WHAT?
Ebb and Flow is a collaborative digital fiction project exploring the often contradictory concepts of technology and literature. Digital fiction, with the creative process at its heart, uses a spectrum of digital techniques to develop, extend and communicate stories. A contemporary take on the timeless art of telling tales. This is the eighth collaborative arts project the partners have undertaken over the past decade.
WHO?
Five Suffolk Schools, Beacon Hill School, Deben, Kesgrave and Stoke High Schools together with St Joseph's College were joined by partners Kate Pullinger, award winning author, who led the project, digital authors, Tim Wright, J R Carpenter, Chris Meade, and partners University Campus Suffolk, Simon Gleen of Netphobia and Andy Campbell of One to One Development Trust, Simon Gleen of Netphobia and Project Director Tony Newman from artsroute. The project was funded by the Department for Education under the Independent / State Schools Partnership Scheme.
HOW?
The stories are based on the River Orwell – a river that joins Ipswich and Felixstowe where the 5 schools are located. To set the scene, gather ideas and collect digital material – video, photographic and sound – 75 pupils and staff sailed down the River Orwell in September 2010. During the Autumn this material was brought to a series of four workshops at University Campus Suffolk. Here the teams, The A Team, Flying Bs, Rough Cs, Captain Ds and Easy Es, each made up from members of the different schools – worked with the authors to collaborate on creating stories. With each workshop led by a different author, the results were eclectic and exciting, limited only by the creativity and imagination of the pupils.
Over the winter months the teams met virtually to continue the work on a dedicated website, organised by Simon Gleen at Netphobia. In the Spring of 2011, Kate Pullinger led two more workshops at St Joseph's College where the pupils shared their work, swapped ideas and planned progress before submitting their stories to Andy Campbell of One to One Development Trust. Andy then created this website to showcase the Teams' work.
COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS
For the past decade a number of Suffolk Schools have collaborated on a series of creative arts projects, led by St Jo-seph's College in collaboration with artsroute. The schools involved were: Beacon Hill School, Charsfield Primary School, Copleston High School, Deben High School, Kesgrave High School, St Albans High School, St Joseph's College, Stoke High School, Westbourne High School.
PAST PROJECTS
2001/2
Earth Words – An exploration of man's harmony with the environment with resident artist Liz McGowan. The final exhibition was a sculpture trail in the grounds of St Joseph's College. (Approx. 85 pupils and 8 staff involved). Sponsored by BTExact.
2002/3
Junk Culture – An exploration of man's use and abuse of the environment using discarded mate-rials from the three schools to create sculptures with resident artist Clare Iles. The exhibition formed part of the IP-art 2003 Arts Festival (Approx 110 pupils and 11 staff involved). Sponsored by BTExact.
2003/4
Dream Works – A celebration of man's creativity and imagination with resident artist Maggie Campbell. The project was based around Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. There were two performances in July 2004. (Approx 80 pupils and 9 staff involved) Sponsored by BTExact.
2004/6
Double Vision - (Funded under the ISSP scheme). An exploration of Ourselves, Our Roots, Our Community using digital technology. The exhibition in 2005 was a series of short videos devised by the pupils under the guidance of artist in residence David Blandy. These were exhibited in the schools and at the Ip-art 2005 Festival in Hughes TV and Audio in Tower Ramparts. Partners, BT and Goldsmiths College. There was a further exhibition of work in July 2006 for the Ip-art 2006 festival at Hughes TV and Audio. (Approx 120 pupils 12 staff)
2005/6
Ice House – (Funded under the ISSP scheme). An archaeology technology project, excavating an ice house and using interactive whiteboard and digital technology to research, record, and present an exhibition and develop curriculum materials for KS3. Exhibition at SCC, Russell Road, July 2007. Business partners: SCC Archaeology Services, East Anglian Daily Times, MLM Consulting Engineers. Exhibition: July 2006. (approx 220 pupils and 15 staff)
2006/8
Auto|Mobile (2007) SENSE (2008) – (Funded under the ISSP scheme) A modern dance project working with Random Dance, DanceEast, the Ipswich Borough Council and in 2008, Suffolk County Council and Britten Sinfonia. A series of dance workshops led by Random Dance culminated in a site specific performance in the Crown Street Car Park for the Ip-art Festival in July 2007. In 2008, working with composer Stevie Wishart and Britten Sinfonia, the pupils com-posed and performed the music for the dance – led by Wayne McGregor | Random Dance - in a further site specific performance at Endeavour House in Ipswich on July 10 & 11for the Ip-art Festival. (approx 230 pupils and 20 staff)
2009
Out of the Box – two GATE writers' workshops, short story competition and Young Peoples' Slam with authors Vanessa Gebbie and Matt Thorne, April and July 2009. Sponsored by BTExact. Approx. 60 pupils and 5 staff
20010/11
2010/11 Ebb and Flow – (Funded under the ISSP scheme). A digital fiction project led by award winning author Kate Pullinger, together with digital authors, Tim Wright, J R Carpenter, Chris Meade, and partners University Campus Suffolk, Simon Gleen of Netphobia and Andy Campbell of One to One Development Trust. Following a river trip and a series of workshops, students collaborated on digital fiction stories inspired by the River Orwell, culminating in a dedicated website commissioned in July 2011. Approx 75 pupils and 8 staff.
Tony Newman
Projects Director, artsroute