Category Archives: Events

Events, News

Win Guardian VIRTUAL REALITY MASTERCLASS tickets

We’re giving away FIVE free tickets to UNDERSTANDING VIRTUAL REALITY, a masterclass by VR developer Dave Ranyard, organised by The Guardian.

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

On Wednesday 6 April 2016 Dave Ranyard, former studio head of Sony London, will discuss cutting-edge technology, immersive computer games and the social challenges of virtual reality in a lecture hosted at Goldsmiths. About the masterclass

How to enter the competition
Subscribe to Goldsmiths Computing’s blog using the ‘GET POSTS BY EMAIL’ widget on the left of this blogpost *. This will sign you up to receive new blogposts by email.

Closing date: 11pm Wednesday 30 March 2016. We’ll pick five new subscribers at random, and email them on Thursday 31 March with details of how to claim their free ticket.

* If you can’t find the subscription widget, go to the homepage. And if you’re viewing this on a mobile or tablet, try scrolling to the bottom of the page.

Events, News, Staff profiles and activity, Women in Computing

Five computer scientists walk into a bar…

Stand-up_comedy

Join us at the Amersham Arms for a stand-up comedy event with a difference, featuring sex robots, aliens, and an invisible guitar. 

Goldsmiths Computing geniuses take on Psychology boffins in a high-speed dash through their specialist subjects. Expect laughs, facts that sound totally made up but aren’t, and loads of terrible PowerPoints.

Where: The Amersham Arms, New Cross
When: 6.30 – 9.30pm Friday 18 March 2016
Tickets: £6 (£5 concessions). Buy online

Computing line-up

Psychology line-up

  • Rebecca Charlton asks what’s happening in our brains as we get old and how we can stop it.
  • Sophie von Stumm explains why stupid people think they are smart.
  • Caspar Addyman asks ‘Where are all the aliens?’
  • Gordon Wright presents Psychological Sleuthing 101. What can we really tell about people we’ve barely (or never) met?
  • Chris French introduces the weird and wonderful world of anomalistic psychology – with jokes.

Goldsmiths is teaming up with the Telegraph Hill Festival for this special Showoff event to coincide with British Science Week. ‘Geek comedian’ and compere Steve Cross will be venturing south of the river once again to keep everyone to time.

 

All proceeds from ticket sales will go to CARA, the Centre for At-Risk Academics.

Events, Staff profiles and activity, Women in Computing

Mon 7 March: Empathy, emotion & body language in VR

playhubs

On Monday 7 March, Goldsmiths Computing academics discuss the challenges of creating emotionally-engaging games.

Creating emotionally engaging games in VR is full of hidden pitfalls and challenges. We draw upon our own experiences as VR researchers to explain what they are, and what you can do about them. We also present a Unity plugin we are developing to create virtual characters that behave realistically.

Speakers

Itinerary

6:00pm  –  Welcome
6.15pm  – Introduction: key challenges.
6.25pm  – Lessons learnt from 15 years of research.
6.40pm  – The BlipC framework – work in progress.
6.50pm  – Panel Q&A
7:55pm onwards – Networking, beers and demos including “A Chair In A Room”

Events, News

The Guardian hosts virtual reality masterclass at Goldsmiths

Games and VR Image Photograph: Picasa/Goldsmiths University
Games and VR Image Photograph: Picasa/Goldsmiths University

Tickets are now on sale for a Guardian masterclass hosted by Goldsmiths with virtual reality developer Dave Ranyard. The session, entitled Understanding virtual reality, takes place on Wednesday 6 April 2016.

Learn about cutting-edge technology, immersive computer games and the social challenges of virtual reality in a fascinating lecture with VR developer Dave Ranyard, in partnership with Goldsmiths, University of London.

Virtual reality lets us experience a world different from the one we live in. And much like the disruptive technologies that came before it – from electricity to TV, computers and smartphones – there’s no longer any doubt that it will significantly impact the way we live.

If you’re interested in the future of VR, don’t miss out on this fascinating lecture with Dave Ranyard, virtual reality developer and former studio head of Sony London. Over the course of the evening, you’ll learn about the past, present and future of VR, and gain a deeper understanding of its social potential.

The evening will particularly appeal to those with an interest in computer games and development, as well as anyone interested in new cultural directions, cutting-edge technology, TV and entertainment. Tickets are limited so book your place now – and learn how virtual reality will impact the ways we experience and interact with the worlds around us.

This Masterclass is run in partnership with Goldsmiths, a constituent college within the University of London, specialising in the arts, design, social sciences and creative technology.

Speaker profile

Dave Ranyard is a virtual reality developer, and former director of Sony’s computer games and entertainment studio in London. Most notably, he worked on the critically acclaimed game London Heist for Ps4 and Playstation VR, as well as a number of high profile games including The Getaway and Singstar. Dave has a PhD in artificial intelligence and, for over three years, has been carrying out pioneering work exploring VR’s potential. He holds seats on the BAFTA games committee and the Virtual World Congress advisory boards, among others, and tweets as @Dr__Dave.

Details

Date: Wednesday 6 April 2016
Times: 7pm – 10pm
Location: Goldsmiths, University of London, New Cross, London SE14 6NW
Price: £39 per session (includes VAT and booking fee)

To contact the organisers, click here. Terms and conditions can be found here.

Returns policy
Tickets may be refunded if you contact the organisers at least 14 days before the course start date. Please see terms and conditions for more information on our refund policy.

This post is adapted from an article on The Guardian website.

 

Events, News

Subscribe to win ELECTRONIC SUPERHIGHWAY tickets

We’re giving away two free tickets to the new Whitechapel Gallery exhibition ELECTRONIC SUPERHIGHWAY, which runs 29 January – 15 May 2016.

Competition now closed.

 

Electronic Superhighway is a major exhibition showing the impact of computer and Internet technologies on artists from the mid-1960s to the present day. The exhibition features new and rarely-seen multimedia works, together with film, painting, sculpture, photography and drawing.

How to enter the competition
Subscribe to Goldsmiths Computing’s blog using the ‘GET POSTS BY EMAIL’ widget on the left of this blogpost*. This will sign you up to receive new blogposts by email.

Closing date: 11pm Sunday 14 February 2016. We’ll pick two new subscribers at random, and email them on Monday 15 February 2016 with details of how to claim their free ticket.

Events, News

Goldsmiths Graduate Festival 2016

NF_Goldsmith's St James Hatcham.6.11.14_4389_sat_s-4c5838be5e

Calling all Goldsmiths postgraduates. Get involved with this celebration of postgraduate research in universities nationally and internationally. 

Organised by postgraduate research students as a vital platform to share their innovative projects, the Goldsmiths Graduate Festival is calling for proposals from all Goldsmiths graduates, PhD students and supervisors.

When: 9 – 15 May 2016
Submit abstracts and proposals to: gradfestival@gold.ac.uk

The week-long festival will consist of a broad range of activities including performances, exhibitions, film screenings, roundtables and panel discussions.

The festival invites proposals from all postgraduate students, and particularly students from our partner universities in doctoral training at AHRC funded CHASE and Design Star, EPSRC-funded IGGI, and ESRC-funded London Social Science.

Proposals are invited for papers, presentations, performances workshops and exhibitions that articulate the vision that underpins your research. Use the festival as a springboard to present your work in a supportive environment. Make links with other researchers across universities. Gain experience as a presenter, organiser or chair of a panel.  The Goldsmiths Graduate Festival will also include valuable advice on professional development with a series of expert talks.

How you can be involved:

Please submit all proposals by email to gradfestival@gold.ac.uk

1. Volunteer for the Festival Organising Committee.  The Festival will be organised by a team of postgraduate research students.  We invite students to form themselves into groups and to organise all elements of the festival including the festival programme, publicity and social media, logistics.

2. Propose a paper.  Submit an abstract of 400 words, outlining your name and departmental location, the title of your presentation and a description of its main arguments. Presentations will be 20 minutes and we would recommend that you address your paper to a broad academic audience.

3. Propose a panel. We welcome proposals for panels of 3 papers, of 20 minutes each, on a shared theme which would last for no more than 1 hour 30 minutes. This means 30 minutes would be left for Q&A and discussion at the end of your panel. Panel proposals should include abstracts and we would like to encourage collaborations between academic disciplines and also between students at different stages in the academic work. Your proposal should also indicate who will chair the panel.

4. Propose a Performance, installation, event, film screening(s), workshop, or laboratory.   We would also like to receive any ideas that students might have about ways to animate their work be it through performances, installations or related events that can be scheduled during the festival.

Your submission should take the form of a short 400 word proposal giving details of what is proposed and indicating the manner and timeframe of the event(s). Please indicate the time required for your event and any particular space or technical requirements.

5. Submit a Poster. Goldsmiths Library will be hosting a poster exhibition of current research. Articulate your vision in words and images: submit an A3 poster to the festival.

6. Chair a panel. You can also be involved in the organisation of the event as a chair of a panel and we will provide guidance with regard to how to do this. Email to indicate your availability.

Events, Staff profiles and activity, Students, Women in Computing

Report from Goldsmiths’ Global Game Jam 2016

GlobalGameJam2013_Welcome

At the end of January, Goldsmiths and Hacksmiths joined the marathon 48-hour Global Game Jam. Zoe O’Shea reports on what happened, and Jeremy Gow picks four standout games.

What can a group of people achieve in 48 hours? This was a question many of the new ‘Game Jammers’ were probably asking themselves as we approached the delightfully ominous doors of the St. James Hatcham building – a converted church – on Friday 29 January 2016. The Jam was set to begin at 5pm and finish at the same time that Sunday.

The space St. James afforded us was put to good use as the ever increasing buzz of Jammers had started to pour in from before four. White walls echoed the sounds of excited chatting, exclamations of friends catching sight of one another, murmurs of busy hosts trying to assemble and prep the site for the onslaught about to take place, and of course, the steady tapping of many fingers across many keyboards.

Members of the congregation included Goldsmiths alumni, current students, IGGI-letts, friends and a number of dedicated staff.

Our collective anticipation was put to rest when the theme was finally announced as ‘ritual’. And since this was a global event across multiple timezones, we were reminded: “Don’t post ‘til Hawaii knows.”

With a combined sigh of relief (“Last year’s theme was terrible!”), individuals started to make their way around tables introducing themselves. A look at the whiteboard at the top of the room indicated that “speed dating” had begun and the Global Game Jam had kicked off with earnest.

While it would be impossible to cover absolutely everything of interest that took place behind those glass doors in the following two days, honourable mentions must include:

  • a sound designer having to create game sounds (using only their mouth) in a secluded backroom
  • the use of the word “duress” quite repeatedly by an unnamed Jammer
  • a minor Wi-Fi meltdown on the Saturday (addressed with admirable haste)
  • a Jammer scaring themselves with their own game in the middle of the afternoon
  • a near constant stream of bodies in-and-out of the refreshments space
  • and a showing of great dedication (sleeping bags were involved) and camaraderie between all those present this year.

It’s not an easy thing to make “crunch” bearable, but the creativity and positivity shown by the Goldsmiths Jammers at St James reminds us all what the heart of this industry is about.

Jeremy Gow’s top games from Goldsmiths’ Global Game Jam

CiX9zszIBjp0ueAce Exorcist
A card game following the story of an exorcist trying to save the world from evil summoners attempting to bring evil into the world. Jeremy says: “It’s a well-designed card game with beautiful artwork. Our only non-digital game.”)

habitual_screenshotHabitual
Jeremy says: “Two first year students made a game about maintaining habits to deal with depression.” You play as an individual suffering from depression who begins to deal with their problems through maintaining and repeating habits; as simple as getting up everyday and leaving the house to sharing time with friends and just eating some good food. This game attempts to allow players to look into the ways of dealing with their own problems or helping them on their way.

screenshot_74Curse of Macbeth
A virtual reality horror game which follows the viewpoint of Moira – a young, committed British actress – who is totally consumed by her work after she gets the role of Lady Macbeth. She accidentally unleashes the Curse of Macbeth and the only way to escape is a cleansing ritual.

screen_shot_2016-01-31_at_14.47.12Mass Effect
You’re a priest who needs to collect all the flaming torches to complete his ritual. Unfortunately the crypt has started flooding. Collect all the torches before they’re covered by the water and make sure you don’t drown yourself. Jeremy says: “There’s a popular [and completely unrelated] series of ‘Mass Effect’ games… so the title is a terrible pun!”

Zoe is currently doing a PhD in Intelligent Games & Game Intelligence at Goldsmiths. She is researching the development of “self-theory” in digital games in order to create adaptive game-play experiences that respond to the player and their current psychological state.

Jeremy is the programme leader for our BSc in Games Programming and Goldsmiths’ training co-ordinator for the IGGI Centre for Doctoral Training.