We would like to invite you to join the Connecting Principle Research
Group.
 
Connecting Principle was initiated by Fine Art Visiting Research Fellow
Monica Ross in around 2002, in the School of Arts and Cultures, and is
currently convened by Wolfgang Weileder, Professor of Contemporary
Sculpture.  It is a research group consisting of artists, musicians,
writers, curators and web designers, lecturers and researchers at
Newcastle University, and members of Newcastle's regional arts
community.
 
The connecting principle of the individual and collaborative activities
of the research group is one of time-based process - please see
www.ncl.ac.uk/connectingprinciple to see historical information about
the group's previous activities.
 
We are proposing initially that the activities of the Group take two
formats:  one being a 2-day event scheduled for early May (before exam
period) of time-based installations that would be sited in Culture Lab
and the Fine Art Building.  This would be in a similar manner to the
original event in October 2002, although we would like to broaden
participation to include not only members of the School of Arts and
Cultures, but members of other disciplines that perhaps would not
normally be associated with a creative event such as this.  We already
have interest from the Informatics Research Institute and would like to
encourage as many people to join us, with as many different, and perhaps
"off the wall" (to use a terrible cliche!) ideas as possible!
 
The second of our activity streams is to host a series of
subject-specific round table events.  The aim of these events would be
to invite a select few (up to about 15 people) to join an in-depth
discussion, that could be disseminated via a presentation or informal
lecture to a wider audience at the end of the day.  It is proposed that
these events would include academics and industry specialists working in
similar areas whose perspective on the topic could be very different,
leading, we hope, to interesting and challenging discussions.  To this
end, we are also looking for volunteers who could help us document the
meetings - by film, sound recording, or any other innovative ways that
perhaps fit with the research aims of you or your students, we would
like to become real-data-guinea pigs!
 
To work towards these events we are hoping to set up a working group and
hold bi-weekly meetings - those interested in helping us achieve our aim
could come every week, or as often as they are able.  We will minute the
meetings and make them available so that even if you can't come you can
join in the discussions.  We are also seeking proposals for anyone that
would like to "exhibit" or become a part of the two-day connecting
principle event - the aim is to have an eclectic mix of works, from
students, academics and professionals.
 
The first of our meetings will be held:
 
Tuesday 16th Jan, 10am, Culture Lab Space 7.
 
Please get in touch if you have any questions, would like to confirm
attendance (or send apologies) or if you're interested in joining us in
what we hope will be a very exciting series of events.
 
with best wishes,
 
Sarah
(on behalf of Wolfgang Weileder, Sally Jane Norman and others) 
 
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Sarah Greenhalgh
Culture Lab - Newcastle
Newcastle University
Grand Assembly Rooms
King's Walk
NE1 7RU

E.  [log in to unmask]

Tel.  0191 246 4646
Fax.  0191 246 4607
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