Our workshops for next week are below. Expect to make stuff, learn stuff, and go on walks. Spaces are are limited so we have a booking system, for which a link and link and password will be sent out to ticket holders only, first thing on TUESDAY 26th.
George Buckenham: Making Twitter Bots
Twitter bots are a weird little things that can do all kinds of stuff. They’re now going far beyond the Markov chain _ebooks bots of a few years ago. George will teach you how to make your own, with a little help from Harry Giles. Some of our favorites at the moment are @pixelsorter, which takes the pixels in any image you tweet at it and makes them into a new image.
@tiny_astro_naut, which uses the output of another bot, @tiny_star_field, as its input.
@massconnect4, which takes input from teams of people @ing it, then renders the board using emoji.
Also the kind of, probably NSFW, but hilarious @suxting.
Alex Johansson: Cardboard Beats Keyboard
An introduction to building custom hardware. Using MakeyMakeys and a whole heap of cardboard, Alex will show you how to wire a prototype controller up and get it talking to your computer as if it’s a USB keyboard.
Ed Key: Botany Walk
Ed Key will take you walking on a short loop through the nearby woods and lanes, peering closely at, smelling and tasting plants that you find, whilst avoiding being poisoned. The discussion will also include thinking about what wilderness and wild growing plants mean. Learning about the environment they’re growing in as an emergent system, but perhaps also about running wild from cultivation or avoiding the strimmer. Beyond the physical, once we can identify plants, a web of folk-names and forgotten uses becomes visible… Make sure to bring sensible footwear if you book for this.
Harry Giles: Gamepoems
If you’re a writer, if you enjoy playing with language, if you like the idea of playing Mornington Crescent, this workshop may be for you. Gamepoems are en emerging experimental form that some game designers are playing with. Gamepoems are not restricted to mischief or being silly, but our latest favourite example is definitely CORSON.
Gareth Briggs: Political Football
An actual game of football, but with different rules. It’s a game about the relationship between performers and audience, and parallels from that and between designer and player, politician and voter. Like the nature walk, bring sensible shoes that you wouldn’t mind getting a bit muddy. Studs not required.
