Connected Communities Symposium @ Culture Lab

Culture Lab Newcastle is hosting an international interdisciplinary event open to the general public, on the topic of “connected communities”.
This symposium includes talks and projects from theorists and practitioners alike.
Registration is now open: 
http://side-creative.ncl.ac.uk/communities/symposium11/registrations/

TOPIC
In an era where digital technologies have supported transnational forms of connectedness and the efficiency of grassroot movements,
communities are once again looked at as innovative fertile grounds for alternative social organisation.
As these trends can be manipulated by current governmental agendas, the Connected Communities symposium aims to critically explore notions of community, as evolving with the creative uses and the effects of digital technologies.
The topic will be addressed in 4 different contexts :
- A conference over 3 days, with talks selected from submitted expressions of interests under the topics of: Collective Action, Participative Platforms, Engagement,
Economies, Transnational, (Hi)stories, Technology & Society, Community Art, and Co-Creation.
- An exhibition at Culture Lab OnSite, centred on the notions of community and digital media. This will include blogs, documentation of community-based art workshops,
art and ethnographic projects. The exhibition will run until the 18th of September.
- A half a day workshop using the symposium as a temporary community of practice to explore deeper questions of community.
Registration is limited to 15 people and will be opened soon.
- A Beats and Pieces party at the local community space Star and Shadow (http://www.starandshadow.org.uk/).

PROGRAMME
For a detailed programme of the conference, please visit:
http://side-creative.ncl.ac.uk/communities/symposium11/conference/

FEE
The symposium, all events included, are FREE of charge and open to all.

REGISTRATION
As we only have limited space available, please register in advance to the conference in order to avoid disappointment:
- Day 1: http://connectedcommunitiesncl2011day1.eventbrite.com/
- Day 2: http://connectedcommunitiesncl2011day2.eventbrite.com/
- Day 3: http://connectedcommunitiesncl2011day3.eventbrite.com/

CONTACT AND INFORMATION
For more information, please email us at [email protected] and/or visit the symposium website:
http://side-creative.ncl.ac.uk/communities/symposium11/

ORGANISERS
Joëlle Bitton, Lalya Gaye, Andreia Cavaco, Ben Jones, Graeme Mearns and Atau Tanaka (SiDE, Culture Lab Newcastle)
Ranald Richardson (SiDE, Center for Urban & Regional Development Studies, Newcastle University)
http://side-creative.ncl.ac.uk/communities/
http://culturelab.ncl.ac.uk/
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/curds/
The symposium is funded by the AHRC research program “Connected communities” and SiDE research program at Culture Lab.
http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/
http://www.side.ac.uk/