Future Physical is a cultural programme co-conceived by shinkansen and East England Arts, produced by Future Physical Ltd/shinkansen for East England Arts.

Overview/mission statement

To design, create and deliver a content driven programme of work under the title ‘FUTURE PHYSICAL’ , through commissioning processes and products, co-producing with third parties, presenting, networking and creating a dialogue within an overall focus on the future interface potentials of the human body, culture and digital technologies. The programme is to set a standard and vision for arts and technology developments, to catalyst the existing resources and to create a momentum within the region to springboard it ahead of its time. The impact of this programme will be regional, national and international.

The Future Physical programme is directed and produced through group process to deliver the research, management, marketing and production work required. The Future Physical Team consists of a diverse range of specialists working in partnership. They include independent production staff, artists and producers living in the region, other parts of the UK, Europe and Internationally and key EEA personnel.

Andrea Stark, Regional Executive Director of East England Arts: “The East of England has a reputation as the European business centre for new technologies. That includes many artists who are leading the field in creative and innovative uses of technology. We’re delighted that our investment in Future Physical, and our partnership with shinkansen, is enabling these exciting projects to take shape.

Many of the great new ideas that are being explored now will become the high street products and fashions of the future: already there is considerable commercial interest in these products, even at this early stage.”

shinkansen: evolving performance through media technologies

shinkansen is an artist led cultural research and production unit specialising in the performative use of digital technologies. The unit has specialist skills in collaboration, interauthorship, networked production processes, intelligent stage and telematic performance creation. shinkansen delivers a year round programme integrating professional development and public events at a local to global level. The unit creates performance for live to digital distribution, generating projects that enhance creativity and learning for public and professionals alike.

shinkansen is based in London and works with a diverse range of worldwide artistic collaborators and partners from independent groups to established cultural institutions. During its thirteen year history, shinkansen has pioneered the use of the network as an object model for skill exchange, employment opportunities and collaboration for artists across Europe with projects such as European Choreographic Forum/Butterfly Effect Network and Sound Works Exchange. It has co-produced small to large scale productions including a focus on celebrating the human voice, Voice Over Festival and the site specific audio/visual installation Vinyl Requiem Recent technology projects include the telematic research productions, Cellbytes, live networked club events, Club Research and Cluster and the annual dance technology focus, Virtual Incarnations with Dance Umbrella and the Institute of Contemporary Arts.

For 2000 – 2002 shinkansen is producing Future Physical – a cultural programme exploring the changing boundaries between the body and technology for East England Arts.

shinkansen is financially assisted by the London Arts. Future Physical Ltd is a new company set up by shinkansen to run the Future Physical programme.

interested@shinkansen.co.uk

East England Arts: Arts and Technology

East England Arts is the Government development agency for the arts in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and the unitary authorities of Luton, Peterborough, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock. Its mission is to increase the impact of the arts in East England. It does this by making strategic investments in the arts in partnership with other agencies and stakeholders. During the life of its current Corporate Plan 2001 – 2004, East England is investing £30 million of public funds in the region’s arts.

The organisation’s Chair is Professor Stuart Timperley and its Regional Executive Director is Andrea Stark. East England Arts is based in Cambridge and employs 42 staff who provide a range of services, including information, advice and funding. The staff’s expertise includes the performing arts, visual and media arts, business development, finance, local authority liason, planning, education, training, marketing, public relations, information technology and the National Lottery.

On 1st April 2002 East England Arts formally merged with the Arts Council of England and the nine other Regional Arts Boards to form a single legal entity to lead funding and development of the arts in England. We continue to operate under our existing name and brand and our services to the arts in the region remain unaffected.

www.eearts.co.uk
info@eearts.co.uk

Future Physical is a cultural programme co-conceived by shinkansen and East England Arts, produced by Future Physical Ltd for East England Arts.