Digital Bristol Week returns to Bristol from Monday 2 to Sunday 8 February 2015 with an exciting schedule packed with a great selection of free events to develop your creative career and contacts.
This hugely successful collaboration – which on its debut in 2013 reached some 500 industry professionals – is back for a second event… And this time it’s even better.
Digital excellence
Building on Bristol’s reputation as a centre of excellence for digital media, the BBC Bristol partnership will be offering a free programme of events to help you understand the opportunities that digital brings.
Although some events are open to the general public, most are aimed at helping industry professionals in creative fields.
“There’ll be stimulating discussions on the future of digital technology, training with leading professionals and hands-on workshops”
Held across the city there’ll be stimulating discussions on the future of digital technology, training with leading professionals, hands-on workshops and this year new elements including a day at the BBC devoted to exploring the latest in immersive technology – have you tried a virtual reality headset yet?
There’ll also be a public facing weekend involving ‘hacking’ and ‘making’ activities.
Announced events
Here’s the schedule of Bristol Digital Week events so far:
Digital Skills Day – For creative professionals
Monday 2 February – BBC College of Journalism, BBC Bristol/BBC Bristol Conference Rooms
Here’s your chance to hear from heads of production and talent managers at leading companies across Bristol about current opportunities in the industry. Also being explored will be the latest requirements in digital skills and the way the industry is changing.
As well as discussion and debate, the day will include important workshops for careers coordinators and an introduction to hands-on coding for professionals. The afternoon will include a workshop to discuss how Bristol can create a more diverse and inclusive workforce in the creative industries.
GamesLab Presents: Digital Bristol Games Day – For creative professionals
Tuesday 3 February – M Shed, Princes Wharf, Wapping Road, Bristol BS1 4RN
Creative England GamesLab is hosting a Games Day featuring cutting-edge games industry talks on topics including virtual reality, games funding, the relationship between TV and games and special industry interviews.
Guests include Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, Ukie, BBC, Channel 4, Viewpoint Games and Auroch Digital. The day will conclude with a special showcase of South West games developers supported by Creative England, followed by drinks and networking.
Open Doors: City Open Day – For creative professionals
Wednesday 4 February @ Businesses throughout Bristol
Bristol Media’s Open Doors initiative offers you the chance to visit some of Bristol’s most successful global, award-winning creative businesses to learn first-hand about what they do and the skills they are looking for.
Showcasing some of the extraordinary work taking place across Bristol’s creative sector, this is an opportunity to join small groups visiting successful creative businesses for a look behind the scenes and to discover the diversity of talent and industry in the sector.
Businesses opening their doors include:
- Dare West – agile digital creative design and production
- Bristol Games Hub – learn about the vibrant global and South West games development scenes (see our Bristol Games Hub profile)
- Icon Films – an internationally established production company creating a broad range of factual content – SOLD OUT
- Sift – one of the UK’s leading digital experts working with over 1,500 organisations, helping them deliver effective online business solutions
- Taxi Studio – an agile creative agency specialising in producing big ideas for brands
- The Pervasive Media Studio – meet some of the community of artists, creative companies, technologists and academics exploring experience design and creative technology (see our Pervasive Media Studio profile)
- Films @59 – an award winning post production facility with over 25 years’ industry experience.
- Knowle West Media Centre – arts organisation and charity based in South Bristol offering activities for young people, environmental projects, training courses, and a business development programme
- e3 – an award-winning independent digital marketing agency
- Oakwood – an award-winning, independent, integrated brand and communications agency
- The Bottleyard – production hub that’s home to Poldark, Wolf Hall, Trollied and Deal or No Deal
- Spike Island – international centre for the development of contemporary art and design
- EMO & The Real Adventure Unlimited – part of Creston Unlimited, a marketing communications group delivering a range of digital technology based marketing
BBC Natural History Unit Camera Day – For creative professionals
Wednesday 4 February @ BBC Conference Rooms at BBC Bristol with workshops in the BBC College of Journalism
A day for wildlife camera operators working for the BBC to participate in demonstrations of new kit and hear about new initiatives and upcoming projects.
Open to all camera operators who have worked with the BBC Natural History Unit in the last two years. With talks (including an overview of upcoming projects), access to kit and experts on hand to answer questions on subjects such as the latest camera equipment and skills for the future.
Immersion: Living the dream? – For creative professionals
Thursday 5 February @ BBC Bristol Conference Rooms with a hands on area in the BBC College of Journalism Centre
A lively day of debate around immersive experiences with a chance to try some technology for yourself.
Join leading experts – including games makers, theatre directors, filmmakers, technologists and academics – to share the latest in immersion. Plus, a lunchtime presentation on opportunities for digital innovation with the BBC.
Introducing the Cleanweb: where cleantech meets the web – For creative professionals
Thursday 5 February, 18:00 – 21:00 – Engine Shed, BS1 6QS
As part of the European Green Capital’s International Greentech Festival and BBC’s Digital Bristol Week, Bristol 2015 is bringing together some of the region’s most interesting and innovative cleanweb tech projects.
On the night, five projects will give short, sharp presentations about what they’re doing, why it matters and what’s next for them, followed by an insightful panel discussion and time for drinks and networking.
Speakers include: Hugh Knowles, director, Internet of Things Academy; Professor Dimitra Simeonidou, chief technology officer, Bristol is Open; Roger Hey, Future Networks manager, Western Power Distribution (So La Bristol Project).
- You may like: Calling cleanweb and cleantech entrepreneurs! “Introducing the Cleanweb” event being held in Bristol
Digital Business Day – For creative professionals
Friday 6 February @ Engine Shed, BS1 6QH
How’s your business doing? Do you have a great board or advice network, strong business support, and plenty of external funding? Are you getting the best from your assets and people, informed by rigorous data analysis? And how’s your global trading?
If any of these are things you could develop, then the Business Day is for you. Bristol’s creative sector is growing fast, powered by a great blend of quality creative work, technological strength and a vibrant culture, so there’s plenty of support to draw on. Based at the Engine Shed in Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone, the sessions cover all the ways to strengthen your business, delivered by experts with success stories from the business coal-face.
Knowle West Media Centre present Open Bionics – Open to the general public
15:00 – 16:00 Saturday 7 February 2015 – Bristol Central Library
Open Bionics uses new technologies to make affordable high-tech prosthetics that can change lives. The company is using 3D scanning and 3D printing to create robotic hands for young and adult amputees. Working on the wearable technology frontier, the Bristol-based start-up has already won multiple awards for their work.
Knowle West Media Centre (KWMC) is an arts organisation and charity based in Bristol. Since 1996, they have used the arts and digital technologies to support people to imagine and develop ideas about social change, prototype new approaches, and share the learning across the UK and beyond.
Digimakers – Open to the general public
10:00 – 16:00 Saturday 7 February 2015 – University of Bristol, Merchant Venturers Building
Digimakers is a series of hands-on workshops all about ‘making’ in the digital age. From programming software to hacking hardware they will show you more ways to have fun with technology.
Find out how to make your very own electronic instrument, create a game or build a web app. Or, if you have a Raspberry Pi but are not quite sure what to do with it, come along to the drop in centre where our team of helpers will show you how to get started.
Sessions are aimed at 12 – 18 year olds, with the exception of Intro to Python for Girls and the Raspberry Pi drop-in which are open to all ages.
Book a Digital Bristol Week event now to take advantage of this special opportunity. You can also follow news about the events on Twitter by following the hashtag #dbw2015. Digital Bristol Week is being produced by the BBC in partnership with the University of the West of England, Creative Skillset, Bristol Media, Bristol City Council, the University of Bristol, Creative England, the Pervasive Media Studio, Engine Shed and the Creative Skills Hub.
