Here’s a list of all the good folk who are supporting this project and making it happen. If you’ve got something to offer and want to get involved, lob your suggestions this way…
Confetti – Institute of Creative Technologies
Confetti has many goals, one of which is creating opportunities for students within the creative industries. As a partner they are providing access to state-of-the-art programmes and software as well as rooms to host workshops in. We are also able to use their television production studios, such as green screen rooms, to create and edit our videos.
Are a local print company specialising in signs and graphics and will be providing printed banners to aid marketing. Tony Bates owns the company and was approached because of his outstanding contributions to his home city. He was responsible for the Twitter trending #Nottingham Rocks and helped create the Festival of Nottingham. You can follow Tony on Twitter at @BabblingBates
First Story strives to support and inspire creativity, literacy and talent in challenging UK secondary schools, focussing on schools in which more than 50% of pupils are considered deprived according to the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index and/or GCSE results fall in the lowest third of the national distribution. We have similar objectives in that we both want to inspire young people to read and gain the confidence to express themselves creatively.
On 1 August 2013, LeftLion reached the grand old age of ten. That’s ten years of promoting Nottingham culture and proving that the only shootings going on now are for independent films and music videos. Leftlion are providing support through their expertise, promotion, and through some very generous discounts in advertising that will give us access to Nottingham.
This Cambridgeshire based company are a huge format inkjet printing company. And when we say huge format, we mean absolute whoppers. They are responsible for putting together the largest banner in the world, something like 50m x 50m. It’s only a matter of time before they wrap one around the Moon. As well as offering some financial support they are also providing printed banners.
Mixed Reality Laboratory (MRL)
The Mixed Reality Laboratory (MRL) was first established in 1999, and is an interdisciplinary group exploring the potential of ubiquitous, mobile and interactive technologies to shape everyday life. They specialise in creating interactive technologies and have four screens up in the UK (in Nottingham these are at Broadway Cinema and the NAE). Their research is grounded in the field of Human-Computer Interaction and will be working with us to create a ‘digital memory bank’ whereby people can upload and see content in response to Dawn of the Unread.
Councillor David Trimble, the Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture, is helping fund one of our commissioned authors. But the main area we are hoping they can support us is by ensuring links to the project are put on every public-access computer in Nottingham libraries. Sound simple? Ha! You know nothing, public sector heathen. This will be the biggest challenge of the entire project.
Nottingham Trent International College
Offer educational pathway programmes for international students into NTU. They are helping incorporate this project into their education programme for three terms (one year), by funding one hour of teaching per week. This is a fantastic opportunity for the students as the workshops will explore all areas of project management, adding valuable practical experience to enhance their studies. It also enables us to engage with a global audience, particularly given that race will become a key theme in the narrative.
We are working closely with NTU’s School of Arts and Humanities on various aspects of the project. These include: access to Game City and support for coding and software issues; creating placements for 100 humanities at work students who will help with marketing, social media, research, journalism, editing and film production. They have also created a two-day post for James Walker to focus on producing Dawn of the Unread. This project would not have happened without them.
Is a vibrant community of writers based in the historic Lace Market, providing space, networking, and creative and professional development opportunities for its members. Set up in 2006, the Studio is run by writers for writers, and is dedicated to the support and development of all forms of creative writing. Jon McGregor is the Patron of the studio. Their support is primarily through promotion and access to a wealth of talented writers.
Page 45 is a comic shop whose goal has always been simple: to bring the widest range of quality comics and graphic novels available into contact with as many new people as possible, and to do so with a warmth, honesty and informed eloquence in a relaxed, welcoming and professional environment. Stephen L. Holland, one of the original founders, is like our magical go-between, providing contacts, words of wisdom and occasional refuge from the chip-littered side-streets of Nottingham
Renaissance One
The range of work produced by Melanie Abraham’s and the Renaissance One team includes: book tours, literary readings, spoken word shows, talks and workshops. They produce and curate spoken word, poetry and fiction-based events and are particularly good at identifying talent early on. They have provided some videos of performers Aly Stoneman, Michelle ‘Mother’ Hubbard, and Panya Banjoko which will be embedded in our comic. These poets were all mentored by Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze, a poet from Jamaica who is a recipient of an MBE for Services to Literature.
Are a writer development agency based in the East Midlands. They support and advocate writing in the region, developing services appropriate for writers at different stages in their careers. This includes: facilitating new commissions, projects, residencies, and publications, and appropriate live events. They will assist us with marketing, advice and in helping select one illustrator/cartoonist through a regional competition.
Established in 1981, Workshop Designs are Nottingham’s longest-established design agency, specialising in brand identity, design for print and online media. We couldn’t think of anyone better to help us design our branding. Owner, Simon Smith, is a former Creative Writing graduate of NTU and so was really keen to offer support. This will include brand management and identity, as well as designing flyers to promote public readings and the various stages of the serial.
Pingback: Wham, Bam, Thank You Tram – Nottingham’s UNESCO City of Lit bid | Dawn of the Unread