May You Live in Interesting Times — Festival of Creative Technology :: different locations in Cardiff and Canton, Wales :: October 22-24, 2009.

This three-day Festival is all about “do-it-yourself’ with a programme that celebrates the latest intriguing uses of everyday technology and social innovation, enabled through shared ideas.

There’s a fantastic range of commissions, exhibitions, a tinker faire, discussions, workshops, screenings and participant-driven events. You can download a PDF by clicking on the ‘Timetable’. Highlights include:

Alfred Sirleaf: an analogue blogger from Liberia; Eddo Stern; Ghana Think Tank; the first Micro Maker Faire Wales; The People Speak; an unConference, and You May Fund commissions from artists based in Wales, including Switchboard Mobile Radio Station.

Write a Brief for a technology-based commission:
During the evening of the 23rd we need to drum up a large audience for The People Speak’s Who Wants to Be…? (7 to 10pm), a collaborative event where the audience writes a brief for a technology-based commission.

The Festival Diary and Map is designed to make navigation easy across the busy itinerary. There’s a fantastic range of commissions, exhibitions, discussions, workshops and screenings, as well as a number of exciting, participant-driven events. See: http://www.mayyouliveininterestingtimes.org.uk/timetable.pdf

The Festival has also gone green, so this year we’re not printing a brochure. In the spirit of do-it-yourself we’re promoting the whole event online and we’ve prepared this at-a-glance Festival Diary and Map for you to print out or view on screen at your leisure. So once you’ve identified which events you want to go to, be sure you book where necessary – see HOW TO BOOK on page 2. Places are limited (they really are) so do book to avoid disappointment. The website provides all the latest information alongside a Blog for your comments.

Whilst you’re out and about you can participate in the Festival by texting news to Alfred Sirleaf +44 (0)7504 433163 or listening to the Festival’s radio which is broadcasting throughout the Festival www.switchboardonline.co.uk.

The 10 Euro ticket fee will directly fund the new commission written by the audience. Come
and be part of something special and please book now - don’t wait until tomorrow we need to know we’ve got the crowd for the event.
http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase agency=CHAPTERARTS&organ_val=2795&schedule=list&event_val=6918

With technology now firmly placed in the everyday we have put together a festival programme that explores how participation is increasingly the driving force behind much digital content. Mass-technology has enabled individuals and communities to become connected and share information. This has brought about new approaches and ways in which things get done such as openness and shared problem solving and, as we’ve found in putting together the programme, brought about
interesting projects and ideas we think are worth sharing.

With creative technologists leading the way in developing reliable open source systems and products that are accessible to all, individuals and small groups can work together towards collaborative knowledge development. In the festival programme there are exhibitions that aim to address local problems through global networks - Ghana Think Tank- alongside events that open up the commissioning process - The People Speak’s Who Wants to Be??. There are lots of events where people can share their thoughts and ideas - we’re really proud to host the first Maker Faire in Wales, and our unConference asks participants to lead conversations on technology. Plus we’re
hosting a series of sandpits and workshops.