Technologists and artists to share their skills in Liverpool’s new FACTLab
A partnership between FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology), and the Liverpool School of Art and Design at LJMU, will see technologists and artists sharing their skills and knowledge and welcoming visitors to use the space to develop their own creative projects.
FACTLab is a pioneering workshop space within the upcoming exhibition Build Your Own: Tools for Sharing (4 June - 31 August), where visitors of all ages will be invited to get hands on and explore the possibilities of creative technology, by experimenting with tools and devices.
By offering visitors the chance to engage in activities such as 3D printing, filmmaking and computer coding, FACT hopes to support the development of both practical skills and a creative and critical interest in technology in Liverpool and beyond.
FACTLab aims to be the initial step of something that will grow into a permanent resource for engaging with the creative community. As part of its three month pilot programme, FACTLab will host visiting artists, support the development of new works, and provide a physical location in FACT’s Gallery 2 for informal workshops and skill-sharing events, offering activities ranging from musical instrument making to assembling 3D printed prosthetic hands.
Dr Mark Wright, who holds a joint post with FACT and the Liverpool School of Art and Design, in order to develop and deliver this workshop space, commented:
“There is an exciting world-wide movement where art institutions move from just showing art to act as hubs for affect, engagement, research and innovation with the public, artists, researchers and creative sectors. FACT and LJMU are recognised leaders in this field and FACTLab is our way of exploring this space. Although many other centres exist, we are unique in combining a permanent embedded senior researcher, world class artists, extensive community engagement and now, with FACTLab, in-house public-facing artist developers.”
The largest programme of workshops is FACTLab: Hack Nights, which has been developed to act as a hub where makers, developers and other communities can acquire new skills and quality learning experiences. FACTLab: Hack Nights will happen on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and present skill sharing sessions where adult participants can learn about electronics, programming and creative technology regardless of their previous experience within the field.
Thiago Hersan, who moved from Brazil to Liverpool with his colleague Radamés Ajna to be one of the first creative technologists to occupy the FACTLab space, said:
“I’m interested in fostering communities for exploring non-traditional uses of technologies. FACTLab will create opportunities for people to engage with, and sometimes influence, works while they're being developed, and will be a great place to build a community around art and technology practices."
Other activities taking place in the FACTLab space will be a summer school for children exploring coding using Raspberry Pi, and Manchester based maker collective the Owl Project’s workshops, which will explore different aspects of musical instrument making and result in the iLog - a fully functional musical instrument housed in a wooden log. FACTLab will also host Show and Tell gatherings for people who use technology in their creative practice, to provide an opportunity for them to meet, talk about their work and share details about their processes and experiences.
FACT’s Director Professor Mike Stubbs said:
“By having a public, practice-based, creative space, FACT can further act as a catalyst for creative communities and empower visitors who want to get more involved with processes of making, in addition to looking and reflecting. We see it as our duty to drive agendas of the creative and critical use of technology - it is no longer just about digital creations, but how technology affects almost everything we do and think.”
The exhibition Build Your Own: Tools for Sharing is co-produced by the Crafts Council and FACT in association with Norfolk Museums Service, and will explore how new technologies change traditional crafts, and how makers can work, share and collaborate both locally and globally in the digital age.
FACTLab is presented by FACT, developed with Liverpool John Moores University and sponsored by the Culture Programme of the European Union and Connecting Cities.
ENDS –
For images and more information please contact:
Sofia Sigroth
Media Relations Officer
0151 707 4413 | sofia.sigroth@fact.co.uk
Jen Chapman
Head of Marketing & Communications
0151 707 4415 | jen.chapman@fact.co.uk
NOTES TO EDITORS
Opening hours: Tuesday – Sunday 11am – 6pm
Tickets: Free entry
Address: FACT, 88 Wood Street, Liverpool, L1 4DQ
Phone: +44(0) 151 707 4444
Website: fact.co.uk
About FACT
FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology) is the UK’s leading media arts centre, based in Liverpool and is focused on bringing people, art and technology together. FACT’s award-winning building houses three galleries, a café, bar and four cinema screens. Since the organisation was founded in 1988 (previously called Moviola), it has commissioned and presented over 250 new media and digital artworks from artists including Pipilotti Rist, Nam June Paik, Bill Viola, Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Isaac Julien.
