The Meet Up 2019
Wednesday 23 October, Frequency International Festival of Digital Culture introduced the inaugural THE MEET UP event to set the scene for one of the UK’s leading digital culture festivals on until 27 October 2019. The event brought together the collective voices of the creative industries to explore ways in which we can move diversity forward in a technological age and help shape the future of digital.
This year’s theme was Women In Tech, with inspiring speakers and participants joining us from across the country including Dr Anne–Marie Imafidon MBE (Co-Founder of the Stemettes), Ghislaine Boddington (Co-Founder and Creative Director of body>data>space and Women Shift Digital), Donna Close (Director, AMP Culture, Associate Director at Festivals and Events International, Associate Director Threshold Studios) and our very own Uzma Johal MBE (Co-Founder and Co-Director of Threshold Studios and Co-Director of Frequency Festival).
We were delighted to gain insights and experiences of being a women working in technologies, the gender imbalance in the industry, the challenges and potential positive solutions for moving forward into an inclusive and equal world. The conversation flowed during the event between our panellists Rebecca Evans (Artistic Director and Choreographer at Pell Ensemble), Akeelah Bertram (Creative Director, Ultiverse and visual artist), Jennifer Mackowen (Senior Software Developer at Scholar Pack), Joanna Clarke (Group CEO of NBV, Nwes & Enterprise for London Enterprise Agencies), Kerryn Wise (Choreographer, researcher and lecturer and QuestLab Digital Dance Artist, National Dance Company Wales) and Faye Bowser (Head of Distributed Energy Systems UK at Siemens) and attendees of the event.
During the day we had creative technology showcases, with presentations by Rebecca Evans (Pell Ensemble), Serena Tabacchi (MoCDA), Fanny Lakoubay (CADAF), Anna Luisa Schaffgotsch and Sybille Lambotte (IMPLI) and Martina Tsiora PHD and Gemma Hackney (Sensory Traveller).
We would like to thank all our partners, supporters, speakers, everyone who contributed and attended the event.
Photo credits: Electric Egg
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CO-HOSTS
Ghislaine Boddington
Ghislaine is a Co-Founder and Creative Director of body>data>space, a pioneering interactive design collective who have advocated for the living body to be at the heart of digital debate since the early 1990s. As an advocate for diversity and equality she is a co-founder of Women Shift Digital (2012 to date), a Trustee for the Stemettes and the Spokesperson for the successful Deutsche Bank / NWES “Women Entrepreneurs in Social Tech” Accelerator. @GBoddington
Uzma Johal MBE
Uzma is Co-Founder and Co-Director of Threshold Studios and Co-Director of Frequency Festival. Uzma drives the ethos and vision behind the organisation and passionately advocates for initiatives that prioritise participation, innovation and development of creativity in the technology and creative sectors. In 2016, Uzma was recognised on the New Years Honours List and received an MBE for her contribution to the Digital Economy. @GlamYoda
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE
A recognised thought-leader in the tech sector and listed among the world’s top 50 Women in Tech by Forbes (2018). Anne-Marie is Co-Founder of the Stemettes, an award-winning social initiative dedicated to inspiring and promoting the next generation of young women in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) sectors, and her vision of the future is for a more diverse and balanced science and tech community.
PANEL 1
The focus of this opening panel is on young female creatives and digital makers talking about their own experiences as women working with technologies. Exploring their routes to skills development and examining the issues they have faced in learning and work environments today, this panel will set off discussions, to be continued throughout THE MEET UP, on the challenges and on potential positive solutions for moving forward into an inclusive and equal world.
CHAIR – Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE, Head Stemette, CEO & Co-founder of Stemettes. @aimafidon
PANEL 1: PANELLISTS
Akeelah Bertram – Creative Director, Ultiverse. Visual artist creating dynamic environments from light and sound. @akeelahbertram
Jennifer Mackown – Senior Software Developer at ScholarPack @__jcmc__
Rebecca Evans – Artistic Director and Choreographer at Pell Ensemble @PellEnsemble @notrebeccae
PANEL 2
The afternoon panel will lead us into the Debate Groups and move us into a provocative discussion about the key reoccurring issues holding women back in technology linked careers, in the arts, in enterprise and in corporate culture. The panellists will talk from their own experiences about the positive ways they have found to move forward, sharing tips and good advice.
CHAIR – Donna Close, Director, AMP Culture, Associate Director at Festivals and Events International, Associate Director Threshold Studios @donna_close
PANEL 2: PANELLISTS
Joanna Clarke – Group CEO of NBV, Nwes & Enterprise for London Enterprise Agencies which provide dynamic, accessible & high quality, business start-up and SME support. @JClarkeNBV
Kerryn Wise – Choreographer exploring the intersections between performance and technology. Researcher and lecturer at De Montfort University, QuestLab Digital Dance Artist and Dance Ambassador, National Dance Company Wales. @KerrynWise
Faye Bowser – Head of Distributed Energy Systems UK at Siemens. @faye_bowser @Siemens_Energy
CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASES
Presentations by Rebecca Evans (Pell Ensemble), Serena Tabacchi (MoCDA), Fanny Lakoubay (CADAF), Anna Luisa Schaffgotsch and Sybille Lambotte (IMPLI) and Martina Tsiora PHD and Gemma Hackney (Sensory Traveller).