Workshops & Courses
MIAU ID: Stitched Connections by MELT
Workshop exploring networks through embroidery whilst playing cats!
Cats of the internet gather to decide upon a network structure that's good for every cat!
In this online embroidery workshop, we will play as cats and address each other via different rules. Let us find out about these network's purrtocols (protocols) together online, through the act of sewing.
The workshop is based on a game played by a group of around 15-20 cats (people). Stitching on an embroidery hoop/yarn network in their own den, each cat has a specific ID and transmits messages. Through 'miauing' the cats address each other, as they perform different rules on different networks: Centralized, Decentralized and Distributed. Depending on the purrotcols (protocols) of the network, they weave different patterns.
By embodying networks, cats explore the politics of centralization, but also P2P networks and sharing. Thus it becomes possible to question the hard-wired power relations embedded within internet infrastructures. Cats shift control by making technical specificities accessible in play and through practicing that there are as many teachers as there are cats (people) in the (virtual) room. This creates space to understand why the internet can be 'shut down' and to consider alternative infrastructures.
Note: if you live outside of Bristol please book by 5 October, so that we have time to send you the materials in the post.
Artist Bio
As MELT, Loren Britton and Isabel Paehr are Berlin-based arts-design researchers who work with games, tech and radical pedagogy. Investigating the political & material conditions of tech infrastructures, they re-distribute agency in socio-technological systems with the methods of queer play, unlearning and leaking. Their work crumbles structures, unbounds materials, dissolves technology and makes collectivities. MELT is exploring how to make something but to keep it open to change and is doing this through formats like video artworks and workshops. MELT has been influenced by (melting) Ice, Freezers, Software, Signal, moving too fast/slow, Wendy Hui Kyong Chun, Denise Ferreira Da Silva, Digital Materialism, Post/De Colonial thinking, Gifs, Climate Protests, Anti-Racism and Dancing.
Materials
🧶 There is a small cost for this workshop that covers materials (custom printed fabric designed by the artists, embroidery hoop, needle and thread) and postage if you live outside of Bristol. We do not want this to put anyone off joining and have bursaries available.
📮 If you live in Bristol please let us know when booking and we will contact you about accessing the materials. If you live outside Bristol please select one of the postage options when you register.
Please contact us if you would like to request a materials bursary - email Martha (martha.kng@gmail.com) or call 07799067031.
Access Information
MIAU ID is playable by cats (people) of any age and accessible towards those with variable mobility, neurodiversity and hearing impairments.
BSL and live captioning for online events are available on request, please contact us in advance. Control Shift online events will take place across three different digital platforms: Zoom, BigBlueButton and YouTube. All of these platforms are compatible with common screen readers. After events, we will make transcripts and videos available online.
We would love to be in touch with any cats (peoples) who have other accessibility concerns. Please contact us if you have specific access needs or would like advice using the online platform. We'd be happy to help. Please email Martha (martha.kng@gmail.com) or call 07799067031.
In this online embroidery workshop, we will play as cats and address each other via different rules. Let us find out about these network's purrtocols (protocols) together online, through the act of sewing.
The workshop is based on a game played by a group of around 15-20 cats (people). Stitching on an embroidery hoop/yarn network in their own den, each cat has a specific ID and transmits messages. Through 'miauing' the cats address each other, as they perform different rules on different networks: Centralized, Decentralized and Distributed. Depending on the purrotcols (protocols) of the network, they weave different patterns.
By embodying networks, cats explore the politics of centralization, but also P2P networks and sharing. Thus it becomes possible to question the hard-wired power relations embedded within internet infrastructures. Cats shift control by making technical specificities accessible in play and through practicing that there are as many teachers as there are cats (people) in the (virtual) room. This creates space to understand why the internet can be 'shut down' and to consider alternative infrastructures.
Note: if you live outside of Bristol please book by 5 October, so that we have time to send you the materials in the post.
Artist Bio
As MELT, Loren Britton and Isabel Paehr are Berlin-based arts-design researchers who work with games, tech and radical pedagogy. Investigating the political & material conditions of tech infrastructures, they re-distribute agency in socio-technological systems with the methods of queer play, unlearning and leaking. Their work crumbles structures, unbounds materials, dissolves technology and makes collectivities. MELT is exploring how to make something but to keep it open to change and is doing this through formats like video artworks and workshops. MELT has been influenced by (melting) Ice, Freezers, Software, Signal, moving too fast/slow, Wendy Hui Kyong Chun, Denise Ferreira Da Silva, Digital Materialism, Post/De Colonial thinking, Gifs, Climate Protests, Anti-Racism and Dancing.
Materials
🧶 There is a small cost for this workshop that covers materials (custom printed fabric designed by the artists, embroidery hoop, needle and thread) and postage if you live outside of Bristol. We do not want this to put anyone off joining and have bursaries available.
📮 If you live in Bristol please let us know when booking and we will contact you about accessing the materials. If you live outside Bristol please select one of the postage options when you register.
Please contact us if you would like to request a materials bursary - email Martha (martha.kng@gmail.com) or call 07799067031.
Access Information
MIAU ID is playable by cats (people) of any age and accessible towards those with variable mobility, neurodiversity and hearing impairments.
BSL and live captioning for online events are available on request, please contact us in advance. Control Shift online events will take place across three different digital platforms: Zoom, BigBlueButton and YouTube. All of these platforms are compatible with common screen readers. After events, we will make transcripts and videos available online.
We would love to be in touch with any cats (peoples) who have other accessibility concerns. Please contact us if you have specific access needs or would like advice using the online platform. We'd be happy to help. Please email Martha (martha.kng@gmail.com) or call 07799067031.
