University hosts 'Time around Space' 360˚ imagery conference

A major global conference exploring the scientific and artistic potential of 360˚ imagery is being held at Plymouth University.

Time around Space is being hosted by the University’s ICCI (Innovation for the Creative and Cultural Industries), already recognised as a pioneer in the research and application of 360˚ technology, and the Faculty of Arts.

With more than 20 international speakers, the conference will address both the current uses of the technology, and how it might be developed in years to come.

Martin Woolner, ICCI Director, said: “ICCI is characterised by its collaborative, interdisciplinary and emergent practice, operating at the interface between the academic activities of the University and the creative and cultural sectors. Our knowledge and technology exchange and innovative practice is disseminated through a range of outputs  providing significant impacts for regional, national and international audiences.”

In 2012, the University’s ICCI360 arena hosted a multimedia and performance festival as part of the Cultural Olympiad in Weymouth. Over six weeks, it was used for a range of innovative and interactive projects, attracting more than 26,000 visitors.

The Time around Space conference aims to build on that success and is taking place over three days from June 21, and will feature speakers based in Plymouth, the UK and across Europe.

The keynote speakers will include Oliver Grau, Professor of Image Science and Head of the Department for Image Science at the Danube University Krems, and Professor Ulrich Nether, Chair of Product Design and Ergonomics at the Detmold School of Architecture.

Mr Woolner added: “This conference seeks to explore interdisciplinary questions around the creative potential of the 360 environment. That may include using the environment as a projection space, a performance space, a space of audience experience and a space offering new possibilities of meaning, narrative and interactive forms. The conference will focus around the themes of moving image, sound and music, interactivity and performance, and combine theory and practice to explore the parameters of time and space associated with 360° environments and other immersive spaces.”

Places on the conferences are still available, and for more details visit http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/icci.