SYMPOSIUM: Do-It-Yourself Technologies for Action and Empowerment: Stories, practice and perspectives

The MAZI project is developing a toolkit for building local, community wireless networks using Raspberry Pis.

The MAZI EU project is concluding at the end of 2018. To mark the occasion we are inviting you to join us as we celebrate our achievements, share our stories and the lessons we learned, and perhaps most importantly, to discuss what should happen next. The symposium will present case studies from our pilot studies in Berlin, Zurich, London and northern Greece, along with talks by invited speakers. Building on the context of our own MAZI experiences, we will broaden out the debate with perspectives from outside the project.

Themes: #WiFi-networking #RaspberryPi #DigitalArts #CommunityEngagement #Making-Hacking

The symposium (18th October) will present case studies from our pilot studies in Berlin, Zurich, London and northern Greece, along with talks by invited speakers. Building on the context of our own MAZI experiences, we will broaden out the debate with perspectives from outside the project.

Symposium Speakers include:

• Chris Csíkszentmihályi, Madeira Interactive Technology Institute, and the Rootio Project

• Janis Lena Meissner, Digital Civics at Open Lab, Newcastle University

• Denise Allan, Wee Replicators, Edinburgh

• Elizabeth Wright & Loyane Bianchini, Reverso, São Paulo, Brazil

• Adnan Hadzi, Digital Arts, University of Malta

• Jeremy Singer, FRμIT: The Federated RaspberryPi Micro-Infrastructure Testbed. Glasgow University

Programme (in development – check back for updates)

10.00 – 10.30: Welcome and introduction to the MAZI project: Michael Smyth, Edinburgh Napier University.

10.30 – 10.50: Berlin Neighborhood Academy: MAZI Pilot Study presentation: Elizabeth Calderón Lüning

10.50 – 11.10: London Creeknet: MAZI Pilot Study presentation: James Stevens & Mark Gaved

11.10 – 11.30: Break

11.30 – 12.00: The Reverso Project, DIY networking, occupied housing and surburban Favelas in São Paulo, Brazil: Elizabeth Wright & Loyane Bianchini, Central Saint Martins, London.

12.00 – 12.20: Zurich Kraftwerk Housing Cooperatives: MAZI Pilot Study Presentation: Ileana Apostol & Philipp Klaus

12.20 – 12.50: Invited Speaker: Wee Replicators, widening access to digital making: Denise Allan, Wee Replicators, Edinburgh.

12.50 – 14.00: Lunch Break

14.00 – 14.20: unMonastery village interventions in northern Greece: MAZI Pilot Study Presentation: Katalin Hausel & Lauren Lapidge

14.20 – 14.50: Invited Speaker: Adnan Hadzi, Boattr, Digital Arts, University of Malta

14.50 – 15.20: Invited Speaker: Janis Lena Meissner, Digital Civics at Open Lab, Newcastle University, and co-founder of fempower.tech

15.20 – 15.45: Break

15.45 – 16.15: Invited Speaker: Chris Csíkszentmihályi. European Research Area Chair at Madeira Interactive Technology Institute, and director of the Rootio Project, a sociotechnical platform for community radio.

16.15 – 16.40: Invited Speaker: Jeremy Singer. Glasgow University, FRμIT: The Federated RaspberryPi Micro-Infrastructure Testbed.

16.40 – 17.00: Open Discussion: From Do-It-Yourself to Do-It-Together: Perspectives on the future use of community networking technologies for grassroots social impact

17.00 – 19.00: Drinks reception and book launch

Full details about this one-day symposium and associated workshops are here: www.mazizone.eu/mazi-workshops-and-symposium-2018-edinburgh-uk/

ACCESS: please note that the event takes place in the Dissection Room at Summerhall. There is some restricted access, please contact us (email option below) for more details.