Urban Screens Manchester Newsletter 7

Urban Screens Manchester

It’s about content!

Conference 11-12 Oct
Art & Events 11-14 Oct

Focus Session 3 on day 1 of the conference will examine the profitability of urban screens and the production of non-commercial content and asks: What is the real ratio of production costs of artistic content and payment? Which economy models sustain a non-commercial use of the screens?

Focus Session 3: Towards a New Economy of Urban Screens, Cornerhouse

The session will be moderated by Glenn Harding (AUS), managing director of Circus, an urban media consultancy and production company managing the multimedia, online and broadcast systems and developing and commissioning original screen content for Melbourne’s Federation Square which houses numerous non-commercial LED screens. Melbourne will be hosting the next Urban Screens conference in October 2008. www.fedsquare.com

Jason DaPonte (UK) is Executive Producer for bbc.co.uk and is leading a change programme across the BBC’s online producers called “Ensuring Excellence,” focussing on how editorial standards and guidelines need to be adapted to the rapidly changing environment that is digital media.

Mark Bennett (USA) is senior manager for In-Store Digital Marketing and Media at Target’s Corporate Media Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mark leads strategy and creative execution for Target’s production teams. Target’s work has been at the forefront of ways to explore unique commercial branding opportunities. www.target.com

Kristin Gray (USA) is the Director of Victory Media Network® at Victory Park in Dallas, Texas. Kristin seeks out a mix of relevant and engaging content underwritten by exclusive corporate partners who have the opportunity to advertise and market in a unique and captivating manner. A track system engineered specifically for the project allows screens to move horizontally along the entire length of a major public plaza creating complex and sophisticated spatial interactions and providing an immersive public art environment. www.victorymedianetwork.com

Mike Gibbons (UK) has spent the last five years building the Big Screens in the UK for the BBC as part of the partnerships with towns & cities. He recently became Head of Live Sites and UK Coordination for London 2012 and will lead the development of the Live Sites network to make the London Olympics part of everyone's life. He asks what are the social messages about the use of public spaces for major events and what can we learn from public reaction? www.london2012.com


As part of the Urban Screens Art & Events Programme, Jenny Holzer’s Televised Texts will randomly intersperse the programmes on all three screens in Manchester city centre. Holzer adopts the form and language of commercial messages to disrupt communication, presenting kamikaze texts that are designed to stimulate thought and inspire a critical attitude in an often passive audience. Televised Texts are designed to appear anonymously and spontaneously.

Register your interest at www.manchesterurbanscreens.org.uk

Urban Screens Manchester has been curated by Dr Susanne Jaschko.
Urban Screens Manchester has been supported by Cornerhouse and BBC.
It has been funded by Arts Council England, Manchester City Council, Marketing Manchester.
With support from MDDA and Manchester Knowledge Capital.