Hack the City is about using open data to make life more interesting.   

It's a hands-on event to use public data to test and prototype ideas, apps and products that can either reveal something different about your city, village or broader environment, or help people find out about and engage more easily with the events, incidents and decisions that affect where and how they live. 

There'll be a room full of smart folk to collaborate on ideas with and plenty of refreshments to keep you going, whether you want prototype a data-driven startup concept, to test out a research idea, knock together a civic hack or simply experiment with or learn about the data. 

What's the Theme?

In this edition of Hack the City we're stepping out of the urban context to shine a spotlight on the marine culture, biodiversity, environment and waterways data that is being made available through the huge OpenDefra programme. 

We're particularly interested in exploring how this helps improve understanding about and opportunities for life and living in waterways, coastal areas, wetlands and the communities around them. 

What Data is Available?

There's a growing repository of environment, marine and biodiversity data available via Defra and its agencies on data.gov.uk and other publisher websites.  

We'll be reviewing some of the more interesting datasets at the Open Data Sheffield meetup on Mon 11 January, and sharing an update on other interesting datasets via the Hack the City website.

What's the Schedule?  

We're spanning a couple of days to give more time to discover and explore the data, form teams and develop sustainable hacks and projects.

Fri 15 Jan 1pm - 2pm: Lunchtime Talk - get inspired with data-driven artworks and music that bring new perspectives to marine and environment data, and life and living in coastal areas and waterways. 
Open to all, even if you can't make the Main Hack. 

Fri 15 Jan 2pm - 5pm: Data Dive - find out what data is available and how it's used, hear about the industry and research challenges and opportunities, and use these to generate some ideas to work up during the hack.
Highly recommended for Main Hack participants.

Fri 15 Jan from 5pm: Pre-Hack Social - recharge over a drink and some food, meet the other participants, hatch your hack plans and find some collaborators to work on projects together. 
Exclusive to Main Hack ticket holders. 

Sat 16 Jan 10am - 6pm The Main Hack - announce your projects, bolster your teams and make something happen. There's food and refreshments throughout the day, culminating in a show'n'tell of what's been done and awards, followed by networking drinks from 6pm, and a data-driven music performance by Kaffe Matthews, Alex McLean and others.   

Where?

Friday's Data Dive will take place at the ICOSS Centre on Portobello, near the University Roundabout and tram stop of the same name. Now home to the Sheffield Methods Institute.  

The Main Hack on Saturday takes place at Sheffield Hallam Univeristy's Cantor Building at 153 Arundel Street, not far from the train station.  

Who Can Hack?

All citizens are welcome - including designers, journalists, artists, industry practitioners, entrepreneurs, academics, software developers, public sector and policy stakeholders.

You don't need software development or data skills. The best hacks come from teams that combine technical and design talent, with a canny understanding of how citizens could engage with their environment and how people use digital tools. Some entrepreneurial hustle goes a long way too. 

This edition of Hack the City especially welcomes those who work in or for organisations involved in marine and waterways life and living. 

Once again at Hack the City we will be joined by a team of analogue and digital artists as part of the University of Leeds 'Inhabit the Hack' programme to help turn up the creative dial on projects, and we'll be hosting a Lunchtime Talk on art and music inspired by environment and biodiversity data that give us fresh perspectives on marine and waterways culture. 

I work at an environment organisation or in the fishing / farming / food industry - can we share our data for the Hack?

Absolutely! We're happy to put any non-personal data into the mix to see what people make of it. It may well shed some light on how you can improve your audience reach and engagement, or strike up new partnerships. Get in touch via hello@hackthecity.net to talk about how to get your data ready for public consumption without exposing your organisation commercially. 

Hack the City is delivered by MundoJumbo, a specialist grassroots and open innovation agency, in partnership with The Better With Data Society, the University of Leeds (Music Department) and the Department of Animal & Plant Science at the Univesity of Sheffield. 

Some Questions and Answers

Are there ID requirements or an age limit to enter the event?

No age limits, but anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a supervising adult. You should bring an electronic copy of your registration ticket.

Where can I contact the organiser with any questions?

Use the contact the organiser button on this event, or email directly via hello@hackthecity.net.

Is my registration/ticket transferrable?

Yes. You can update the ticket registration details directly from My Tickets in your Eventbrite account. 

Can I update my registration information?

Yes. Log into your Eventbrite account and go to My Tickets. 

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

Definitely not. Better to bring a copy of the email on your smartphone, tablet or other device and save some paper and ink.