Creative Informatics

20/10/2024

Upcoming Event: Open Innovation Factory - Immersive Technologies

📆 Wednesday 30 October
⏰ 2pm-5pm followed by food for in-person attendees
📌 and online
🎫 Free

This event will explore how innovations in virtual production and immersive technologies are changing how we watch, play, interact and create.

We're bringing together industry experts to explore how skills, funding and support, along with extraordinary ideas and creativity, can shape the future of this industry. We’ll discuss policy and creative practice with presentations and demonstrations from those working at the forefront of new media technologies, before exploring how design methods and techniques, such as rapid prototyping and collaborative co-creation, can support the ideation process.

Tickets are free and refreshments will be provided for in person attendees.

Register now https://www.eventbrite.com/e/open-innovation-factory-immersive-technologies-tickets-1020366211807?aff=oddtdtcreator

28/06/2024

“There’s no doubt that the Edinburgh creative tech community is special, given that it sits at the juncture of a world-leading cultural city, and one with an immensely successful start-up ecosystem, and we hope that the bridges we’ve built here show others how best to encourage creatives to make new digital and data driven products and services, keeping them ahead of the international game.”
Professor Melissa Terras, Director, Creative Informatics

After an incredible five years, the Creative Informatics programme closes on Friday 28 June 2024. Since 2018, we’ve been proud to support the creative industries in Edinburgh and Southeast Scotland to do new, ground-breaking work with data.

Funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council, Scottish Funding Council, the Data Driven Innovation Programme of the Edinburgh City Region Deal, and the Department for Culture, Media & Sport, recent economic analysis has estimated a Gross Value Added (GVA) to the region of £78.5m associated with the Creative Informatics programme.

We would like to extend a huge thanks to the creative and cultural community in Edinburgh and South East Scotland and everyone who has engaged with our programme over the past five years. We simply could not have delivered such ground-breaking and impactful work without your support and creativity.

Watch an extended version of our final film https://vimeo.com/968710127

And read our final report https://zenodo.org/records/12575157

We'll see you all soon!

🎥

21/05/2024

Artificial Intelligence is making waves in the creative industries and reactions range from extreme enthusiasm to complete mistrust and everything in between. Our new white paper ‘The Future of Creativity and AI: Views from the Scottish Creative Industries’ reports on our Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and Department for Culture, Media and Sport funded Creative AI Demonstrator Project, which asked creative practitioners about their priorities, concerns and hopes for creative AI.

This paper introduces the landscape of creative AI in Scotland in 2023 and provides concrete recommendations on how to support our creative industries.

Read the full report and continue the conversation at our Creative AI Forum with Scottish AI Alliance on 13 June.

https://creativeinformatics.org/the-future-of-creativity-and-ai/

30/04/2024

We're so excited to see the Creative Informatics book out in the world. Data-Driven Innovation in the Creative Industries, published by Routledge, is a new collection of essays edited by Melissa Terras, Vikki Jones, Nicola Osborne and Chris Speed. The book features insights and case studies from across the Creative Informatics programme, along with contributions from other Creative Industries Clusters, academics and practitioners.

The book centres the role of data, digital technologies and innovations in the production and consumption of creative products and services. It reflects on our experiences in delivering, researching, and supporting the creative industries in Edinburgh and South East Scotland through the Creative Informatics programme, while also taking a necessarily global perspective, to examine how the creative industries can be supported to make use of data-driven innovation and digital technologies in their work.

You can order a copy or download in open access https://creativeinformatics.org/publications/data-driven-innovation-creative-industries/

16/04/2024

Let’s Play was fantastic fun!

11/04/2024

Let’s Play, shall we? Join us Summerhall Edinburgh Science Festival as we celebrate the Scotland’s games industry with an interactive night out. The night is yours to play with, choose from a programme of short talks from industry creatives and researchers, try out cutting-edge tech or relax with a drink at the bar and enjoy some AI-generated beats.

Hear about the latest breakthroughs in virtual reality and augmented reality from Prof Neil McDonnell, who heads up the University of Glasgow’s Museums in the Metaverse project, then have a go at some VR games for yourself.

Cat Burton from Vesper will share how games studios are empowering writers to turn their stories into video games, with a little help from ethical AI, while Scottish Games Network's Brian Baglow will explain how Scotland is about to become the first part of the United Kingdom to have its own games strategy. What does it mean for games, for esports, for education and for the future of fun?

There will be live demonstrations from Tettix Games and Ray Interactive plus the chance to try out interactive activities from Playable Technology, Yaldi Games and Doska Animation.

Book now and we’ll you there!

Get your game face on and extend your reality as we explore how creative technologies and on-screen innovation are changing how we play and experience the world around us – and worlds we can only imagine.

08/04/2024

Join us to discuss Creative AI for Creative Work at the National Museum of Scotland on Wednesday 10 April as part of Edinburgh Science Festival.

The rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence is creating challenges for the creative industries around human creativity, originality, intellectual property and ethics. However, AI has incredible potential as a tool for creative work – for experimentation or as part of an ideation process. Hear from creative professionals working with AI to enhance their projects – from developing playful innovations to creating new revenue streams for sound and audio production.

With Ana Betancourt (Black Goblin), Catherine Stewart (Data Mind Audio) and artist Theodore Koterwas. Chaired by Dr Frauke Zeller, Professor of Human-Computer Interaction and Creative Informatics at Edinburgh Napier University.

https://www.edinburghscience.co.uk/event/creative-ai-for-creative-work/

Images:

🎧A live performance of music and movement exploring agency, creativity and empathy through embodied interactions with AI. Presented by Theodore Koterwas in collaboration with Emma Snellgrove and Atul Kumar at Inspace in November 2023.
📸 Stuart Armitt

🎧Portrait of Ana Betancourt from Black Goblin. Black Goblin is a sound research and technology company on a quest to transform the way creators work with sound.
📸 Chris Scott

🎧Ben Cantil from DataMind Audio demonstrates the Combobulator - an AI style-transfer audio plugin. MD and co-founder of DataMind Audio, Catherine Stewart, joins the panel to discuss their work.
📸 Chris Scott

28/03/2024

Experience virtual reality worlds, discover new data-driven artworks, and use building blocks to create your own music in our new interactive showcase opening at the National Museum of Scotland on Saturday 30 March as part of Edinburgh Science Festival

Since 2018, we have been supporting individuals and organisations working in the creative industries in Edinburgh and South-East Scotland to do inspiring things with data and digital technologies. Creative Informatics: Unleashing the Power of Data provides a snapshot of the groundbreaking creative work that has come out of our programme.

Read about our exhibitors: https://creativeinformatics.org/meet-the-exhibitors/

📌Open 10-5 until 7 April in Hawthornden Court, National Museum of Scotland.

15/02/2024

Congratulations to Edinburgh Science Festival on the launch the their programme! We’re thrilled to be partnering with them to present a showcase of Creative Informatics funded projects. We’ll be popping up throughout the programme with creative experiences, demonstrations, discussion and debate.

Highlights include:

🏅 An interactive showcase at National Museums Scotland featuring innovative products, experiences and ground-breaking creative work that has been developed through funding and support from the Creative Informatics programme.

🎧 Creative AI for Creative Work at National Museums Scotland - hear from a panel of creative professionals working with AI to enhance their projects - from developing playful innovations to creating new revenue streams for sound and audio production.

🎮 Let’s Play at Summerhall - join us for an evening that will extend your reality with AI-generated beats, interactive experiences, tech demonstrations and quick-fire presentations.

Find out more:https://creativeinformatics.org/news/edinburgh-science-festival/

15/11/2023

We're celebrating and showcasing the potential of Creative AI with a special event at Platform Glasgow on Tuesday 28 November. Join us for an evening of performances and presentations (and food and drink). Registration is free - find out more:

Join us at Platform for an evening of food, drink, conversation and performance exploring the incredible potential of Creative AI.

27/09/2023

Don't miss the Creative Informatics Innovation Showcase from 28-29 September. As a reminder, everyone is welcome to attend this free event. Food and refreshments will be provided and you can sign up to attend both days, either day or online.

The line-up includes a performance from singer and creative tech producer, Chagall and a special appearance from pioneering technology innovator Imogen Heap, in conversation with author and broadcaster Gemma Cairney.

Browse the programme and register now: https://bit.ly/3qUKpbz

27/09/2023

Join our Innovation Showcase from 28-29 September to celebrate the visionary people and groundbreaking projects that have been part of, and inspired, the Creative Informatics programme over the past five years.

This event is free to attend with food and refreshments provided. You can join in person at Central Hall or online: https://bit.ly/3qUKpbz

Thursday 28 September: Investment, Innovation, Impact
Day one explores the impact of the Creative Industries Clusters Programme with guests from across the network. We’ll hear from some inspiring creatives about how they took their businesses from idea, through investment, to in-the-world, and explore some amazing examples of social impact from Creative Informatics-funded projects that show how small companies can create far reaching change. We’ll also highlight exciting new opportunities for those working in virtual production, and explore the potential of creative AI.

Thursday will close with a discussion and performance from singer and producer Chagall. In Unlocked, Chagall blends live vocals with a stunning interactive light-art installation, bringing captivating physicality and human intimacy to electronic music.

Friday 29 September: Powering Creative Connections
Day two is all about making connections. We have inspirational keynotes from creators and curators and we’ll be hearing from some incredible organisations who are supporting creatives through community networks. We’ll be looking at how data can be used to broaden access to creative work, and chatting to practitioners who are making a big impact through sustainable practice and the disruption of traditional supply models.

We’ll be finishing the day with a special appearance from award-winning recording artist and technology innovator, Imogen Heap, in conversation with broadcaster, author and activist Gemma Cairney, followed by a drinks reception.

An exciting two-day hybrid event and exhibition to explore how data-driven innovation is changing the world around us.