The Container a means of technological repatriation

"The UK Tour"

 

The container will tour for a period of four months in the UK before it embarks on its journey to the Caribbean where it will proceed to act as an access to technology mobile work station that will bring the creativity and dynamism (flair) of the Caribbean culture together with new technology. This is a UK initiative that amalgamates a number of diverse collaborations including private and public funding. To date the project have been supported by the ACE, JP Fruits Distributors, IANI Media, Mongrel, Escape and Computer Access. We are currently in the process of promoting and fund raising for the project and would like your help in achieving some of our goals.

 

We will be promoting a series of open day events around the Container unit as we develop the project giving the various Caribbean communities around the UK a chance to participate in the innovation, it is to this aim that we would like to discuss possibilities with you with regards to activities that the project can dovetail on or possible funders of activities that will be providing a public service in the form of arts edutainment i.e. the introduction of creative media to local communities or hard to reach groups.

 

We are seeking to target the four geographical locations across London, East, West, North and South, though these may have minor variation where West could be NW or South could equally be SW and so on. Their is also events being organised in Bristol and Wales other locations will also be considered in accordance with time and requirements. Their will also be extended events associated with the container while it is on tour in the Caribbean, however priority will be given to those communities that have participated in these initial outreach events.

 

Series of events could include an exhibition of multimedia works by various multimedia artists, interactive community work shops introducing people to soft and hardware in a creative context, family funday where the entire family can mingle with computer artist and digital professionals in an un-inhibiting space etc. these are just some of the possibilities that could be fashioned around the container unit in a socially integrating way.

 

Additionally the local businesses and traders may wish to use the unit as a kind of out reach and integrating facility, by advertising on and around the unit or by actually using some of the features of the unit as an experimental enquirer into the whole digital diaspora and how it can enhance their commerce potentials. The unit may even be used to set up work shops specifically for small businesses that would otherwise be unable to afford a streamlined workshop for businesses.

 

In the Caribbean the Container project forms the core of a strategic repatriation of technology programme, for the regeneration of the social and cultural economy. Programmes within the project are specifically designed to integrate the user groups into mainstream activities through the Container, which make best use of current availability of technology and training resources.

 

The Container project harnesses the dynamics of local knowledge and promotes the cultural diversity that binds people together in order to achieve constructive objectives. The Container project model will provides a benchmark for marginalized access into the Millennium, bringing Culture and Commerce together with Technology, local talent and people.

 

As can be seen from the above there is a wide range of things that can be done to make the Container experience useful and productive. The Container will need to be developed on an ongoing basis to support the need for marginalised access. The Container can achieve this and be successful by acting as a place where users can have easy access to the technology and giving rise to the development of a potentially much wider project base of which the Container can play a key element, this is a network of networks that share common conventions in order to make life easier for users.

 

The next step is for perspective partners to acknowledge that they wishes to participate in the Container Project that offers, as a minimum, the services suggested. If this is agreed, organisations and individuals interested in working to carry this project forward can begin to identify themselves formally.

For more information on how you can help or participate please contact - mervin@mongrel.or.uk or 0181 552 2698 or visit the website at http://www.container.access-it.or.uk

Timetable

Task	Dates
Web site Launch stage 1 Project Fund raising and promotions Project set-up stage Participatory Project work Project Launch stage 2 Artist Collaboration Programme	April 1999 April - August 1999 June - August 1999 July - August 1999 September 1999 September 1999 - ..........

 

 

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