CARDIFF’S FESTIVAL OF CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY
Chapter Arts Centre, Canton
Thurs 22-Sat 24 Oct
May You Live In Interesting Times is the somewhat puzzling name of Cardiff’s annual festival of creative technology, which this year explores how participation is increasingly the driving force behind digital content. The festival, which lasts 3 days and is centred round the eclectic Chapter Arts Centre, addresses the rapid and all too often inhumane development of technology, but does so in a manner that aims to make it enjoyable for all ages.
There is an exhibit of the critically acclaimed artist Eddo Stern’s experimental IT designs, and other pioneers of ethical technology, such as the inventor of a bicycle powered smoothie machine, show off their work at Wales’ first ever Maker’s Faire. However, the real attraction is the chance to get involved. You can talk to the Ghana Think Tank, a global network that originated between Ghana, Cuba and El Salvador, about how they can help with local issues. Alternatively, you could text an update to Alfred Sirleaf, the analogue blogger, who will be presenting the news on a blackboard in Canton, transferred from his usual residence on the streets of Monrovia, Liberia, where he has been presenting locals with daily reports for decades. Perhaps the highlight of the festival is the interactive gameshow Who Wants to Be?, where contestants ‘ask the questions, conjure up the answers and even set the rules’ via digital gadgets. This particular event looks at how democratic institutions work in highly technical societies, and thus remains consistent with the festival’s aim: fun-filled, interactive, and frequently bizarre, but with a serious message.