thinkARK - Social design in Wales

We are moving??

2011-08-19T03:35:00.000-07:00

Well its been great writing on the blog. But we have decided to try and bring our projects and blog into one place. We are also looking to build a small community there so people can be a bit more hands on in cyberspace as well as getting physically involved.

The new blog and site is based at www.thinkark.co.uk, and you can find the blog here We still have a few tweaks on it and we are aiming to bring all the other social media platforms we use into it once we have a few minutes of free time.

I hope we see you on there and hopefully we might get you to join in.

Thanks again

thinkARK team

We are looking for actors for Everwake

2011-07-15T12:26:00.000-07:00

If you fancy getting involved check out more information here

It's hard work this R&D work

2011-06-20T04:35:00.000-07:00

So this weekend as well as the Paper Girl event we managed to get a bit of planning for the playARK event. While I say bit I kind of mean that we went to a toy shop to have a look at toys. There is a really amazing feeling of just playing around.

weird going on's

2011-06-20T03:43:00.000-07:00

It was only a matter of time but this weekend confirmed it thinkARK people are by far spending too much time together. In one day alone we had these two clashes. Allie and Laura confirming when working together all those years ago in CHAPTER that they were actually secretly wishing that one day they could come together and be a superhero duo.

On the very same night Laura and Angharad were caught mirroring each other in actions and clothing. We feel this is very serious and needs to be looked at. Everyone is going to the doctors to see if there are any issues with crossed brain functions :-) Enjoy the shots.

Recent Press for PaperGirl

2011-06-13T08:01:00.000-07:00

http://yourcardiff.walesonline.co.uk/2011/06/13/papergirl-cardiff-prepares-to-hit-the-citys-streets/

playARK - Games festival and talks - 30 September - 1 October

2011-05-31T11:01:00.000-07:00

Over the next few months we are going to eb talking alot about a new project we are working on which will be taking place at the end of September beginning of October. The event will run at the same time as Cardiff Design Festival and has been kindly supported by CHAPTER Arts Centre. You can read a bit more about it below:

playARK - Games festival and talks
playARK is Cardiff's very own games festival. At the end of September we will be bringing together a mix of games, from Street games to computer games through to board games. (with everything in between). Split between two days the festival will also hold the first series of talks of it's kind in Cardiff, see below for further details:

DAY ONE - TALKS - Friday 30 September - 9:30am-3pm
A ticketed event. Ever thought there are ways of making work and systems more fun and engaging? In this series of talks from world renowned play and gaming experts we will look at how games and play has been used to increase creativity and improve services.
Full details TBC.

DAY TWO - GAMES - Saturday 1 October - 10am-5pm
A fun day for all the family. Join us at CHAPTER to play street games, board games, and computer games. Your chance to relive your childhood and turn your environment into a new playground. Whether it's by using the latest technology or no technology at all. From games that challenge your grey matter to those that are just indulgently fun.
Full details TBC.

GAME PREMIERE - WHITESTALKER - Saturday 1 October - 6-8pm
A Ghostly happening, everyone has a story don't they? Will you free them? You will have to play to find out...

This event would not be possible without the kind support of CHAPTER Arts Centre, and is part of the 2011 Cardiff Design festival.

igfest 2011 - Games season begins

2011-05-30T08:42:00.000-07:00

ARCADE ANARCHY - the results

After last years fine weather and once in a lifetime opportunities. This year's street game season has begun in earnest with Bristol based igfest taking place May Bank Holiday. This is the second we have been to but in reality the first proper one (last years being a smaller affair due to them moving and setting up some new ventures), So how was it?

In sheer scale igfest has to be the largest games festival in the UK (of it's type). This is particularly the case with the news that Hide & Seek weekender will not be taking place this year. So we managed to visit on Saturday for a full day of gaming and then we tried our luck at their big headline games 2.8 hours later.

I think for me the issue with every event I have been to within the games festival arena is booking. Due to the very nature of the games which quite often slip time wise it becomes hard to make sure you are able to play a game and not miss your next. This year they had an interesting way of booking up games. You could only book two games at a time, and only 50% of tickets could be booked. The other 50% of the tickets would be allocated within 30 minutes of the game starting.

Compared to our previous experience at Hide & Seek 2010 this seemed to be a slight improvement, but I think there is something that could make it a bit better. The issue is that this in comparison to Hide & Seek is a paid for event and with that comes different expectations. There were a few things firstly why only two games at a time? also why the 50% rule? and if there is a 50% rule you have to enforce it. I was there bang on 30 minutes before one game we wanted to book and the spaces had all gone?? I doubt 6 people had popped up in front of me.

However this did lead to some great unexpected finds. We did manage to go and play a few games that we would not have done otherwise. You can see a list of games we played below. Safe to say for me my favourites for playing were Wiffle Hurling and then for watching it has to be Arcade Anarchy.

All in all we managed to play:
- ARCADE ANARCHY
Great game based on all the arcade classics.

- WIFFLE HURLING
A great fun game, full of humour and nice to get out play sport but one that you have no previous skill of.

- INTERNATIONAL ESPIONAGE
It got better as it went on. I think it has the possibility of being great with a few tweaks (the leader of the team has to be good).

Played for a bit
- MR SMITH
Seemed really fun wish we had time to play it all.

Experienced
- STIMULATOR
Very fun, will never think of honey in the same way.

Watched
- INTO THE WOODS
Would have liked to watch more of it.

Some people dressed up for 2.8 hours, maybe next year.

In the evening we played 2.8 hours as the night drew in and the darkness came. It has to be as I have said many times one of the best games out there. It has a scale and immersiveness that is truly breathtaking and I truly do feel that the both Simon's at Slingshot/igfest have created something EPIC. While it is a basic chase game with a bit of time trial bolted on. It instantly brings you into thinking about the game being real and you are totally set on keeping safe.

Unfortunately our team didn't do to well with four out of the six getting caught and infected. I was one of them as you can see by the picture below.

Papergirl Cardiff Update

2011-05-30T04:53:00.000-07:00

A quick update on what's happening with PapergirlCDF...the submissions deadline has been extended to next Saturday the 4th of June. This was a bit of a relief for anyone who was struggling to meet the 27th of May deadline, especially since this is a busy time of year for a lot of people.

Next Thursday the 2nd of June there will be 2 print workshops for children running in The Printhaus, Llandaff Road for young people and their parents to learn how to screen print and make some art for Papergirl . The workshop times are 10am-1pm and 2pm-5pm. Spaces are limited, so anyone interested will need to register. For more details, check out the PapergirlCDF blog here.

We are also looking for people to take part in the art distribution bike ride on the 18th of June. If you are interested in taking part you need to fill in an online form on the PapergirlCDF blog. We also need volunteers to help package the art, put up the exhibition and help with other stuff. If you're interested in helping out please get in touch!

Finally, if you're still wondering what Papergirl is all about, here is a link to a lovely video from Papergirl Capetown which sums up what's great about Papergirl

PapergirlCDF

2011-04-14T13:54:00.001-07:00

We are really pleased to be able to tell you about PapergirlCDF, a rather unusual art and cycling event thinkARK are organising in collaboration with Cycle Training Wales and Cardiff Cycle Workshop as part of Cardiff Cycling Festival.

Cardiff Cycling Festival is happening from the 18th-25th of June and coincides with national Bike Week. To celebrate the start of the festival Papergirl Cardiff will be randomly distributing original artworks by bicycle to the citizens of Cardiff.

We are looking for people to submit original artwork for distribution. It must be no larger than A2 and it must be able to be rolled up.

All artwork will be exhibited before it is distributed.

We are also looking for volunteers to package and distribute the art and generally help out. If you are interested in getting involved check out the blog here , follow us on twitter @PapergirlCDF or look for us on Facebook.

On Wednesday May 4th thinkARK will be hosting a PapergirlCDF evening. Come along and make some art for submission, share ideas about the project, find out about other Papergirl and thinkARK projects and get involved!

Keeping you up to date

2011-03-25T10:46:00.001-07:00

If you want to know what we're up to have a little sneaky peek at our calendar of events (the little square thingy on the right hand side of the page....scroll down and you'll find it)

This will tell you about what we have planned week by week during our thinkARK Wednesday clubs at Cardiff Arts Institute (we're there from 7pm). Lots of things have happened so far from skills swaps and screenings of interesting talks to discussing ideas of potential projects and collaborations and also not forgetting.......the occasional chat and a drink! We will also post details of our upcoming projects and other interesting events that thinkARK are involved in.

So if there is something that tickles your fancy, come along and join in.

Design Process tools for community projects

2011-03-23T09:42:00.003-07:00

Useful resource for community design project:

ARK in the PARK video

2011-03-14T03:20:00.000-07:00

Recent Press for ARK

2011-03-08T08:30:00.000-08:00

Inspiring Women event

Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/cardiff/2011/mar/02/inspiring-women-chapter-cardiff?CMP=twt_gu

http://www.guardian.co.uk/cardiff/2011/mar/09/thinkark-cardiff-inspiring-women-display-geraldine-nichols

Womens View
http://www.womensviewsonnews.org/wvon/2011/03/cardiff-to-share-stories-of-inspiring-women/

Cardiff Quiz

Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/cardiff/2011/jan/26/future-cardiff-event-think-ark-cardiff-arts-institute-anti-quiz

Media Wales
http://yourcardiff.walesonline.co.uk/2011/01/26/pub-quizzing-our-way-to-a-new-future-for-cardiff/

Journalist student Ed Bolla on our recent skill swap event

http://journobolla.wordpress.com/2010/12/17/capture-cardiff-thinkark/

Wednesday Club - Minutes and any other business

2011-03-02T16:05:00.000-08:00

Apologies: With half the gang in Cornwall at the Intersect it was a pretty quiet Wednesday in ARK. However its sometimes weeks like this that I prefer the most, as I get to speak to a small group in more detail about what we want to do or how we need to improve what we do. So what did I learn this week?

We need Minutes, or rather we need to record what we discussed each week in a informal manner. This can be a written, recorded, photographed or sketched. This is for those who didn't make it as well as all you people out there who are still deciding whether to come along or not. Don't worry we know its a scary thing, but take the plunge, say hello and get involved...we are actually quite nice people.....honest!

So what else happened this week? We discussed the best use of the meeting room and bar in the Cardiff Arts Institute for our meetings and this is what we concluded:

Upstairs meeting room works best:
For more formal Wednesday clubs - workshops/ projects discussions etc where the room is facilitated or lead. One of the conversations tonight was around the fact that although ARK has an informal structure, sometimes you need you need a chair or leader to keep things in check.

Downstairs bar works best for:For informal chats and catch ups, welcoming new people in a relaxed environment, like a personal warm welcome. It turns out although 'upstairs' is a great open space it can be a little intimidating for new people to walk into so maybe we need to take it in turns to meet and greet new people, tell them what we do first before introducing them to the bigger ARK picture. What do you think?

We want to develop the Skill Swap Barter Market. Firstly by interviewing everyone who has swapped so far to find out how it went. Secondly by deciding how we develop this idea further. So if you have recently swapped your skills we want to hear how it went....photos would be good too!

Can we organise a ARK school trip? We're thinking a weekend away to learn or develop new skills. Maybe we hook up with a similar group in the UK and where we run a 24hr project? What do you think?

Well that was it for this week, hope to see everyone back next Wednesday.

Lynsey

Create Cardiff quiz

2011-02-20T09:57:00.001-08:00

Back in January we arranged an evening of ‘anti-quiz’ at Cardiff Arts Institute as part of their Future/Cardiff project. The quiz took form in several rounds of first a warm up round to get people engaged with things they might know about Cardiff, moving to rounds that encouraged the participants to think hard about what they really knew about their city, and the people they engage with – from their neighbours to Cardiff heroes (a round contributed by Dan Green from Big Little City). Other questions ranged from examining empty properties and landmarks around Cardiff and what they could be used for, and mapping great things like where they thought a difference to their community could be made, and the three best places in Cardiff they had kissed someone! (A nice time to do that, on St Dwynwen’s Day!).

The prize for the evening was ‘knowledge’ and the sharing and learning from it – all who came loved Cardiff and had many views of it and ideas for its future, whether it was based in the realms of planning, sustainable development, community building and engagement, or the Arts.

The night was attended by about 25 people, from many different backgrounds, and all were absorbed during the evening with debating the ‘answers’ amongst their teams – many of the discussions were full of memories and heart-felt love for Cardiff and how it could be improved, and how to preserve the best parts for the future – answers were not necessarily right or wrong, and the event provoked discussion, lateral thinking and laughter among the participants.

Groups came up with words to describe Cardiff ranging from beautiful, creative, friendly and vibrant to the less complimentary - decaying, unfulfilled and soulless. Ideas for unused spaces and empty buildings in the picture round (Callaghan Square and SPIN building (formerly The Gaiety) on City Road) included calls for a skateboard park, outdoor pool, work pods or food market; and for the building, a Chapter East, community centre, theatre, circus school, or mosque.

See more photos on our Flickr page – the evening’s discussions and ideas were recorded by Jordan Harrison from the University of Glamorgan, and is available now at www.jghaudio.wordpress.com.

Thanks to Geraldine Nichols for most the write up.

Where are all the Women?

2011-02-08T14:20:00.000-08:00

I was asked a while back if I could think of some ‘inspirational women’ I know to speak at a local Cardiff event. To my dismay, I was stumped. So was the questioner, hence the question. We both sat there, humming and hawing. But as neither of us are Cardiff locals – we used this as an excuse, a poor one but an excuse nonetheless.

This year, it is the global centenary of the celebration of International Women’s Day, www.internationalwomensday.com As the topic entered our conversation at last weeks ARK meeting we decided it would be a perfect opportunity to celebrate ‘inspirational women of Cardiff’. For further information on local Welsh events go to www.cymruwomen.org.uk and www.flarewales.com

The date is Tuesday 8th of March, but ARK will be doing our celebrating on Saturday March 5th.

The intention is to celebrate local inspirational women that enhance our lives everyday, be they a sister, a mother, a daughter, a friend? Has your grandmother done something outstanding? Is she outstanding? Is your friend the only female on the senior management board of a company? Have you worked ceaselessly for the betterment of your community? Does your mother still bake homemade sourdough bread that is a unique family flavour? Did your sister walk the breadth of the Australian desert alone, with one pair of shoes?

Or maybe it’s just their sheer existence that makes your world better. We would like to know. If you would like to ‘nominate’ someone as one of our most inspirational woman then get in touch.

More details will follow.

Posted by Laura on behalf of Sharon

Responding - Attracting people and the lessons we are learning.

2011-01-20T07:21:00.000-08:00

Well this year started with a bang we had an event that we had to get organised (still not to late to come along with your friends to it. Tuesday 25th January from 6pm at Cardiff Arts Institute). Coupled with the really good news that a number of people who were looking for work have now got new jobs and some have been redeployed to different areas of their business. So for 2011 this brings a whole different feel to thinkARK as most of the projects have relied on people using some of their spare time to help out creating projects and events. So this year is going to be even busier.

Anyway back to the real reason for the blog post. We have for many months now averaged about 10 -12 people coming and chatting about projects. And we have got to know each other very well which is great but is also an issue when new people come as we have groups of people that are talking about things that have happened or about to happen. So for potential new people coming into a close group it can always be a bit intimidating.

Firstly as we have been starting to get involved in a lot of projects we have started to let our planning of these control our Wednesday evenings, which were always envisaged as more of a social event and experimentation space rather than physically working. In balance to this we have been struggling to all meet up at one time so Wednesday is perfect for talking about projects. The layout of the room at Cardiff Arts Institute is also a bit to do with the issue as for the last few months it has made us talk in a large circle where people have become disengaged and it is really not as fun as it has been.

SO TO NEW YEARS RESOLUTION

- in 2011 we are going to divide the wednesday meeting up, so there is either a space or time to discuss projects. Then another time or space for just having fun and socialising.

- in 2011 we are also going to try and stop mass talks and break into smaller groups. We hope this will create a more creative and personal experience for everyone.

- in 2011 we are also going to develop new ways of introducing new people to the group. So we are aiming to pick one person who says hi and looks after a new person gets them introduced and is made to feel welcome.

We hope these new small changes will help in the development of an even better community, and come together with better projects. Would love to hear your thoughts

CHANGE OF DATE!!! Creating a new Cardiff... Have your say

2011-01-18T03:29:00.001-08:00

thinkARK – Future Cardiff Response
Create Cardiff

On Tuesday the 25th January thinkARK are going to be creating an experience that reassesses your thoughts about our fair city, Cardiff. Bring friends to explore, make, design and quiz about what you think you know about the micro and macro. So if you are interested in pushing new thoughts and concepts about the future of Cardiff come along from 6pm.

TUESDAY 25th JANUARY 2011

6pm-8pm

The Resilient City Project

2011-01-12T16:17:00.000-08:00

The lovely Geraldine kindly sent me this link

It's a blog post about an idea for a tool that helps local communities share resources and reduce expenses using geolocation, interactive mapping and visualisation.

It also mentions other interesting sites like:

https://thesuperfluid.com/ Superfluid makes collaboration in social networks fair by enabling members to trade favors using a virtual currency

http://ushahidi.com/ Ushahidi is a non-profit tech company that develops free and open source software for information collection, visualisation and interactive mapping

and discusses the possibility of using this software for organising community based initiatives.

It's worth a look - I'd be interested to hear other people's thoughts.

Bringing, Sharing and having a Good Time

2010-12-11T13:12:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all the people who came to share their skills and talents last Wednesday night in CAI. Everyone seemed to have a good time, even if they didn’t come away with exactly what they were looking for!

In the lead up to the event, what struck me was the amount of people who claimed not to have any skills to offer. It’s easy to forget that not everyone can do the things that you can do and that something you take for granted can be valuable to other people. So to help jog people’s memories of what their skills were we put up a number of headings that skills could be categorised under. They were Green Fingers, Computery Things, Health & Happiness, In the Kitchen, Art & Crafty Stuff, The Business World, DIY Dilemmas, The Life of the Mind and Miscellaneous. We also put up a list of other potential skills for people to take inspiration from.

We asked people to consider 3 basic guidelines for sharing and bartering:
-The unit of exchange is one hour
-Give freely – it’s better if you offer something you enjoy doing
-Skill sharing is based on trust and common sense – so keep fairness in mind.

People were then invited to spend the first hour putting up everything they had to offer and everything they wanted under the various categories. Then the next hour was for finding the people who were offering something you wanted and bargaining with them for it.

These were some of the skills offered...
Digging and weeding
Basic blogging
CV revamping
Intermediate knitting
Curry lessons
Basic hoola-hooping
Intro to sustainability
Wardrobe weeding
Bike maintenance

And some of the skills wanted...
Body popping
Bouzouki classes
Astronomy with binoculars
Basic Welsh
Positive thinking
How to screenprint
Mushroom foraging
Basic website design
Biological pest control

Bartering was good fun; I found myself in a few humorously tense ‘lay your cards on the table’ situations in order to get what I wanted, having to stand there and list every skill I could think of until the person I was bargaining with consented to do a swap.

A couple of people who weren’t able to come have asked if the skills swap can go on online. It would be interesting to figure out a way of doing this, however there are already a lot of skill swap and local exchange trading systems websites dedicated to this. ( Freeconomy , Cardiff Taffs) The charm of Bring and Share for me was being able to speak to people face to face, get to know new people and have a laugh. However I think we are going to have a look at putting the skills offered online for other people to do swaps for some time in the near future.

Actually I’m finding the barter mentality hard to kick – today on Twitter I spotted an opportunity and negotiated a ukulele lesson in exchange for basic sewing. Might be skill swapping for Christmas presents this year ...

If anyone would like to offer any feedback about Bring and Share or comments about skill sharing in general it would be good to hear from you...

Developments for the market

2010-12-04T06:39:00.000-08:00

Welcome, welcome, welcome!

Bring and share is all about creating a place where people with a skill to offer can hook up with people with a skill in need and vice versa. It could be anything that interests you, from juggling to video production to art appreciation. Have a look at our ideas if you're not sure... Meanwhile, here are a few tips on making it work for everyone.

1. The basic unit of exchange is one hour, of your time or someone else's.
2. Give freely – it works best if you offer something you really enjoy doing.
3. Bring and share is based on trust and common sense – so please keep fairness in mind.

Need a bit more detail? Just ask your welcome host...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The areas we are looking at so far:

- computery things
examples:

I need to learn how to use Word. How do I get started on Twitter and Facebook? I can teach people about (legal!) music sharing.I'm offering word-processing skills training.

- in the kitchen
examples: Can someone help me make perfect cakes? I'd love to learn about Indian cooking. I know how to make flawless souffles. My speciality is French cuisine.

- green fingers
examples: Anyone know how/where I can keep bees? I'd really love to grow my own vegetables. I'd like to share my appreciation of permaculture. I know exactly where all the best blackberries/apples/sloe berries/nut trees are.

- health and happiness
examples: I need to find better ways of chilling out. Can anyone help me manage my time better? I'd like to teach yoga classes. Climbing is the best thing ever – I want to pass on the passion.

- DIY dilemmas
examples: Can anyone help me put up a shed? I'm a whizz with the power tools.

- arts and crafty stuff
examples: I'd like to start going to Cardiff's museum and art galleries. Film has always fascinated me. I'd love to share my knowledge with others.

- the business world
examples: How can I turn my hobby into a solid business idea? I can give people top tips on business success.

Quick thank you to Clare for the words, Laura for the words and everyone else for contributing to the testing out last week.

A year in the life

2010-12-02T01:42:00.000-08:00

Always good to show the developments of the group.

Skills Swap and Barter Market

2010-11-26T11:03:00.000-08:00

The Travelling Pantry
Last Wednesday a couple of ARK regulars, including me, attended the Travelling Pantry, a project development workshop run by Tessy Britton, developed as part of the Social Spaces project, and hosted in Cardiff by RSA Cymru. Rather than looking at what a community's problems are and then trying to solve them, Tessy's approach to developing community projects is about working out what assets and resources a community has and then developing projects based on these assets. These asset-based projects can then help to address the problems that the community are experiencing by bringing people together, which is the first big step to community problem-solving.

To pass on what we had discovered I gave a presentation (see the slideshow below) to people who came to thinkARK on Wednesday night, about the asset-based projects that Tessy had mentioned. One of them was Trade School, a Brooklyn-based initiative in which people offered to teach classes to students who bartered with teachers for class time. Classes taught included Foundations in Ghost Hunting, Portrait Photography and Making Websites with WordPress.

thinkARK Skills Swap Beta
Inspired by the example of Trade School, on Wedensday the 8th of December thinkARK Wednesday Club are going to be running a prototype 'Skills Swap and Barter Market' in CAI. So if there is a skill you want to learn or a service that you need come along and offer your skills and abilities in exchange. If you think there is a class you can teach, find some interested students and barter for your knowledge. If there is something to need doing, swap it for something you can do in return.

This will be a 'test' to find out what works and what doesn't, but should be a lot of fun.

Also, thanks to Kevin Hong of CS Studio for inviting us to the Travelling Pantry workshop.

2010-11-25T13:16:00.000-08:00

Travelling pantry example projects

View more presentations from areyoulaura.

Story telling/animation

2010-11-23T04:25:00.000-08:00

Animation but feels like a brilliant way of doing some kind of storytelling or experience?

ARK Observations

2010-11-13T09:18:00.000-08:00

We have been thinking a bit more about the idea of how to create new projects for the future you can see the posts here and here. The thoughts are two fold to bring other people to into projects that may not have visited one of our Wednesday clubs but also to keep a record of the project and how it develops. A fear we have had is that 'project' and 'idea'may already be a bit too advanced. So we are thinking about an observations section to the website. Here you will be able as the name suggests to post observations the above diagram should explain it a bit better.

From the observations on the site it would then be up to people to rate them in terms of interest and comment on the observation. If it gains a lot of comments and conversations then we believe this will naturally evolve into some kind of response. So for example the observations on the above diagram may lead to a project that looks into new forms of how we throw things away, or how to encourage people to actively put rubbish in the 'bin'. Perhaps it maybe even to challenge the concept of what is a bin. After a few chats with people I think we are going to try this out for a while and see where it goes. At first we think the observations will be similar to twitter tweets. short and fun then hopefully as it develops more and more people will get involved.

As with most design it will have to be prototyped and tested but we are looking to create a genuine space where divergent thinking is encouraged which can then lead to convergent developments.

Choice is good???

2010-11-04T04:46:00.000-07:00

Sustainability, Climate Change, the Arts and Creativity

2010-11-03T07:58:00.000-07:00

On the 28th of October Cynnal Cymru/Sustain Wales held an event in Chapter Arts Centre about sustainability and the arts. It asked how can arts practice be more sustainable and also what role the arts can play in promoting sustainability and highlighting climate change.

The arts act as a spark which can make things happen in society, bringing issues to the public attention, encouraging people to form their own opinions, changing attitudes. Examples: Punk Rock, Picasso’s Guernica, the First World War poets. So how can the arts, and the creative industries, bring climate change and the need for sustainable practice to people’s attention and provoke the fundamental change in attitudes that is needed?

Unfortunately this message is not one that people find very engaging or take very seriously. The public perception of tackling climate change seems to be all about not doing things and then feeling guilty when you do them. People need to be able to relate to climate change and sustainability as something that involves them and the things they care about. That is what makes it understandable and real.

How can the arts and the creative industries help to bring about a change in attitudes?

What stories should the arts be telling that will spark people's imaginations and help them to relate to these issues?

How can we ignite a feeling of collective purpose in our society so that people are willing to make fundamental changes in the cause of a better future?

Learning by experience

2010-10-28T12:40:00.000-07:00

Following on from the last post I have been thinking about we discussed last night regarding the project pitch idea for the new website and how we tap into what we have learnt so far. I've tried to sum up the initial stage in its most simple form in the diagram below:

Essentially initial idea process for ARKADE worked a bit like this:

Laura had an idea
We all liked the idea
We decided to invite other people to 'get involved' and pitch further ideas
Everyone discussed and voted on their favourite ideas
We asked everyone to sign up and volunteer time or resources
We set a date
We had lots of meetings with lots of different people to evolve the idea and problem solve as we went along

OK so it wasn't quite that straight forward but what was apparent that if its a good idea with integrity people want to get involved. What was amazing was the number of people turning up every week - voting with their feet if you like and the amount of time and resources people gave. So I guess I feel the website should have a similar process, something informal, inspirational and above all else fun!

Now the serious bit......so we have a democratic and organic process and we want to evolve it to create opportunities for other people to pitch projects. ARK may potentially invest money and will have a staked interest so how do we manage this pitching process without shutting down creativity? What processes and criteria do we need to put in place?

If anyone has any examples of similar projects we can learn from please let us know.

Developments within thinkARK and ARK LAB

2010-10-28T01:25:00.000-07:00

After celebrating our first birthday and in the end zone of our first Professional project we have been looking into how we can develop the group and how we can bring new people with great projects to ARK. A few months ago there was a post about how ARK was envisaged working you can see that article here.

Even in this short time this has been changing and evolving. For us though because of the nature of the group and how it works it was always going to happen. So last night we had a discussion about how we could work in the future and also how this would tie in with a new website. The drawings above and below try to express some of the items we discussed. But in basic terms we have divided the company up into ARK LAB which effectively uses social design within organisations and companies. these projects are hoped to help the thinkARK group with development capital for experimental projects that would not be possible without help from the thinkARK as a group and potentially through a bit of financial support.

We have been looking at a number of schemes that have a similar feel to what we are trying to get to:
openIDEO
wefund

We would really love to hear what everyone else thinks about the idea and what they would want from such a thing. You can see the website in it's current state here (ARK LAB) and the thinkARK section here

To recap on what was thought during the chat:

- We should look at the projects we have already done to look at process
- We need to be clear what we are offering
- We want people to feel like they can develop projects and ideas with us. they don't need to have something finished
- I'll let you decide the rest

The get out @CardiffCycling

2010-10-25T09:27:00.000-07:00

Well we managed to get out via out various forms of trailers and trolleys. Took us about five trips and now I am the proud owner of all the items that were onc ein the shop. As you can see there is hardly any space left for me in the flat at the moment. But it is a new challenge to get to the bathroom in the night.

One of the comments about the consultation

2010-10-22T06:01:00.001-07:00

We have always tried to make the consultation engaging and interactive. It's always great when it is a bit magical as well. Hopefully through this approach we get to reach a bigger group of people. We have had loads of people coming into the shop but it wasn't until seeing the map last night that we saw exactly how many.

@CardiffCycling - first day

2010-10-17T09:56:00.000-07:00

We have had a really positive response from the first day of consultation at our shop on Queen Street this weekend. Here are some fo the images of before and after:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

We still need loads more people to come through the shop and also complete the survey. So come along this Thursday (21st) or Saturday 23rd. the survey can be found on our newly developing website. ark-lab.co.uk/survey

Cycling extra information

2010-10-14T03:25:00.001-07:00

The 'Ely Wheelies' – a cycling club with a difference!
Based in Ely but open to people from across Cardiff, the Ely Wheelies is a cycling club for people who have just learned to cycle or have started cycling again after a long time. Some members of the Ely Wheelies had not cycled since they left school over 40 years ago! The club is open to anyone who wants to try cycling as an easy way to get around and for their health and wellbeing.

Members of the Ely Wheelies will be visiting the Cardiff Cycling empty shop project on Queen Street at 1pm on Thursday the 21st of October to talk about what motivated them to get back on their bikes and their thoughts and experiences of cycling in Cardiff.

So if you are thinking about taking up cycling or want to start cycling again, come and meet the Ely Wheelies and be inspired!

Schedule announced

2010-10-13T14:59:00.000-07:00

What do you think about cycling in Cardiff?

Come and tell us!

Cardiff Council, in association with ARK LAB are asking for your feedback on Cardiff Council's Draft Cycling Network Strategy. This strategy aims to develop and expand the cycling network within Cardiff and encourage more people to choose cycling more often.

On 16th of October we will be taking over 107 Queen Street (opposite the Capitol Shopping Centre) and we would like to invite you to come and give your opinion.

If you can't make it - don't worry you can still join in! We will be running consultations on Thursday 21st and Saturday 23rd October at the same venue. In addition we will launching an online survey later on in the week which we will keep you up to date with.

We will also be running a variety of fun and useful events, here's the programme so far:

• Saturday 16th October - 10am-5pm
11am -12pm & 3pm - 4pm - drop-in cycle accessories craft workshop suitable for supervised children and adults

• Thursday 21st October – 10am – 7pm
11am -12pm & 3pm - 4pm drop-in cycle accessories craft workshop suitable for supervised children and adults
1pm - 2pm Lunchtime Event - talks from invited guests and groups

• Saturday 23rd October - 10am-5pm
11am -12pm drop-in cycle accessories craft workshop suitable for supervised children and adults
12pm - 1pm - Lunchtime Event - talks from invited guests and groups
1pm -4pm 'Dr. Bike' - bring your bike in and Cycle Training Wales mechanics will diagnose the problem & will take you through basic bike
maintenance demonstrations

Keep your eye out for regular updates on the full programme on our facebook page
and on Twitter @Cardiffcycling

Please pass this information on to anyone who you think might be interested.

Cardiff Cycling - What do you think?

2010-10-09T10:40:00.001-07:00

As we have commented on recently we have been asked by Cardiff Council to do some consultation on the Cardiff Council’s Draft Cycling Network Strategy. The strategy aims to develop and expand the cycling network within Cardiff and encourage more people to choose cycling more often. On the 16th, 21st and 23rd of October we will be taking over 107 Queen Street (opposite the Capitol Shopping centre) from 10am to 5pm, and until 7pm on Thursday 21st, and will be asking you to come and give your opinion in a rather unusual way…….

On these days we will also be running a variety of fun and useful events including ‘make your own’ bike accessories and bike maintenance workshops. If you can’t make it – don’t worry you can still join in! As we have an online survey to fill in so you can find out more about the Draft Cycling Network Strategy and give your feedback.

Keep your eye out for regular updates on the full programme on our blog facebook page and on our new twitter account @CardiffCycling

ARK in the PARK - games day

2010-10-04T04:42:00.000-07:00

Well the weather was kind and people turned up, what else can you ask for? Our first birthday and our first games festival was a great day with the five hours going so quickly.

Cardiff Design Festival - 2010

2010-10-04T03:43:00.000-07:00

Friday just gone saw the launch on the Cardiff Design Festival. We are really happy to be shortlisted with our ARKADE empty shop project. The announcement of winners is at the end of the festival so fingers crossed, although for us as such a young company it's great just to be recognised for doing design work in a slightly different way.

Mini Games Festival - Schedule

2010-09-23T03:45:00.000-07:00

A provisional timeframe for the games and a bit of background info, I have copied it all below as well so it is easier to see, looking forward to seeing you on the day.

Human Bingo
Players scramble to snap pictures of each other in this fast-paced game of photo tag.
Times: 11:30am, 12:30pm, 2:30pm
Need to bring: Digital Camera, or mobile phone with camera facility
Designer: Krzysiek “Semp” Bielecki

BULL RUN
Chase a BULL through city streets or a large park, desperately trying to tie dozens of helium balloons to its horns.
Times: 11:30am, 1:30pm, 3:30pm
Need to bring: Yourself
Designers: Minkette, Alex Fleetwood, Holly Gramazio, Tassos Stevens

Holla Lulu
Call out stuff, find people who are calling out the same stuff, and run around a lot.
Times: 12:00pm, 1:30pm, 3:30pm
Need to bring: Yourself
Designers: Duncan Speakman and Simon Johnson

Search and Replace
Grab a set of lettered tiles and head out into the city, to twist the road-signs and headlines to your will.
Times: 11:00am ,12:30pm, 2:00pm, 3:30pm
Need to bring: Digital Camera, or mobile phone with camera facility
Designers: Kevan Davis

Congestion Zone
You are a vehicle stuck inside the congestion zone. You must navigate your way through the zone’s poorly conceived one-way system, being careful to observe the rules of the Highway Code.
Times: Drop in anytime
Need to bring: Yourself
Designer: Simon Katan

Cat and Mouse
Chase game of Cat and Mouse.
Times: 12:30pm, 2:30pm
Need to bring: Yourself
Designer: Brent Michael Drew Morgan www.dextart.co.uk

Funnies
A selection of games to warm those brain cells.
Times: 11:00am, 1:00pm, 3:00pm
Need to bring: Yourself
Designer: Alison John

Many of us are involved in the arts

2010-09-22T06:58:00.000-07:00

It reminds me a bit of Beavis and Butthead, but I like the idea of it highlighting the economic impact it has on our economy.

Things to bring on the day - ARK in the PARK

2010-09-22T01:31:00.000-07:00

We have had a few queries about what we should and shouldn't bring during the day:

In general we will supply all the things you need for the event but for some games (Human Bingo, Search and Replace) you need a digital camera or a mobile phone with a camera facility, to play the game.

As well as this in terms of clothing and other stuff:
It is best to wear something comfy and to wear shoes that you can run in easily. Obviously if it is looking like rain you might need to bring a mac and finally pack light, don't bring your whole wardrobe as it is unlikely we will have somewhere put it.

The possibilities for gaming

2010-09-20T06:59:00.000-07:00

Just add points? What UX can (and cannot) learn from games

View more presentations from Sebastian Deterding.

The Benevolent Society for the Care of White Elephants

2010-09-16T07:25:00.000-07:00

A film about the The Benevolent Society for the Care of White Elephants, one of the performance/art pieces that took place during this summers ARK LAB empty shop project.

Updated leaflet

2010-09-12T14:40:00.000-07:00

Games announced for the 2nd October

2010-09-09T09:02:00.000-07:00

After last weekends games testing we have been busy gathering feedback. We are happy to confirm the first few games that will take place on the 2nd October.

Game one - Human Bingo
"Collect your numbers from each other moving through the city, full house wins."
Type of game: chasing and running

Number of players: 20-50

Game Duration: 30mins

Game two - Stag Hunt
"You are a group of hunters searching for the illusive Cardiff Stag from mythical scripture, your mission is to tag the stag as many times as possible."
Type of game: sneaking and hunting

Number of players: 20-50

Game Duration: 30mins

Game three - Congestion Zone
Play as teams or as an individual, your chance to experience the road rage world of the motorist.

Type of game: logic

Number of players: 5
Game Duration: 5mins

Game four - Search and Replace
A mixture of Scrabble and storytelling. Work together to create incredible stories from the City of Cardiff.

Type of game: storytelling and treasure hunt

Number of players: 20-50
Game Duration: 20mins

Game five - Holla Lulu
Find your own kind through this city wide communication game. Using only your call sign you search the streets trying to find the rest of your kind. Once you have found them it is up to you to rush to the finishing line.

Type of game: running and shouting

Number of players: 15-40

Game Duration: approx 45mins

As well as these games there will also be a number of board games and other social games allowing for people to come and have a great time while waiting for their game to start. Registration for the games will be from 11am on the saturday but if you want to guarantee your place please email us at info[at]thinkark.co.uk

We hope you can come an join us on the day. HQ will be in Bute Park near the standing stones (Millenium Stadium entrance). We have also made many of these games weather proof so not excuses.

Hope to see you there.

ARK TEAM

So why do you come to thinkARK?

2010-09-06T13:18:00.000-07:00

We have been asked by the guys at Cardiff Arts Institute to write a small article about what we have been up to over the last year or so. In particular the Empty Shop project and our up and coming project the mini games festival which should be with us this October. So to everyone who has been to thinkark we want to know what brought you to visit?

Why you stayed and even if you didn't come back why not? any help with developing our wednesday club and making it more inclusive would be fantastic to hear about. Thanks again. If anyone would like to help out please comment below. The deadline is pretty soon i.e. next week so anything you can do would be greatly appreciated.

ARK in the PARK testing

2010-09-06T08:04:00.000-07:00

A selection of pictures from the weekend of testing. Thanks to everyone who helped out.

Cycling in and around Cardiff information - Consultation

2010-09-02T07:33:00.000-07:00

Local Transport Projects Ltd and Cardiff design collective ARK LAB have been asked by Cardiff Council to help with some work to improve the cycling network and facilities in Cardiff. Our first point of call began with a working group of people in Cardiff, who have a keen interest in cycling, these included council members, cycling organisations, cycle training providers and other stakeholders such as Sustrans, CTC, Peddle Power, the Bike Shed and the Cardiff Cycling Campaign group. We listened to these people as a representative group of "experienced" and "long-standing" cyclist in the area. We have kept all of their feedback ready for analysis at a later date and have now moved on to our next phase of research.

This phase is designed to generate the ideas and the opinions of the new to cycling, the lapsed cyclist and the currently non-cyclists of Cardiff. In order to generate as much response as we can we have started by encouraging people of all cycling ability, from non-cyclists to 40-year served cyclist, to take part in a survey giving their views on cycling in the city. There will be plenty of other fantastic community engagement and feedback opportunities designed by ARK LAB who will be looking to find out why certain groups are not cycling in Cardiff and if there are things that can be done to encourage these groups to start. This maybe physical changes to road systems or different types of training requirements for people who have a lack of confidence etc. As well as this they will then be looking to consult with these groups to ask their opinion of the draft proposal that Local Transport Projects Ltd will produce in around a month's time.

The survey itself is only one aspect of the consultation and we are hoping that people will feedback in other ways, like this article for example. If you have any further questions please contact Jo Sachs-Eldridge Cycling Officer for Cardiff Council who will be happy to help. JSachsEldridge[at]cardiff.gov.uk.

Or alternatively you can contact us on info[at]thinkark.co.uk

Mini Games Festival - UPDATE

2010-09-02T05:14:00.000-07:00

In our rush to get the Mini Games Festival out to the masses we realised that the information is not as descriptive as is could be. Or perhaps the most informative. So we felt we should add a bit more meat to the bone.

The festival will be once again FREE of charge like all of our public projects. We will be hosting a number of games that will require running, sneaking, cunning and logic. The games will be city wide and are suitable to 18+, we hope if successful that we will do more in the future that will allow for a broader age range however due to current insurance and other issues we can't afford to step up their yet.

As well as the big games we are hoping to have a few big board games that will be located in the Park near our HQ. These will be for all of the people who fancy hanging around chatting and socialising while waiting for their game to start. We are hoping that there will be loads of people who come on the 2nd October, so there maybe more than one chance to play the same game. However we will only know that on the day.

Hope this has clarified the festival a bit more however if you still have and questions drop us an email or comment below. Thanks again and look forward to seeing you all then.

P.S. If you want to help out or have any games you would like to try out during the festival please let us know.

thinkARK - mini games festival announced

2010-08-26T04:13:00.000-07:00

We have finally announced our 1st birthday party arrangements. This year once again we will be holding an event during the Cardiff Design Festival, this year we are going to be producing a mini games festival, from paper, scissor, stone through to city wide treasure hunts. email us for further information info[at]thinkark.co.uk

We also have a new twitter feed @arkinthepark and we will be updating the website with news. Also if you want to help out let us know. We will be doing some game testing on the 4th September if your interested also get in touch.

Finally thank you to Andrew Hong for the illustration we love it.

Cycling scheme london

2010-08-23T07:46:00.000-07:00

24 hours of the London Cycle Hire Scheme from James Cheshire on Vimeo.

I came across this from Howies blog. It is a set of screen shots of the newly introduced cycle scheme in London notice how the bikes leave the suburbs in the morning and move to the centre and then back again at night. I love this type of video. Chaotic beauty.

Spectrum Results night

2010-08-20T02:08:00.000-07:00

Last week saw the end of Spectrum the game we had set up as a test for future games. This wednesday was results night, Carwyn from Hoffi won with a staggering 95 points. There were a number of things that would have probably been done a bit differently maybe length of time the game was and their comments about making it less complicated. I think the thing we noticed mostly was that you need to commit alot of time to make it happen for the players to get the best out of it. We will be looking at other games over the next few weeks ready of a mini festival in October so if you are interested in getting involved please let us know.

Story telling basic themes

2010-08-15T10:42:00.000-07:00

I came across this little article about storytelling and basic good and ill fortunes as stories develop. This is particularly interesting as from the very beginning of us meeting and working on projects we have always come again and again to story telling and it's importance in explaining issues to people.

Conspiracy for Good - event

2010-08-08T05:05:00.001-07:00

Last weekend was the final instalment of the pilot of Conspiracy for Good. Made by a team including NOKIA and Heroes creator Tim Kring. Conspiracy for Good was a four episode pervasive game set in the the city of London. The basic story being by joining together we could fight a huge corporation (Blackwell Briggs) which has been guilty of taking advantage of local people from far off countries through their drilling and mining activities.

The forth episode was one of infiltrating the corporation and getting to the mole to give them vital information to bring the corporation down. So what did we think? well firstly the scale of this game was huge and the depth of the story impressive to say the least. As a group who came into the game in the fourth episode we were behind from the beginning and found it hard to get into the game as we would like. After speaking to other people who had been to every episode and those who had maybe come to one or two previously it was reassuring to hear they felt the same. With many saying they had preferred the first two episodes. But this is what I love about games. They are not stationary and they are there to be developed and improved over time. there is a bit more information about the game here and you can see Tim Kring below talking about the game.

Dead Spaces and In-between Architecture

2010-08-04T06:36:00.000-07:00

Last week whilst walking round London I was pleasantly surprised by this simplicity of this beautifully lit tunnel. Firstly I noticed the internal architecture of the tunnel and somehow the gently changing coloured lights made the tunnel feel safer and accessible. It is also a great example of how litter free spaces make public spaces more desirable to walk though.

On my travels I also visited the amazing 'Architects build small spaces' exhibition at the V&A. I particularly liked the In-between Architecture dwelling by Studio Mumbai Architects. An representation of one of the many 'un-authorised' dwellings built in Mumbai between buildings in unused spaces. This was an extraordinary use of an dead space to create a slim but functional home for 6 people! It felt like a childs play house simply because of the scale and maze like quality of the twisting corridors and the tiny fort like windows.

Both spaces got me thinking on how differently design can be used to make a dead spaces more functional - either through a practical need i.e. somewhere to live or an considered aesthetic approach to make someone more accessible. Does anyone have any more interesting examples?

A subject close to our hearts

2010-08-04T02:41:00.000-07:00

The people at IDEO have just launched their open IDEO have a look at the video to see how they hope it will work.

Introduction to OpenIDEO / OpenIDEO.com from IDEO on Vimeo.

IGLAB - workshop

2010-07-19T01:23:00.000-07:00

Another weekend another gaming experience. This time we managed to get to IGLAB's games workshop. We went to Bristol to take part in making some games. The workshop started at 10am and then went on until around 5ish. A long day but it flew by and I would recommend the workshop to anyone wanting to get into gaming or even those who have loads of experience to check the workshops out.

We started the day with a game of Sneaks and Blaggers. We used slightly different rules to the original game but it was a really engrossing game and one of those perfect balances of random and familiar.

After this first game we then went on to start designing our own games. There was only a small number of us. so we split up into two groups and both started to create a game. The first one was ours and was like a physical board game. It was pretty dull and not the best but I think there were some interesting ideas that could be developed in the future. We then tried the other groups game which was alot more physical. after lunch we discussed the games and also designed some new games.

Finally we had a pint to end the day. A great day and another massive leap in our learning about gaming.

Simon working through the theory of gaming. Very insightful and easy to understand. Got me thinking about alot of recent work we have been going through in ARK.

What is gaming design?

2010-07-15T08:35:00.000-07:00

Following our weekly wednesday club meeting last night on the theme of pervasive gaming and how ARK could use games to influence human behaviour I thought I should do some research as its an area I know very little about. So to kick things off here is a few things I have found so far:

Design with Intent - a great little article here on learning from game design

Playful - Described as 'a day of cross disciplinary frolicking'

Please post any other links below of other projects or games you have heard about and if any gamers out there would like to get involved in the project please get in contact.

A Weekend of Play - Hide & Seek

2010-07-15T03:28:00.000-07:00

I have always loved games ever since I was little and I think to some degree we all do. There is something that draws us to 'play' that is mysteriously undefinable - the thrill and excitement of being part of something that has it's own set of rules and boundaries, a shared knowledge and experience that draws players together coupled with the joyful element of risk. You can win all or lose all in a multitude of board games or graze knees and hands on tarmac playgrounds and yet despite the risks we all continue to play on.

And play on we did at Hide & Seek's Weekender held at the National Theatre on London's South Bank. Since 2007 Hide & Seek have been enticing people of all ages (but mainly adults) with their annual weekender event of social games and playful experiences where you can expect 'paranoia, glee, new connections and fun'. Armed with our programme of events for Saturday we headed for the booking desk and put our names down for a mixture of games (which we'd eagerly chosen the night before over a magnum ice cream) Unfortunately we could only book two main games for the day to allow fair capacity throughout the day but there were many other 'drop in' games you could take part in or be a wiley spectator.

Here are two of my highlights from the day:

International Playtime; 45 minutes of fun run around games......it was at this point I realised that I was wearing the most inappropriate footwear for the day but to my delight I was not the only one! This game slot was quite an interesting one for me as most of the games were ones I have played or facilitated within a theatrical context so I was completely in my comfort zone but what made it fun and interesting for me was watching other people's reactions and interactions with the game and the other participants. Within 45mins a group of complete strangers are immediately connected in a way that would only ever happen through play and not real life.

Time Trails - The second game we played was one of my favourites of the day. The game required participants to download an app on the iphone called Place Whispers which plotted various whispers around the South Bank. Basically a hi-tec treasure hunt with a wonderful twist. In addition we had a paper map that plotted the original route of the Festival of Britain. I absolutely loved this game - I've been to the South Bank quite a few times and have always stuck to the main path and never really ventured beyond but this game took us to some beautiful hidden places which felt like we had suddenly stepped back in time.

At the beginning of the day I really didn't know what to expect, in some ways I was expecting something new but realised fundamentally all games are seeded from a handful of what I would describe as traditional games that are made different by space, time, rules and ultimately the participants. I think games and play are so important and have an eternally vital role, they are uniquely social, they bring people together often making new and surprising connections. I really enjoyed the Hide & Seek experience and I think the ethos of the weekend is shared by Ark Lab. So let's see if we can play!

And at the end of a very long, hot but fun day there was still a little time to shop......... ;-)

Hide & Seek - weekender 2010

2010-07-11T10:17:00.000-07:00

This weekend was hot and rushed, but I had a fascinating day at Hide & Seek's weekender. I believe this is the fourth year in a row that they have held the event and although the output is different, the idea of bringing a diverse group of people together to create something is very in keeping with ThinkARK and ARK LAB. In many ways ThinkARK is The Sandpit and ARK LAB is Hide & Seek. As we work more and more through projects I think for me that the way ARK LAB is structured is very similar to a Theatre type set up. With the theatre putting on productions that are helped through involving a wide range of people that work to put on an event.

Beyond these similarities we visited the event to look at what is going on in the world of gaming in the UK at the moment. There was a lot of different games available on saturday, so we were excited to get onto as many as possible. I guess that was the only disappointment of the day that we were informed we could only book two games during the day. Yet others seem to be able to book more?

Beyond this however there were a number of smaller games that you could drop into at any time so we still had loads to do. So starting off with 'International playtime' by The Fun Fed, which was a collection of various type clown and acting games. They were fun and I managed to get quite sweaty running around in the mid day sun (what's that quote about sun and englishmen???). Next I wanted a more 'designed' game if you like so we got our map for the 'Time*Trials' By Michael Dales and Sophie Sampson. We were encouraged to download an App called placewhisper for our iPhone and go on a fact finding mission around London. The more you explore the more places you find and the more points you get.

Suffering in the heat try to chase virtual information in the Time*Trials game.

I thought this was a really interesting way of looking at a city and places I would not have gone to before were revealed. We were happy to learn we even earned a sticker due to us scoring a staggering 180 points. Next off the bat was The Zemblan Ambassador Will Make a Brief Statement By Ben Henley which was a bit like a mixture of Mock the Week and call my bluff. Very enjoyable 3o minutes.

So to sum up, great day, very hot, think we could definitely use gaming techniques within ARK to bring new audiences and break down barriers through play.

Very Rough First edit of the weekend film

2010-07-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

Hopefully this will give you some idea of what went on during the ARKADE empty shop at Castle Arcade in Cardiff, last weekend. It's pretty rough edit but I wanted to get something out to see what people thought about it. In particular does it convey what happened and the vibrancy of the three days?

Also you can see some fantastic shots taken by Jorge below. Really nice slideshow of the events that went on.

itv Wales coverage

2010-07-04T01:46:00.000-07:00

Some new coverage of the arcades and a bit about the project. We just hope that it encourages people to come and visit the great shops but more importantly the great people who make up the arcades.

http://www.itv.com/wales/empty-shops22352/

FINAL DAY - Mini film festival

2010-07-04T01:06:00.000-07:00

It's our final day but we are going to have a great day starting from 1pm you can see what's going on from the schedule above come along to watch some great films.

Guardian Cardiff coverage

2010-07-02T13:41:00.000-07:00

We have had some great responses on our first day today the workshop's seemed to go well and we got some great support from Guardian Cardiff where you can see this report and the Echo had a double page article about the Arcades and also a bit about our empty shop project. We feel that all of this press is fantastic not for us (although nice) but more for the Arcade's which will hopefully setup for a more vibrant future.

We have also setup a blog following up the business clinic for the members of the arcades which we hope will be allow them to start a number of collaborative project's together in the future. The first workshop of the day surrounding the community groups also seemed to go down well, we will have to work on this a lot more to see what will happen for the future.

We should be uploading some video and pictures later in the week (once the dust settles).

Finally I just found this we got an amazing piece by Ed Walker which you can find here

Preparation Pictures

2010-06-30T04:13:00.000-07:00

Over the last few days we have been at the shop at Laura's studio in the street, walking the dog and generally working until we drop a quick selection of images summing it all up.

ARKADE Empty Shop - THE UPDATED SCHEDULE

2010-06-28T23:04:00.000-07:00

Updated schedule including the Friday lunchtime shoe customisation workshop and hack/flash's Saturday slot. Very exciting!

Friday the 2nd Lunchtime event confirmed!

2010-06-28T13:16:00.000-07:00

We are really pleased to confirm the ARKADE Friday lunchtime event. Lucy Lilley, a Cardiff based artist specialising in textiles and clothes recycling will be hosting a lunchtime craft workshop If Shoes Could Talk in which she will be inviting people to customise old shoes which will then be displayed in the shop window. So if you are looking for something to do this Friday lunchtime, grab yourself a sandwich and drop in to Castle Arcade for a crafty lunch!

Innovative Funding

2010-06-28T09:53:00.000-07:00

As you know the last few months we have been busy working on the empty shop project - ARKADE which has basically been created by huge amount of good old fashioned community spirit. The community that has been created as a result of this project is an unusual one and every week I am amazed at the amount of different people who have come along to our Wednesday club just to help out and get involved, donating their time, ideas, projects and anything else they can offer - its quite fantastic.

But like any project there are still things that cost money from light bulbs to insurance and although they are only small amounts ARK LAB's next project will be some retrospective fund-raising (once we have had a break that is). So once again will be calling on people to come along to our Wednesday club with ideas to help fund raise, so get your thinking caps on! In the meantime take a look at this amazing kickstarter site where you can pitch a project and people can pledge money to support it. I particularly liked the ARTfarm project as it looks like something ARK LAB would get involved in.

The first steps - painting and window dressing

2010-06-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

This weekend saw a great moment for ARK LAB. We managed to actually get into the shop and start getting ready for next week. We were there do get through a run through of the weekend events. For some this is more complicated than others. For myself and Simon who are arranging the Friday workshops it was more about how we could work on both of the workshops without having to move the space around totally.

We also had some great news with regards to Saturday. We had always really wanted a poll/peoples voice type project in the space which would run for most of the day and hopefully involve the public about issues either surrounding the Arcades or general Cardiff social issues, so it was great when Hack Flash confirmed they are going to put on an event surrounding their ongoing project We are Cardiff. We are really happy to have them doing something that is really close the the work we are doing but in an art based way.

A VERY quick video of our journey to the shop. The sound is very happy hardcore, which is kind of fun. I hope

Academy into Urban Psychology

2010-06-25T08:15:00.000-07:00

This Wednesday club was one of those great evenings. We managed to change subject from the empty shop project and we held a small event about how places are rich in emotions and feelings. Which in some ways are never intended. The example being the local bar stool. In a physical way it has four legs generally wooden and square with a small round padded seat area (I always think of them as being red). However there are so many other memories and emotions that come from these types of object. The feeling of being slightly awkwardly perched, straining to listen to the rest of the group's dialogue. The moment of pain as you stand up having been sat on it, with your back arched, for what seems like hours. Or maybe the last time you saw a friend you were in the corner of an old pub sitting on these stools that were the only available seating.

The evening was hosted and informally chaired by Michael or 'Tan' as we know him and he had invited a recent architecture graduate Yi Liu who studies in Cardiff and Shanghai. The mix of people was very interesting and I think everyone got something out if it as it could be so easily related to other peoples practices and ways of working and living. I hope everyone else though the same. We will do more we promise.

ARK LAB in Design Week

2010-06-24T04:45:00.000-07:00

We are really happy to announce that we got a small piece in the Week's Design Week. You can read the whole article at the below link. Thank's to Paul for the help in getting us in the edition. It is great to get some wider coverage for the projects that we are getting in.

http://www.designweek.co.uk/ark-lab-to-launch-cultural-space-in-cardiff/3014822.article

Also we managed to get another piece covering the launch of the shop project below:

http://yourcardiff.walesonline.co.uk/2010/06/23/arkade-projects-confirms-schedule-for-empty-shops-project/

Finally congratulations to Hoffi who also managed to get a piece in Design Week.

http://www.designweek.co.uk/hoffi-brands-truly-scrummy-organic-baby-food/3014785.article

"Imagining Cardiff" workshop for community groups

2010-06-22T15:06:00.001-07:00

We are getting very excited about the "Imagining Cardiff" workshop. The invite has gone out to a wide range of groups across different sectors (e.g. climate change, ageing, refugees, youth action, food) across Cardiff and South Wales.

Open publication - Free publishing - More social

An ARKADE Public Announcement...

2010-06-22T04:32:00.000-07:00

ARKADE Short Film Cinema

2010-06-21T14:41:00.000-07:00

We are very pleased to announce that the Cardiff based film maker, animator and video artist Carolina Vasquez has taken on the task of curating the short film cinema on Sunday the 4th of July. So with only 2 weeks to go...

WE WANT YOUR FILMS!

Do you have an innovative, exciting film you'd like to show as part of ARK's Empty Shops Film Screening on 4 July?

If you do, then we'd like to hear from you! They can be documentary, animation, music film, comedy, drama, gangster, experimental or anything you like as long as you think people want to watch it.

All films must be under 10 minutes. Deadline 28th of June.

Please submit films as quicktime files on a dvd. Contact carolina@carolisides.com for additional information.

CAN THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES LEAD US TO A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE?

2010-06-17T13:10:00.000-07:00

This was the question we were faced with yesterday, at Creative Industries ktn's event, near Tower Bridge, London yesterday. With the question itself being so important to a number of ARK members Wednesday club was a split affair. There was the usual 7pm meeting at Cardiff Arts Institute and then a satellite group of us attending the London event. The picture below is of the talkaoke table which is an interesting way of controlling this type of event. I have attached a video of the system.

The event's running order had some great names which you can find more information here The event itself was well run and I personally learnt a few new things. But as always I feel the real feeling about these events leaves me with is, helplessness and also a lack of action. Indeed for us at ARK we started it up to try and involve, engage and do. To the extent that we try and get people to make commitments to do and interact.

Not so empty shop

2010-06-16T08:16:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update on how the project is going, the timetable is filling up nicely but we do still have a few spots to fill. The tricky bit is how to make maximum use of the space- as the shop is divided into a larger and a smaller space it should be possible to have 2 different things happening at the same time as long as one doesn't interfere with the other.
We are looking for people to get involved with the decor/design/lighting of the shop, so please contact us if this is something you would be interested in. We are currently working on getting a UK charity involved with lighting and furniture so fingers crossed about that.
On Sunday we will be having a short film cinema, showing films made by local filmmakers, so if you have something you would like to submit then please let us know.
We'll be in Cardiff Arts institute at 7pm this evening so please drop in!

Signage coming along nicely

2010-06-15T03:24:00.000-07:00

This is a quick snap of the work in progress for the shop signage. Matteo has been a legend and is making it for us in his spare time. So a big thank you in offering to help us out. You can see what he gets up to in his day to day life here. The project is going well but there is still loads to do hopefully we will get it done and will be able to show that through the use of design and art we can involve a broader community within the social issues.

Arcade project moving forward

2010-06-11T05:03:00.000-07:00

The week has flown by again and we are getting so close to the Empty Shop project and it's launch at the start of July. We have had some very kind support from people in terms of time and lending us stuff for the event. We could always do with more though so if you want to get involved and help the event be a success that would be great.

We have also started our marketing campaign which we hope is going to be successful in catching a wider audience for the events we are going to be designing and putting on. So look out for it we hope it's going to get some odd expressions. Finally this week we managed to arrange a meeting with Cardiff Universities Beacon for Wales Project which we hope in the future we can bring scientists and researchers involved in ThinkARK's wednesday club and also hopefully in future ARK LAB projects.

ThinkARK Wednesday meeting in Milgi

2010-06-09T08:29:00.000-07:00

Just to remind anyone coming to the Wednesday meeting that we are going to be in Milgi on City Road in Roath this evening at 7, not CAI - though we will be back there next week. Hope to be catching up with people about the Empty Shop project as well as having a good old chinwag as usual.
See you there.

A bit more press about the empty shop project

2010-06-04T08:01:00.000-07:00

We have been getting into the empty shop project. As there is less than a MONTH to go, that has gone so fast. I personally have to invite the local businesses to a workshop to see if we can use design thinking to increase communities and joint ventures between each other. We also have the performances to arrange and another community project to get our heads around. When you write it all out the list is huge. I know this because this week Laura showed us it and it goes on and on. Having said that we are ticking them off as we go and we are confident of it being alright on the night.

We do still need your help in making the event a success. So if you are able to help us in getting the word out. Or your handy with a saw or screwdriver. Maybe you have an electrical flair we could do with a bit of advice.

Along with this we have also been getting a bit more coverage from The Guardian website and you can see the latest article here. I am quite happy with the photo as normally I blink at exactly the wrong moment. We are going to be keeping you up to date with the project but if you have any particular questions or queries about it or if you want to ask ARK LAB to get in other projects you maybe involved in then please do not hesitate to contacts us, we would be really interested in hearing from you

Creative Networks - second stage

2010-05-28T13:57:00.000-07:00

original mapping process

Along with the empty shop project we have been working on the Creative Network project which has been slowly progressing over the last few weeks. It's taken a while but the two graphics hopefully sum up the evening. On the graph below there are a few misc that if people could sum that would be great. The second graph also looks at some the names cover both being an event as well as a network.

We have a number next steps if you like to go to the next step. Firstly we would like to develop the mapping process further and include other events networks etc to the graphs. We would also like to look into the assets of each group to see if we can cross connect groups that maybe strong in one area and weak in another so they may pool resources. We have also go the wish list that was also started during the first chat but we would further like to develop this to see if there are things collaborative tools to increase overall strength of the mapped areas. Ideas such as a group calendar for example.

Finally this is an open project and we hope people will both be able to increase the knowledge of the mapping and also suggest other ways forward. Hope everyone has some great ideas and plans.

grouped with some notes doing more than one thing. Event also covers performance

ideas and suggestions for future development. We would love more.

Thanks again for the help and we hope we can use this way of working together in the future to highlight that there is a flexibility of working and living in Wales that can have great advantages.

The week that was - Empty shop ideas meeting

2010-05-21T11:56:00.000-07:00

So what a week. We have been busy and busy and a bit more busy. I think this is the week we will look back and realise that it was the week that tipped. Monday was a meeting with everyone at Cardiff Design Festival and it's first planning meeting for 2010. On the same night and at the same time (ish), Igloo regeneration held an open invitation to investigate the wants for a Digital media centre at Roath Basin next to the newly announced BBC studio's.

Tuesday came quickly on Monday's heals with the empty shop ideas meeting. The turn out was great with about 20 people or so. There were loads of ideas and we will be developing these more over the next week or so. Then Wednesday our traditional club night was a bit of a quiet one but we did sign our lives away by registering as a limited company (by guarantee). We are then hoping to apply for Community Interest Company (CIC), which after many months of debate seems to sum us up now and where we want to go in the future. Charity didn't seem to fit neither did just a basic business. Time will tell whether we have to change it again, but for now we are all very excited about what's going on, if not a wee bit tired.

ideas session on Tuesday nights empty shop evening

No room to put anymore ideas down at the empty shop meeting

Recent Press for ARK

2010-05-20T12:43:00.000-07:00

Over the last few weeks we have had a number of pieces of press relating to ARK's recent projects including the empty shop project and the ongoing work with the creative network project. Thank you to Andrew from Hoffi for putting the above video together of my interview at 6am!! with BBC Radio Wales. Below are a few other pieces that have been written about us. It's great to get the coverage as without it we definitely wouldn't have had the interest in people getting involved without it. So thank you for all the support.

Media Wales

http://yourcardiff.walesonline.co.uk/2010/05/20/empty-arcade-shops-to-get-creative-streak/

http://yourcardiff.walesonline.co.uk/2010/05/11/making-use-of-cardiffs-empty-shops/

http://yourcardiff.walesonline.co.uk/2010/05/11/thinkark-cardiff-empty-shops/

CAI

http://cardiffartsinstitute.org/2010/05/zeitgeist/wednesday-club-with-ark/

Guardian Cardiff

http://www.guardian.co.uk/cardiff/2010/may/10/cardiff-creative-network

Dilemma monday

2010-05-18T02:54:00.000-07:00

Last night was a busy evening. Cardiff Design Festival held their first public planning meeting of the year in Chapter's newly refurbished media point, and Igloo regeneration along with WAG held an ideas workshop about the new Digital Media Centre based in the Roath Basin area of Cardiff. The development is been developed alongside the new BBC buildings in the area.

So which one to attend? Well luckily we managed to get to both. I got to the Roath Basin project and Simon and Lynsey went to the Cardiff Design Festival. I had a great session with the Architect who will be designing the building Robert Sakula, mainly discussing what a Digital Media Centre means and what creative industries may need in a building. There was a great turn out during the evening with a number of familiar faces and others that I need to get to know. What the evening brought for me was the question of digital and what it is? In the context of a Digital Media Centre next to the BBC should it be just for direct businesses within the broadcast sector? but then what is that if not film producers, directors, sound recordists AND website designers, graphic designers, costume designers? There are so many areas that use digital stuff/technologies to create or help them with working that where is the line drawn? there was also discussion on quality of businesses and so output. I wonder how this can be measured and also if it should be measured?

Why should we be?

2010-05-14T05:45:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we posted a question about what we should be. After a few weeks we are now getting nearer to the answer and thank you for all the help and advice everyone has given us in helping us making a decision. The video above seemed appropriate to post in response. The lucky thing with ARK is that we know why we are doing ARK and have always discussed in terms of belief and the overall plan. In contrast we have struggled to explain our setup to others because they want to know what and how. Hope you enjoy the video, which is taken from a TEDx conference with Simon Sinek speaking.

Empty Shop date announced and first meeting date set

2010-05-11T05:02:00.001-07:00

Project 3 - Dead spaces - empty shop

Perhaps you have noticed how many empty shops there are in Cardiff city centre at the moment? We have.

The first empty shop project will take place in an empty shop in Castle Arcade, Cardiff on the 2nd and 3rd of July. We are looking for people to contribute their ideas, skills and knowledge to help make this project happen. We would love you to get involved.

There will be a meeting in Y Tair Pluen (part of Owain Glyndwr on St. John St, opposite St Nicholas church) on Tuesday the 18th of May at 6.30pm to start developing ideas. We are asking anyone interested in taking part in the project to come along. You might already have an idea of something you’d like to do or want to meet people you can exchange ideas with. Or you might just want to find out what's happening - we don’t mind, we want you to come anyway!

ARK- Creative Network event at CAI

2010-05-06T08:16:00.000-07:00

The response was fantastic last night. We had a great turnout considering we only arranged the evening about a week or so ago, and there were some really interesting conversations centered around networks / events / venues in Cardiff and Wales. We are going to be looking at this over the next few weeks and coming to some insights to be able to take the project forward. For the first time there also seems to be a number of people that are really interested in being involved and to help out.

Secondly we are also really happy to announce the dates for our empty shops project which will take place from the 2-3 July which is the friday and saturday. So now that you have the dates there is no excuses to get in contact if you feel you want to help out or even put something on during the two days.

Creativity Network meeting - 5/5/10

2010-04-29T06:06:00.000-07:00

After a recent blog post about creativity in Cardiff and Wales and networking, it has been suggested that a meet up to discuss a possible overall programme of events and looking into working together to show the strength and vibrancy of creativity in Wales and Cardiff could be looked at. As we have a regular meet up on Wednesday evenings at Cardiff Arts Institute we are hoping to be able to meet anyone interested in this subject from around 7pm next wednesday 5/5/10 to see if we can do anything together? If you are interested then please come along. Also if you feel someone else also should come to the meet up then please pass on the invitation.

thanks again and I hope to see you all next week

ARK team

What should we be?

2010-04-28T09:02:00.001-07:00

Having now been now up and running for almost a year we have been looking into our status in terms of a company and it's structure. Last night we had a meeting about the possibilities and what pros and cons there are depending on what you choose.

A few months ago I think it is fair to say limited by guarantee was the way we were going, or becoming a full blown charity. However recently with the introduction of 'community interest' company we are reconsidering what we may become. If anyone has any thoughts comments or experiences on either of these we would love to hear from you.

Service Design Hub

2010-04-27T03:01:00.000-07:00

While I was scanning the web for interesting companies and case studies for ARK I came across this fantastic site called Service Design Hub run by user experience consultant Suze Ingram. The hub is described as "a place to find blogs, articles, papers, books, links and videos about service design."

I was immediately absorbed into the site and particularly liked the interview with Mark Fonteijn from Service Design Agency 31Volts and was intrigued by the 'Pleasant Platforms' project where he says that "one of the most interesting insights was that as long as travelers were not standing still they didn’t consider themselves to be waiting". A statement that felt akin to our thoughts, ideas and approach to on the recent National Assembly railway consultation project. Hopefully we can find out more about this project through 31Volts as it sounds like a great case study.

Knowledge Sharing - tell us something interesting

2010-04-27T02:13:00.000-07:00

Part of ARK's ongoing remit is to share knowledge and resources related to social design. This includes design tools, other social/ service design agencies and groups plus any interesting projects or case studies we might come across. We have recently set up our Bookshelf and Resource library and my mission this week is to update it with some of the great sites i have recently found plus if you have come across any great websites or books that you want to recommend let us know.

Thinkpublic meet ARK

2010-04-20T05:33:00.000-07:00

A quick thank you to Paul from thinkpublic who wrote a small piece on their blog about us, and they have also been very helpful in giving us a bit of advice as to how to move forward. Finally after a number of months of us trying, Paul has also managed to sum up what we do in one sentence.

"ARK is a weekly meetup of designers, artists and other interested people who share an passion for social design."

Bang on. I guess that we just need to expand peoples ideas of what social design is now.

One down many more to go

2010-04-16T05:32:00.000-07:00

As some of the previous blogs have articulated. We have managed to get our train proposal in for Assembly Wales and we are working on the Shop project as an ongoing project. I personally am also trying to raise ARK's profile within the design community at large so am trying to find new networks to join and plug into any suggestions welcome. Also thinking about producing some kind of urban psychology type advertising if that sounds interesting to people would love to hear from you.

socialARK

2010-04-09T07:47:00.000-07:00

PHEW! This week was a quiet week for ARK with time to relax and chat with new ARKee Noel, or as i later called him Leon (as Laura pointed out my mind must be working backwards!) I think this just summed up how we all felt after some pretty intense workshops the last few wednesdays to get the National Assembly railway consultation project finished. Thanks to all who participated and a special big thanks to Simon for pulling it all together, a few late nights I think! The report looks fantastic with some really interesting ideas that challenge what accessibilty means. Hopefully the assembly finds it thought provoking. Simon will be posting the report soon so we would be interested to hear what you think?

It's great to meet new people who just drop-in to find out what we are all about and hopefully Noel will be back along with everyone else a week wednesday (21st) as next wednesday we are off to TEDx Cardiff so maybe we will see you there?

Wednesday Club and the evolving face of ARK

2010-03-27T07:13:00.000-07:00

We have been looking into the formation of ARK for a number of months now. ARK is an unusual beast as it is many things to many different people. With everyone getting something out of ARK's various guises we are trying to sum up ARK and it's activities, these are the very first steps.

Please comment below

Closing off the Railway Project

2010-03-27T04:32:00.000-07:00

Next Wednesday (31st of March) ARK will be closing off its National Assembly railway consultation project with a few design challenges. We have picked 6 different design themes coming from the last two Wednesday club discussions to help us propose some creative and unexpected solutions (please see below). We will include the outcomes of these design challenges in the consultation document we send to the Assembly on the 1st of April. Come along get involved and get creative.

"People based solutions" are non-technical solutions to accessibility problems
"Coldness!!" are any solutions that make stations more welcoming and inviting
"Levels of information" are all solutions related to communication
"Fun theory" is fun theory http://www.thefuntheory.com/
"Colour coding" are all solutions related to the use of colour
"Experience journeys" are all solutions that bring people back to the railways for more than commuting"

Hope to see you at Cardiff Arts Institute from around 7pm.

ARK team

Tim Brown talks about Design Thinking

2010-03-26T10:46:00.000-07:00

The subject of "Design Thinking" regularly crops up at the weekly ARK meet-ups so I thought this little video from TED talks raises some interesting ideas in a more open, collaborative and participatory approach. Tim Brown believes this approach could have a bigger impact than designers working alone and suggests the first step "is to start asking the right questions". what do you think?

book case

2010-03-23T03:21:00.001-07:00

Shelfari: Book reviews on your book blog

Wednesday Club - 17/03/10

2010-03-19T09:05:00.000-07:00

We have had a lot of interest in ARK recently with a number of people asking what we get up to. I tried to take some photos to give you an idea. We had a great turn out this week and have managed to create two strong groups to concentrate on the train inquiry for Assembly Wales and also the dead spaces project which one response will be the pop-up store/mini festival.

The two groups discussing the projects.

More detailed discussions about the train project.

More detailed discussions about the dead spaces / pop-up shop project.

Some happy snaps from last weeks talking

2010-03-17T09:10:00.000-07:00

We are trying to document the Wednesday club's and what happens. The problem is we are always pretty busy doing the workshops and chatting about the projects and what everyone has been up to over the last week or so. Not ideal but below are some images from the idea break out session we got involved in.