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About Nesta

Nesta is an innovation foundation. For us, innovation means turning bold ideas into reality and changing lives for the better. We use our expertise, skills and funding in areas where there are big challenges facing society.

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Collective Embodiment

Societal transformations through body/mind interfaces
15 Oct 2019 17:30 – 15 Oct 2019 20:30
58 Victoria Embankment EC4Y 0DS

How can a city, neighbourhood or community develop a physical presence to become the hero or heroine of its own story? Can group physical narratives be harnessed, captured and repeated to effect lasting change in collective understanding and behaviour? How are these physical interactions translating into our digital world?

What is the event?

This evening event explored the relationship between our bodies, our environment and culture. We invited guests to engage with the idea of collective embodiment through video and debate, and through a series of presentations, from the field of virtual reality to the expertise of a choreographer.

Throughout history, our engagement with subculture movements – whether initiated by activism, advocacy, rituals, entertainment, site or education – has created strong, significant and long-term consequences for individual communities and for whole populations. Engaging our bodies and minds in this way can lead to widespread social transformation, whether through mass protest, choreographed dance, or other forms of coming together.

We often underestimate how much what we call ‘embodied culture’ (motion, gesture, facial expression, posture) can be harnessed to create deep, lasting impact on societies, changing the way we behave towards each other, challenging our understanding of ‘the norm’ and transforming society on a larger scale.

Who is the event for and why should I come?

This event was for anyone who wanted to learn more about how collective embodiment can effect change in the world around us. There was the opportunity to hear from a diverse range of speakers whose work sheds light on our understanding of collective embodiment, and there was a chance to network with others exploring this field.

What’s on offer?

Our speakers come from a range of backgrounds: from dance, gaming, virtual training and community activism. In this event, co-chaired by Geoff Mulgan (CEO at Nesta) and Ghislaine Boddington (Creative Director of body>data>space), the speakers shared their work while exploring collective embodied cognition – the interplay between our collective bodies, environment and culture.

There was also a debate on Professor Mehrabain’s 7% Rule, now famously used and misused, which states that human communication is only 7% verbal and 93% non-verbal.

Curated by Ghislaine Boddington, Creative Director of body>data>space.

Speakers

Ghislaine Boddington , Creative Director, body>data>space

Ghislaine Boddington is an award-winning curator and director, specialising in the future human, body responsive technologies and immersive experiences. She is Co-founder and Creative Director of body>data>space, a pioneering interactive creative design collective who have advocated for the living body to be at the heart of the digital debate since the early 1990s. She is bi-weekly Studio Expert for BBC Digital Planet (formerly BBC Click), the BBC World Service Radio flagship technology programme/podcast as well a reader at University of Greenwich.

Andy Fawkes, Consultant, Thinke Company

Andy Fawkes is an independent consultant and engineer working principally in the field of training and simulation and is a regular conference chair and speaker on developments in simulation, training and technology. Current clients include Bohemia Interactive Simulations and Vedette Consulting. He is a former UK MoD head of simulation policy and Chair of the NATO Modelling and Simulation Group.

Geoff Mulgan, Chief Executive, Nesta

Geoff Mulgan has been Chief Executive of Nesta since 2011. Nesta is the UK's innovation foundation and runs a wide range of activities in investment, practical innovation and research. Under his leadership it moved out of the public sector to become an independent foundation; greatly expanded its work, partly through creating new units, centres and funds in fields ranging from evidence and impact investment to challenge prizes and skills; and complemented its work in the UK with work in dozens of countries around the world. Geoff co-chairs a World Economic Forum group looking at innovation and entrepreneurship in the fourth industrial revolution. He has advised many governments around the world and is currently chair of an international advisory committee for the Mayor of Seoul and a member of advisory committees for the Prime Minister’s office in the UAE, the Scottish Government and SITRA, the Finnish Innovation agency.

Ling Tan, Designer, maker and software developer

Ling Tan is a designer, maker and software developer specialising in social wearables and community participation. Her recent work; SUPERGESTURES involved working with 50 young people across Manchester, UK over a period of six months to create a large scale outdoor participatory performance that uses wearable technology to help question how much tangible impact smart city technology can have on future generations.

Jane Turner, London Metropolitan University, TURNING WORLDS

Dancer-choreographer Dr Jane Turner began her professional career with the Scala Ballet, Barcelona before founding her dance company TURNING WORLDS in 1990. Extensive collaborative choreographic work evolved a research interest in self-organising systems, complexity and emergence resulting in explorations of the art, science and new technologies interface. Her recent performance work includes Taking Turns(2019) touring Duckie Posh Clubs and the large scale work Passage for PAR (2018) by leading British choreographer Rosemary Lee. Jane is a Senior Lecturer .5 at London Metropolitan University.

Sally Ramsden, Director, Natural Connection

Sally Ramsden is a yoga teacher specialising in mindfulness, nature connection and community well-being. She is founder and director of Natural Connection, an independent consultancy focusing on developing holistic, inclusive approaches to individual and collective well-being. She is currently designing embodied approaches for people learning English as a Second Language (ESL) and tools for involving older people in local food growing, community gardens and green spaces. She brings a background in journalism, in international research and communications, in participatory training, facilitation and community engagement and has worked with diverse organisations such as Oxford University, The British Council, Friends of the Earth and Save the Children.

Stanza, Artist

Stanza artworks engage with the city as a system and focus on how we identify our self in this increasingly technological and surveyed landscape. By using data expressively on a broad networked based canvas he creates art about the age we live in right now.

Event information

15 Oct 2019 17:30 – 15 Oct 2019 20:30
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