Read more about each Small Society Lab held in Dundee.
SMALL SOCIETY LAB 2015 – Dundee x Mexico City
Artists, designers, technologists and citizens are invited to join us for 2 days on 19-20 June to explore Dundee in a new innovative and collaborative way.
During the Lab, two seemingly unconnected cities will come together by running simultaneous events to share a crossing of cultures – Mexico City, a megalopolis with 22 million residents and Dundee, with 149,000 residents.
This is an opportunity to show off and improve what’s happening in Dundee, a UNESCO City of Design – celebrating our culture, streets, design, food, music, art and our lifestyle – and exploring the amazing rich tapestry that makes up all aspects of life in our city.
We’re particularly interested in exploring open collaborative tools and artistic projects which address issues such as the environment, high street, food, waste, climate, sustainability, open data.
Anyone is welcome to join the Lab, this is not an exclusive event, it’s all about people coming together to make good things happen for the city and its citizens!
There are three ways to get involved – you can do any, or all three!
1 Send in your Dundee content before 19 June (film clips, photos, audio recordings – to show the ordinary and extraordinary of Dundee). Details of where to send it coming shortly!
2 Be part of the 2 day SSL on 19/20 June, exploring solutions to issues affecting Dundee, and connecting with Mexico City. Tickets are limited so please book this event in advance, below.
3 Come along to the evening finale on the evening of 20 June for the live link up with Mexico City event to see what’s been created, with a Bring Your Own Mexican food flavour!
The two day Small Society Lab
We will provide plenty of indoor/outdoor space, a festival-like vibe, an interesting mix of people, a live link to the simultaneous event in Mexico City and great lunches! We’ll also provide lots of content – films, audio, stories, photographs – generated by local people in Mexico City and Dundee about their cultural lives – the everyday and the special.
You are encouraged to come along with your own laptops, devices and sketchbooks – whatever your tools of choice are.
Day 1 – 19 June 2015
At 10am, we’ll share the city content, then it’s over to you to explore and respond. Apart from working alongside others in the Dundee Lab, you will be able to collaborate across the Atlantic – exchanging ideas, files and designs throughout the event.
You might hack a new way of visualising your way around the city; or write a poem about a local Dundee recipe; create an audio piece that interprets Mexican street life; or solve a challenge facing our high street.
Day 2 – 20 June 2015
We’ll continue developing the ideas during the day, then… We’ll have a drinks reception at 5pm and get ready to share our ideas, prototypes and short film with Mexico City and Dundee City.
From 6 – 9pm, we welcome everyone else to join us at a Bring Your Own Mexican Food event (as they enjoy Dundee’s food delights for lunch!) to watch the big screen link up and share ideas/food/culture virtually.
We’ll also be screening the film featuring the crowdsourced city content with our friends in Mexico City!
Small Society Lab – Dundee City x Mexico City: a digital city cultural exchange.
Where: VRC, Dundee Contemporary Arts
When: Friday 19 – Saturday 20 June 2015, 10am – 5pm on both days.
Finale showcase: Saturday 6pm – 9pm for a live link to Mexico City.
SSL15
Thanks to Designer, Ryan Strachan for the great graphic artwork.
About the Project
This project is a partnership between Small Society Lab and Digital Futures UKMX.
The Small Society Lab is an open project which explores the development and understanding of the small city of the future. Based in Dundee, the Lab is now in its 5th year. This year’s programme is delivered by Dundee Contemporary Arts, the University of Dundee and Creative Dundee. Over the years SSL has worked with citizens and local and international partners to explore themes of democracy, making and digital value, through to serendipitous communities and community-run bakeries.
Digital Futures UKMX are collaborating with V&A, British Council, Laboratorio para la Ciudad, Centro de Cultura Digital, Laboratorio Arte Alameda, CENART to run a series of exchange and collaborative prototyping/making events around the themes of civic awareness, engagement, collaboration and innovation in Mexico City and London linked with the V&A Digital Futures and Digital Design Weekend programmes.