MONDAY 6th – Squeaky Hill Quiz Show

#1 Squeaky Hill Features rounds such as the Practical Fag Break Round, the News Round Round, the Write A Film Synopsis Round, the Physical Challenge Round (A race to Tesco for a pork based product) and of course the obligatory Stone, Scissors Paper Sudden Death Tournament Challenge Round. Free entry from 8pm!

TUESDAY 7th – Lunchtime concert – danilo oliveira (trumpet) and maya soltan (piano)

#1 A bite size lunchtime concert at the Colston Hall with the Royal Academy of Music’s Danilo Oliveira (Trumpet) and Maya Soltan (Piano). From 1pm £5 a ticket.

WEDNESDAY 8th – Animation awards

#1 This is your chance to vote for your favourites in the British Animation Awards 2012! Three programmes containing a mix of animated shorts, music videos and commercials (including two from Bristol!) offer a chance to see the cream of the last two year’s animation films on the big screen. Starts 6pm. Watershed, 60 mins £7.20 adult ticket.

THURSDAY 9th – Digital Bristol

#1 DigitalBristol is a community for people in Bristol & the surrounding areas who want to stay up-to-date with the ever changing digital landscape. This month’s speaker is Giles Colborne, Managing Director at cxpartners. This talk will show you how asking the right questions can help plan and design better user experiences, how to measure the return on investment of delight and how to understand where to focus your design effort and product development. 9 – 6 pm at Horts Bristol.

FRIDAY 10th – Lunchtime Talk & Digital Training

#1 Lunchtime Talk: ‘Design fiction’ describes ways of using storytelling techniques, especially in the form of video, to make speculative design ideas feel real. The explores how technology designers employ design fictions as a form of prototyping but also highlights how these ideas frequently bleed into cinema and popular fiction. PM studio, 1pm free.

#2 Advanced Social Media and Digital Marketing Training
Learn how to create conversion funnels within a strategic digital plan, understand how to personalise and customise Google Analytics and how to write engaging content for customers that optimises website and social networking to stimulate conversations and prospects. From £195 at Bristol Business College.

SATURDAY 11th – Record Fair

#1 Record fair – 1000s of LPs, singles and CDs, from rare collectibles to re-releases, from funk to punk, you’ll find it here!

MONDAY 23rd – Cinebabies and Quiz

#1 Cinebabies- Coriolanus: Cinebabies is a weekly daytime screening which allows parents to bring their babies (as long as their under 12 months) safe in the knowledge that they won’t bother other cinema goers.  Coriolanus marks Ralph Fiennes’ directorial debut with this Shakespeare adaptation.  Starts at 11am at the Watershed.

#2 Watershed Film Quiz- This quiz will include audio and visual rounds.  IMDb have also donated special prizes as well as donating some of their own team to partake in the quiz!  Starts at 8pm, £2.50 per person.

TUESDAY 24th – Animation and App training

#1 CineMe Animation Workshop- Joseph Wallace, a Bristol based film and theatre director will be presenting a 2 hour workshop introducing the art of stop-motion and puppet animation.  Takes place at the Green Room in the Tobacco Factory, starts at 8pm.  Tickets, £7.50.

#2 Mobile Apps Training Course- Tailored to designers and web developers, ‘pay what you think it’s worth’ for this workshop on designing apps for iPhones and Androids. Places are limited to 12 participants, 9-5.30pm at the Pervasive Media Studio.

WEDNESDAY 25th – Artist’s and Digital talks

#1 Free Artists Talk: Jen Southern and Laura Sillars will provide a live demonstration of the new audio visual installation, Polyrhythmia. Participants are invited to take a ‘Space Metronome’ on a journey and as they move, they hear the rhythm of the speed that they are travelling. Starts at 6pm at the Watershed.

#2 The Beauty of Digital: New technologies, old aesthetics and where the two meet, following on from Polyrhythmia, a panel of Digital creatives will share their experiences of where the old and the new meet in the digital modern age.  Promising to be a lively and thought-provoking celebration of the creative possibilities of new technologies.  Free event but must be booked in advance!  Starts at 7.30pm at the Watershed.

THURSDAY 26th – Albert, Eco filmmaking and Slapstick

#1 Think Future Now – TV, Film and Albert:  ThinkFutureNow is designed to produce a cultural change within creative companies in Bristol to help them become more sustainable, work smarter and reduce their environmental footprint.

This event is the perfect opportunity to learn about initiatives on sustainable TV and filmmaking and Albert (the BBC’s friendly carbon calculator). Guest speakers include Emma Peddie  (BBC Sustainability team), Melanie Dicks (Greenshoot), Marina Traversari & Duncan Haskell (Icon Films) and Matt Golding (Team Rubber). 6.30 – 8 pm with drinks afterwards, FREE at BBC Bristol.

#2 Bristol’s Slapstick Festival: returning for it’s 8th year and it’s bigger and better than ever. This year’s special guests include writer, performer and television personality Griff Rhys Jones, Monty Python’s Terry Jones and Ian Lavender (Private Pike) from Dad’s Army. January 26th – 29th with various venues and prices.

FRIDAY 27th – Winter Cider festival and Bristol place making

#1 Bristol Winter Cider Festival: A sell out last year! On offer will be over 100 ciders and perries as well as hog roast rolls and cheese platters. Somerset’s premier Wurzels tribute band The Mangledwurzels will be playing a full show at all three sessions to help you drink up thy cider. Brunel’s Passenger Shed £7.00 in advance.

#2 Pervasive Media Studio Lunchtime Talk – Bristol’s placemaker: Serial entrepreneur Mike Bennett has spent his professional life starting and running businesses such as e3, Goldbrick House & Bristol Media. Last year he became Bristol’s Place Making Director. His biggest project to date was See No Evil and he’s currently plotting a whole host of new ideas for 2012. In his talk he will be unpicking what it means to be a place maker and how the studio and wider community can get involved in shaping the city. 1 – 2pm FREE

SUNDAY 29th – Funny Stuff

#1 TumbleWeed Comedy Club is a brand spanking new comedy club at the Big Chill that aims to promote fresh and exciting new talent from this city and beyond. Go along, grab a sofa and warm yourself by the fire….or give the microphone a go.

#2 Omid Djalili: The multi-award winning stand-up, international film star, and acclaimed writer/producer goes back on the road for the first time in 3 ½ years with his brand new show. Colston Hall 8pm, £19 a ticket.

TUESDAY – Sister Act and Spoken Word

#1 Sister Act If anyone remembers Sinbad from Brookside, this won’t disappoint! Failing that, it looks like it could be good fun. Tickets available for a number of dates, starting at £18.50.

#2 Henry Rollins: The Long March US punk-rock icon Henry Rollins takes to the spoken word providing us with political commentary, personal anecdote and ‘some of the most provocative chit-chat around’. Tickets £19.50, Doors 7pm.

WEDNESDAY – Short Films

#1 Cineme 9, Short Film Extravaganza Cineme 9 will be screening over 25 short films at the Hen & Chicken. Seems extremely good value for money with tickets being priced at £5, they can be purchased in advance or on the night. Starts at 8pm.

THURSDAY – Being Green and Girl Geeks

#1 – Energy Policy in 2012 hosted by Bristol City Council at the Council House. Organised by Forum for the Future of Bristol Green Capital and West of England Carbon Challenge members, a panel of experts will be answering key questions about what’s going to happen to our planet in 2012. 4-6pm.

#2- Girl Geek Event #12. Infineon technologies are both sponsoring this event and providing pizza! Pizza aside, Dr Constance Fleuriot, a Research Associate at the Digital Cultures Research Centre will be speaking. Any female PhD students are also invited to talk about their work. This event is free as always and takes place in Stoke Gifford (close to Bristol Parkway). Starts at 6.30pm.

FRIDAY – Lunchtime Talk and Social Media.

#1 – Precious Cargo an application for Mesh Mobs. Another lunchtime talk by Pervasive Media Studios, this time the talk is on 3G and smart phones and the influence these forms of media can have on crowds. Basically a very clever theory about mesh forming. Starts at 1pm.

#2- CIPR Breakfast Briefing and Social Media ‘Getting Social Strategically’Register early for this session covering the importance of a social media strategy, the basics of developing one and how this fits with the traditional marketing mix. Starts early at 7.45 am at Horizon House, £5 for members and £10 for non-members.

SATURDAY – Script Writing and Picnics

#1- Script Boot Camp- Do something productive with your weekend like write a script….or learn how to write one anyway. Lessons in the art of structure, character and dialogue will have you fighting fit to enter into the Scriptwriting world! Quite pricey at £95 so I guess you have to be pretty serious about script writing, taking place at the Watershed. Starts at 10am.

#2- Free Indoor Picnic at Trinity Centre- monster making, origami, book swapping- just some of the fun events at Trinity this weekend… whilst picnicking. Remember to bring a picnic and blanket. Starts at 12pm.

#1 For starters….. Half price food ALL DAY at Vodka Revs! Forget about any post-christmas diet and head down there!

#2 Full Moon Orchestra- Anyone can join in with this special event at the Arnolfini whether you bring along your musical instrument or simply your voice or a dance move.  It’s a spontaneous event and free to join!  Starts at 7pm.

#3 January Skillswap: Linux- Nicolas Alpi, Amias Channner and James Moverley will be talking about how to use Linux, both as an everyday operating system and as a web server.  This will be the first Skillswap at Pervasive Media Studio’s new location in the Watershed and is FREE!  Starts at 8pm.

TUESDAY- Lets nurture our ideas

#1 Nurturing Ideas: how you can lead a marketing organisation to greater success. A massive success in Bath, Mark Baptist (Director of Pace Change Management) will be telling us all how to effectively generate ideas, create consensus and deliver change. Starts at 5.30pm, free entry at the Clifton Club (22 The Mall, Clifton).

WEDNESDAY- Make a Dress!

#1 Dress Making Event: this sounds very exciting for all those looking to navigate their way around a sewing machine! Takes place at the Prince of Waterloo in Winford at 6.30pm AND all proceeds go to the Harvey Hext charity (Price TBC).

THURSDAY- Get Digital

#1 Digital Bristol- Digital Strategy for boosting your business online. Keeping us up to date with all things digital, these free monthly networking events attract the best digital knowledge, expertise and businesses in the region! Starts 18.30, venue TBC, free entry.

FRIDAY- Lunchtime talk and acoustic weekend

#1 Bristol Acoustic Music Festival (hosted by Jelli Records). This three-day acoustic festival at St Georges celebrates the breadth and diversity of Bristol’s unplugged music scene. £7 for a day ticket.

#2 Lunchtime Talk: Integrating Pervasive Technologies with Cinematic and Immersive Theatre. A free talk by Mason Robinson and Lukus Robbins, performance artists from Dartington college of Arts/ University College Falmouth. An interesting way to break up your day- the talk will explain how they have been researching and developing a narrative exploration through performance and installation amongst other things!

SATURDAY- Films

#1 London Short Film Festival- Best Film Festival in the world says The Guardian! LSFF is an annual event that presents the best in UK short film-making talent. For a couple of weeks in January, London’s best independent cinemas and venues are taken over showcasing some amazing short films. Oh, and they throw in a bunch of live music and parties too! Some tickets left, various prices and availability.

SUNDAY – Girl Geek

#1 Girl Geeks vs Wikimeet event – A hands-on editing event, at the University of Bristol.

This event will run from 1pm until 5pm on Sunday 15th January. Experienced Wikipedians will be on hand to help you explore how to edit Wikipedia, so please bring a laptop with you. It is also Wikipedia’s birthday on the 15th January so Wikipedia will be providing the nibbles and hopefully another fabulous Wikipedia cake.

And that’s it for what’s happening this week! #2!

1) Ensure people know what the date is in December through a yummy visual reference

2) Potentially re-asses the level of mess on their desks after deciding where to put their calenders

3) Get to work on time with the added incentive of chocolate in the morning
All well and good but could we find Advent Calenders anywhere in town? No is the answer, well actually I lie, the card shop in town had one left and our favorite corner shop had two left, slightly battered and £4 in price.

Feeling defeated, we turned to the internet and purchased them online. I guess being a Creative and Digitally based media company you would think this could have been the first port of call but there is no real adventure in that. The only option left was to purchase ‘Hello Kitty’ Calenders online for all no personalised selection or team allocated choices allowed in the digital age.

All well in good – however, upon the delivery yesterday we were informed that ‘one item had been updated in the order’ – no longer did we have 24 Hello Kitty Calenders but instead Peppa Pig had intruded and Kitty was pushed aside to just the two.

The Result of the great advent calender hunt of circa 2011 has resulted in pure happiness (plus 6 days of chocolate in one day in the making of this) :

Pure advent calender happiness

Now on to the Christmas trees

Ally testing out the crawl gear as we prepare for the Viral ad Network Ice cream crawl on the 11th and 12th August!

To celebrate ten years of Team Rubber this weekend we are off to a nearby site to burn some rubber but where will it be held exactly? Not sure Beccy knows yet that’s for sure…..

Different individuals in the office do of course work in different ways. Ben for example aids his creative process through biscuits – and has subsequently been renamed to ‘Biscuit Ben’.

Biscuit Ben

At Team Rubber we are always ensuring people feel comfortable in their working environment and Ben feels most comfortable when in his own creative working environment:

For more information on how biscuits can aid creativity please visit Ben’s Biscuit Blog.

Pictures below…

Big Paper: an open data essential

Best seats, best view #1

Very South By Southwest

Arduino. Proper wires and things.

Best seats, best view #2

Processing Your Freedom data – matrix style

Generating Haiku from Your Freedom data…

Colston Hall – good location for this

Pencil – my favourite tool

Thinking up ideas

Start the day

This morning we had a room full of multi-talented front-end developers, back-end developers, designers, journalists, bloggers, tweeters and publishers, all ready to share their ideas and get making…..

So why have a Hack Day?

“Because it’s fun to make stuff, good to work with the council and talk, tweet and blog about it”. Mr Andy P.

Hack day can explore opening up data the council has and doing more with it, Hack Day is about using data in ways that can benefit people in the city. Bristol City Council.

There has been no shortage of great ideas so far today around different data sets and the creative ways to utilize and represent information.

Teams have been formed and are currently scattered around Colston Hall to work on and develop ideas and digital tools.

Some of the main ideas so far include:

Doing more with the ‘Your Freedom’ Dialogue data the government has now released
Ideas include making the data simpler to understand, running an analysis to discover the most discussed ideas and even condensing these down into poetry.

Mapping out the creative hot spots in Bristol

Looking at Bristol City Council environmental data on shopping trolleys being dumped in rivers and water quality data

Or even a rather unique idea which combines the two, such as creating a mobile game involving getting a shopping trolley home without it going into the river (including info on water quality of course!).

Using Bristol bus data and developing a web app that draws upon live Bristol Bus information

This would allow users to discover where the nearest bus is and when it’s due. Ideas have even been discussed about creating a ‘hyper-local’ bus route newspaper.

We will re-gather at 5 to review the demo’s and prototypes of all the ideas being discussed. Exciting stuff!

We’re here in the Colston Hall

all day, so feel free to drop by and see what’s going on.
If not, then we’re tweeting under #bristolhackday, and will be blogging more too…