculum in Interaction Design, some teaching, and research. He is also working towards a PhD on Symbiotic Realities (exploring affective interaction within shared, immersive, mixed reality experiences).

Anthony co-founded Squidsoup in 1997. His work with Squidsoup is closely linked to his design research, which is practice-led and concerned with the experiential aspects of placing, visualising and interacting with virtual systems in physical 3D space. He is also a founder of LUX, an international series of seminars and exhibitions exploring the rich creative intersections of light, space and interaction.

In a former existence, Anthony sailed single-handed across the Atlantic (1988). He also has an MA in Design for Interactive Media (Middlesex University, 1997) and now shares his time between Oslo and the Cotswolds (UK).

Gaz Bushell
Game Developer, Digital Artist and Lecturer. Gaz has led the programming on squidsoup projects for over 11 years. His background in Sculpture is the seed of his interest in the tangibility of real and virtual space.

He also used to work as lead programmer for on of the UK’s top Digital Agencies, focusing on viral marketing games – his work has been played hundreds of millions of times worldwide for top International brands.

Gaz now runs his own indie game company, Fayju, developing games mainly for Apples iOS platform. Fayju’s games have been downloaded over 6 million times worldwide (and counting).

Chris Bennewith
Before undertaking his role as Head of Institute of Communication Design at Massey University’s College of Creative Arts, Chris was the Head of the Department of Design at the Newport School of Art, Media and Design in the UK. Previous to that he was Programme Leader for the BA (Hons) Interactive Media course.

Chris spent eight years working in the interactive media industry in London, principally with Squidsoup, creating online multiuser 3D games for clients such as Sony, Levis and Universal. More recently Chris has continued his collaboration with Squidsoup who are now an internationally recognised group working in the field of interactive arts.

Chris trained as a Graphic Designer and acts as the lead visual designer within the group.

Liam Birtles
Liam is an artist, lecturer and researcher with 20 years experience in creative practice and digital technology. He is currently Senior Lecturer at Arts University College Bournemouth teaching on the BA in Digital Media Production and the MA Interactive Media.

While training as a furniture designer in the early 90′s Liam became interested in evolutionary computer graphics. In 1995 he gained an MSc in 3D computer graphics from Teesside University and then became a Research Assistant working with designers using low-end virtual reality at Coventry University.

Liam joined Squidsoup in 2007 and occasionally works as Nomethod. Liam’s current research concerns include haptic interaction; the role form plays in collaboration and autonomous agents and physical narrative space.

Others involved include Alexander Rishaug (Scapes), Ollie Bown (Surface, altzero, Driftnet), James Lane (altzero, Ghosts, Come Closer), Scott Arford (altzero), Sam Britton (altzero), Cliff Randell (Come Closer) and Piers Watson (Virtual Puppeteers) – and many many others who have helped us and played with us along the way.

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Contact mail (at) squidsoup (dot) org

Click here to read Squid Soups Lunch Time Talk

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