Punk sonification: a DIY approach to turning data into sound
Monday 12 June (12-2pm) - PhD Academy 4th Floor LRB
Facilitated by Kate Dawson and Loud Numbers
Data sonification is the art and science of turning data into sound. Just as data can be visualised by transforming it into bars, lines and colours, it can also be sonified – transformed into pitches, sounds and audio effects.
With data sonification in your skillset, you can add audio to your visualizations, tell data stories with sound, or even create pieces of music driven by data. Sonification is a fantastic tool for reaching blind or partially sighted audiences, and it can also add a unique emotional resonance to your work.
This hands-on workshop will cover both the theory and practice of sonification. We’ll go over what sonification can do, the different types of sonification out there, what it’s best used for and which types of data work best in sound. We’ll also introduce you to an array of tools for making sonifications - and you’ll have the chance to make your own ‘punk’ sonification using just your voice, or the objects around you!
Previous experience working with data, music or sound is useful but in no way required – this workshop will be aimed at total beginners to sonification.
Participants will each need to bring their own laptop and headphones.
Podcasting your research
Tuesday 13 June (10am-1pm) - PhD Academy 4th Floor LRB
Facilitated by Dr Steve Cross
Are you thinking of sharing your work via podcasts? This session will look at how to make your own audio for sharing, as well as how to get booked for other people's podcasts. We'll start with formats and ideas and build through recording techniques and editing to marketing and sharing your final product. This workshop is fast and introductory, and will equip you to start things off, as well as showing you places to go for more learning, development and support.
Participants will need to supply their own laptops and headphones. They'll need working connections to the internet and to have downloaded Audacity https://www.audacityteam.org/.
An introduction to using humour as a tool for bringing your research to engage with the public
Wednesday 14 June (12-2pm) - LSE LIFE Workspace 4
Facilitated by Susan Morrison
Comedy and Academia are natural bedfellows. Comedy relies on the element of the unexpected, creating a setup to a surprising punchline. Academia depends on mining data to generate a new discovery or outcome.
This workshop would introduce participants to writing comedy, stagecraft and how to ditch the Powerpoint habit.
As a stand-comedian with more than 20 years experience on the stages of comedy clubs from Aberdeen to Bournemouth, Susan has a wealth of knowledge and experience in writing and performing live comedy. As the MC for the Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas and a trainer/MC for The Bright Club in Scotland, Susan has worked closely with academics to help them ‘find the funny’ in their work or research methods.
Amygdala Dilemma: An Artistic Reflection on the Economics of Fear
Thursday 15 June (12-2pm) - LSE LIFE Workspace 4
Facilitated by Dr Niki Barbery Bleyeben
For this workshop we will use an abstract painting exercise as an instrument for conceptual sense-making to create deeper levels of inter-disciplinary inquiry into the subject of fear and facilitate collaboration between dissimilar groups, fostering an appreciation for diverse and pluralistic points of view.
As the war in Ukraine unfolds, global uncertainty has surged. But uncertainty is a nebulous concept. It reflects uncertainty in the minds of consumers, managers, and policymakers about future events (that may or may not happen). It is also a broad concept relating to macro phenomena like GDP growth and micro phenomena like the growth rate of firms, elections, wars, and climate change.
Psychology and neuroscience tell us that uncertainty instantly arouses our fight-or-flight reaction. It fires up our amygdala. Our survival brain will do almost anything for the sake of certainty because we are hardwired to overestimate threats and underestimate our ability to handle them. But recent research in the field of neuro-economics is providing evidence that not all amygdalae are created equal, and as a consequence, some of us respond more cooperatively and manage our fear by taking a longer view on risk, whilst others respond more individualistically and seek short term remedies to attend to economic anxieties.
Benefits for participants are:
-
improved visual literacy and confidence around how to integrate art into one’s own research
-
cultivation of creativity through cross pollination of ideas, observation, active listening, and experimentation
-
access to collective intelligence and shared meaning
-
a deeper understanding of the impact fear has on individual choice/decision-making and how this connects to the broader socio-environmental-economic paradigm.
Drawing and dancing your research; how to use creative art forms to engage the public and develop understanding
Friday 16 June (1-3pm) - LSE LIFE Workspace 2
Facilitated by Geraldine Cox and Emma Bellerby
Join visual artist, Geraldine and dance artist, Emma for a playful workshop that explores public engagement through art and movement activities. This workshop will be a chance to play with creative methods that engage the public with your research. We will take one broad topic and explore the links to both visual art and movement, first showing and then explaining the approach behind our work. You will leave the session with fresh and imaginative activities to communicate your research and most importantly, we promise it will be a fun way to spend two hours!
Absolutely no experience in either art or dance required, just an open mind and a willingness to experiment and join in.