Introduction to Interactive Sculpture Workshops

Nic Hollinworth (Systems Engineering) and Kate Allen (Art) University of Reading

A short series of practical workshops exploring electronics, circuits and other materials. 

Discuss your ideas for interactive artworks

We meet at the University of Reading Art Dept in the Common Room

Thursday 31st January 2pm, Squishy Circuits and Interactive Objects

Thursday 14th February 2pm, Arduino and Shape Memory Metal

Thursday 28th February 2pm, Interactive Sculpture Tutorials

Thursday 7th March 2pm, Interactive Sculpture Exhibition

The workshops are open to Part Two, Three and Finalists and MA students.

Limited to 12 students

A Digitally Ready for the Future Small Project 2013

Centre for the Development of Teaching and Learning UoR

Background

Interactive sensory objects made by and for people with learning disabilities www.sensoryobjects.com is a three year AHRC funded research project which explores the potential of newly developed easy-to-use electronics in making the experience of members of the user-group more vital and meaningful when accessing heritage sites. The project consists of a series of workshops that are fundamentally experimental and exploratory in character. We would like to share some of our research with students from the art dept giving them a series of practical hands-on workshops as an introduction to interactive and digitally-enhanced sculpture/installation.

Aim

The aim is to introduce art students to the potential of using interactive technologies in sculpture and installation, and to enhance artworks and installations with the potential to make them responsive to people or the environment.

Objectives

To hold introductory workshops in the art dept for students led by Nic Hollinworth, which are experimental and exploratory in character. Students will design and develop multisensory interactive objects using sensors and rapid prototyping electronic Arduino boards to activate a particular webpage, video, sound, smell or movement, that act as triggers to information, thus augmenting reality for the user.

Scope

Through a series of hands-on workshops led by Nic Hollinworth working with the art dept, we will introduce students to simple electronics using ‘squishy circuits’ to activate light, sounds or movement.