Tweaking

Digital Slaves - Light Up Bristol - Dec. 2007 from Digital Slaves on Vimeo.

One of the most interesting and diverse festivals to occur in Limerick in a long time, Tweak happens all this week with a grand finale on Saturday in the boat Club. Over the Weekend we spoke to Nora from the festival

There is a very varied and interesting programme on offer next week. If you were to pick out four recommendations and explain why they will be special?

1. Without a doubt France Cadet (Monday 2pm Art College) When I first had the idea of doing the festival I knew I wanted to get France over. In fact I think I went on a mission to get her. I first came across her at an exhibition where her hunting trophies were on display .
I won't gone on about them (have a look for yourself) but I thought hey thats pretty cool and then when I had the idea of the festival she was one of the first people to pop into my head. I think this workshop will definitely be one of the most interesting ones - hacking a robotic chimp head and its one that should not be missed.[check out the video he's been sitting in my house for the last week, endless entertainment, I can't wait to see what she does with it]
2. vvvv day (all day friday) Anyone who wants to be a vj or is into club visuals should not miss this all day workshop. The digital slaves are amazing and thats all I have to say. You have to sit in the morning session to get your head around the afternoon one. Check out their website you'll see what I mean.

3. I would definitely like to recommend our open source washing machine session (tuesday 9am 23rd sept). The goal of the session is to brainstorm about (a) the technologies, (b) the social aspects, (c) the environmental aspects surrounding washing machines. I think this workshop will show how technology when it remains open source (and free) can really impact on day to day lives. This is the beginning of a social project which aims to bring free technologies to developing countries.
4. Daniel Miller Site A Exhibition in the City hall, Istabraq hall Tuesday to Friday 9-5
Dan is one of the artists exhibiting in the city hall and there is not really a way that I can express in words that would explain it properly - I'll try - robotic controlled projection that reveals a buried image in the walls of the space look at the video its way easier to understand I love this piece and I don't think I could describe it properly enough with words - it definitely has to be seen
I'm really looking forward to the exhibition. its the first time something like this has come to limerick and I'm hoping to get people will come along and see how technology has pushed sculpture and music in an exciting direction.
I suppose they would be my top four :) but none of the workshops should be really missed. They are all free bar the ones on Thursday (circuit bending and live electronic music making) plus the exhibition is free
We also want to make it clear that anyone is invited to come along and go to any of the workshops and the exhibition - yes we realise that it will be mostly students that come but that shouldnt stop anyone that is interested in coming. Everything is open to everyone
All the people coming have been working within the digital art community for the last few years and all are very well established and know what . There is nothing like this in Ireland. Generally art festivals are just about showing you artwork, so with tweak we wanted to do something a little different and show people how to do it themselves and maybe change some attitudes to technology (whether its programming or electronics or robotics).
Plus we think its really nice to bring something like this to limerick and we definitely think there is a demand for it.
I think people have a general phobia about technology and for me its "eh its a machine, you control it, you tell it what to do" so with the workshops we are hoping that people will feel a little like that at the end.
Also I'm hoping that someone will learn how to mute those annoying machines that talk to you in supermarkets (or is it just me that hates them?)

How did you come up with the idea of the festival and was there many involved in bringing it to fruition?

I first came up with the idea of the festival in and around February. I approached a few people and had a few pints with Dave (the graphic designer that did all the posters) and we decided 1. I should do it 2. the name.
So armed with these decisions, I approached Jurgen Simpson (He curates Soundings with Robin Parmar at Daghdha in St John's Square) I had been at a couple of their gigs and I really liked what they did so I asked Jurgen if he'd like to get involved and do a Soundings gig at the same time, he said yes and that was pretty much it.
I think the next thing was myself and Robin went into Sean Taylor in the art college and then he agreed to host the workshops in LSAD. So basically at this stage I had an outline of things but no money to do anything.
Anyway long story short - I had a three minute conversation with Patricia Moriarty she gave me funding and that was the beginning of it.
Did a website, posted calls for submissions all over the web, got in touch with France Cadet, made some new friends, and then selected the workshops and the exhibits for tweak.
After that I've begun to slowly lose my hair, learnt more about organising festivals then I ever had before, discovered customs don't like electronics or sensors or anything else I try to import into this country from the US, learnt that the wow wee chimpanzee freaks out dogs and there is no such thing as a 6v battery (its a long story not worth retelling)

Finally what else should we know?

1. workshops are nearly full please email [email protected] to sign up for any of them
2. We are having a talk session in the trinity rooms on tuesday that is free and open for everyone to come along
3. a noise night in the trinity rooms with live electronic music followed by we should be dead
4. Trevor Wishart playing at Daghdha on Thursday night (not not not not not not not not not to be missed)
5. Norman Jay plus a host of other gigs are on in the trinity rooms all weekend our full program are available for download here
6. the exhibition is on in the city hall from tuesday to friday 9-5 its free. if you like robots or noise or computers or art go there. its free
7. Our after party tickets are on sale in empire records
lots of djs (pete broken funk, pc, john greenwood, cian frawley, eanna, ger z (galway) and johnny meaney possibly the disconauts) are gonna be playing. the tickets are 11 euro (10 plus 1 euro booking fee) and there is only 100 going on sale plus you would be helping us out with the festival

Can we help?

we are looking for old radios for an exhibition piece and if people want to donate one (they'll get it back after the exhibition) please email me at [email protected]
I also want to give thanks to: joe clarke, laura ryan dave gilligan (pygment. com) Interaction Design Centre, University of Limerick, Sean Taylor , LSAD etc etc