Unique international collaboration commemorates Remembrance Day in a virtual world

The First World War Poetry Digital Archive in Second Life

An unusual worldwide collaboration is taking place to commemorate this Remembrance Day, involving high-tech TV crews in Australia, a production team spread across the United States, and interviewers and folk singers in the UK.

They are coming together to create an internet video production about the launch of an exciting new project from Oxford University’s First World War Poetry Digital Archive (http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/), which draws together the resources and expertise of the University along with the possibilities for immersion and interactivity offered by the virtual world of Second Life.

Designing Worlds is a new type of TV show, created within a ‘virtual world’, and shown to an enthusiastic audience that either watches live “in-world”, or follows the show on the web.  It is one of a number of weekly programmes created by Treet.TV, a production company based in Australia, who are lifting the possibilities of ‘new’ media to remarkable levels.

Designing Worlds will this week be focusing on a very special – and timely – project.  The First World War Poetry Digital Archive and the Learning Technologies Group at the University of Oxford have collaborated to bring a wealth of First World War poetry and information together in an environment that allows this powerful material to be explored and experienced in a radically new way.

The First World War Poetry Digital Archive has imported a range of digitised archival materials from the major poets of the First World War (including poetry manuscripts, letters and diaries) along with contextual primary source materials, into the Second Life environment. These have been located within a presentation modelled to represent areas of the Western Front, 1914 – 1918.

Poppies in the Trenches: Photograph by PJ Trenton

“The aim of the initiative is to place the poetry of the Great War in context,” explains Stuart Lee, Lecturer in English at the University of Oxford. “It allows the visitors to the exhibition to visualise archival materials in an environment that fosters deeper understanding. Visitors also have the opportunity to take advantage of the social and interactive aspects that the environment offers.”

The materials have been supplemented with new interpretative content and a spectrum of interactive tools and tutorials, streaming video and audio effects to create a vivid immersive experience that is, according to visitors, deeply moving.

In the programme, Designing Worlds presenters Saffia Widdershins (in real life Pauline Woolley) and Elrik Merlin (in real life Richard Elen) will trace the route followed by so many soldiers, from the bewildering brutalisation of the training camps through to the grim realities of the trenches and finally to the horror of No Man’s Land.

The poignant closing sequence of the show will be accompanied by the haunting music of the folk trio Coope, Boyes and Simpson, noted for bringing to life songs associated with the First World War, who have been pleased to be involved in this unusual project.

“This is a remarkable environment,” says Pauline Woolley, “with an important story to tell.  We hope that we are able to bring it to people in a unique way.”

“It’s a very powerful presentation,” says Richard Elen. “It really brings home the potential of virtual environments for education. We have only begun to scratch the surface of what this kind of presentation can offer. Involving, immersive experiences like this – in which the visitor can interact with information within the recreation, add their own contributions and experience “accidental learning” – are just a part of the wealth of educational capabilities that virtual worlds can offer. This is perhaps one of the most advanced projects of its kind, and Oxford University is at the forefront of exploring these new worlds.”

The programme on the First World War Poetry Digital Archive’s exhibition in Second Life will be aired live at 22:00 GMT (2pm Second Life Time) on the Treet TV live channel, http://streams.treet.tv/live.mov. Thereafter it will be available on the Treet Archive web site at http://archive.treet.tv/programs/meta-makeover

Entering the Training Camp: Image by PJ Trenton

For more information, contact: designingworlds@gmail.com

About Designing Worlds
Designing Worlds is a TV show featuring design and designers in virtual worlds. It has presented shows on the works of artists in 3-D environments, ranging from the Second Life re-creation of the world-famous Dresden Art Museum to the work of individual artists, such as Glyph Graves’ IBM-sponsored exhibition; designers creating virtual homes and communities – with some stunningly beautiful results; special projects such as a vivid imagining of the Middle Passage – the transportation of Africans to the Americas – and the creation of ‘camp Darfur’, which highlights the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Sudan; and discussion shows that highlight issues of intellectual property rights in these new virtual environments.  And there are also fun shows where the hosts, Saffia Widdershins and Elrik Merlin, explore virtual world phenomena such as fireworks and fishing!
Designing Worlds is a co-production of Prim Perfect Publications and Treet.TV
http://designingworlds.wordpress.com/

About Treet
Treet TV is an entertainment network that serves virtual worlds viewers and producers. Established in March 2007, Treet TV uses a collaborative production model which has resulted in more than 3000 hours of broadcast quality content, all targeting the emerging phenomenon of virtual living.

Shows are broadcast live to audiences inworld on Treet TV-enabled television screens, as well as live on the world wide web. Large-scale live events in the past include the Transformers press event, Philip Rosedale’s Second Life 6th Birthday Opening Ceremony and the Best Practices in Education conference.  Popular shows include Metanomics, The First Question, Fabulous Fashion and Tonight Live! with Paisley Beebe.
http://www.treet.tv

About Prim Perfect Publications
Prim Perfect Publications is the company behind a number of world publications and the Designing Worlds TV programme.  The company also produces Prim Perfect magazine, the virtual worlds magazine for homes and gardens, and The Primgraph, the magazine for steampunk and vintage regions within the Second Life environment, which hosts the popular web comic, The Quest for the Golden Prim.
http://www.primperfect.net/
http://www.primgraph.com/
http://goldenprim.blogspot.com/

See the Step UP! Designing Worlds show – now on the web!

more about “Playing Designing Worlds :: Content T…“, posted with vodpod

You can now see our show about the Step UP! campaign on the web – available in both standard and hi-def. And you can also download the show from the iTunes store (just search on Designing Worlds) to watch at your leisure. You can even put it on your iPod to carry around with you!

This Designing Worlds show was all about the Step UP! against intellectual property violation and content theft.

Step UP! HQ on Planet Mongo

We explored the beautiful sim, created by Lumiere Noir and CaSimone Aquitaine, which was kindly donated by Lumiere for the duration of the campaign, and talked to Toxic Menges who has created two Step UP! videos – one of which shows some of the ways that content theft can happen, and which we saw on the show.

Then we’ talked to Dijodi Dubratt who – with her partner Ironwolf Taurog – loaned the use of their sim Toor to stage an amazing art exhibition by top SL artists, curated by Tricia Afterdita, in support of Step UP!

Step UP! Fireworks at the Step UP! HQ on Planet Mongo

And we gave a sneak preview of the awesome Step UP! firework display created by Freddie Bleac (and available for free on XStreetSL).

Step UP! to – and on – Designing Worlds!

Step UP! HQ on Planet Mongo

Join us today at 2pm at the Step UP! headquarters on Planet Mongo for a Designing Worlds show all about the Step UP! against intellectual property violation and content theft.

We’ll be exploring the beautiful sim, created by Lumiere Noir and CaSimone Aquitaine, which has been kindly donated by Lumiere for the duration of the campaign, and viewing a special video showing some of the ways that content theft can happen, created by Toxic Menges.  Then we’ll be talking to Dijodi Dubratt who – with her partner Ironwolf Taurog – has loaned the use of their sim Toor to stage an amazing art exhibition by top SL artists, curated by Tricia Afterdita, in support of Step UP!

And we’ll be talking about the Step UP! parties that people are planning for November 5th – as well as giving a sneak preview of the awesome Step UP! firework display created by Freddie Bleac (and available for free on XStreetSL).

Step UP! Fireworks at the Step UP! HQ on Planet Mongo

And, so that our live audience can enjoy the spectacular fireworks, we have a special Viewing Party.  We won’t be gathering in the studio today, but at the beautiful headquarters of the Step UP! campaign on Planet Mongo, where the show is being filmed.

And, of course, as usual, there are gifts for everyone who attends the show!

The show starts at 2pm SLT, but you should be at our viewing party by 1.30pm to make sure of getting a seat.  Or you can watch on the Treet live stream.

See our amazing steampunk ghost story on the web!

New Babbage

Our special Hallowe’en Designing Worlds was unlike any other show that we’ve done before – and you can now see below or download it from the Treet Archive web-site –  in both standard and hi-def. And you can also download the show from the iTunes store (just search on Designing Worlds) to watch at your leisure. You can even put it on your iPod to carry around with you!

more about “Playing Designing Worlds :: New Babba…“, posted with vodpod

 

The cast for this week’s show were as follows:

Mr Aeolus Cleanslate … Himself
Mrs Bridewell, the housekeeper … Ceejay Writer
Mr Biggins, the sandhog … PJ Trenton
Mr Mosseveno Tenk, Mayor and Clockwinder … Himself
Miss Ceejay Writer … Herself
and the parts of Saffi and Elrik were, of course, played by Themselves.

Thanks to Miss Breezy Carver for hosting an awesome viewing party at Piermont Landing in Wheatstone Waterways, to Mr Victor1 Mornington for the loan of his room in Brunel Hall, and to Mr Aeolus Cleanslate and Mr Rip Wirefly who built the awesome underground sets in an equally awesome short space of time!

And thank you to all the good people of New Babbage for their assistance, curiousity, and sense of adventure!

Join Us Today – for a spooky Designing Worlds in New Babbage!

Babbage Clocktower

Join us today at 2pm at Piermont Landing for a VERY unusual Designing Worlds show!

We will be in New Babbage to inspect some of the fascinating new engineering works deep beneath this most steampunk of cities and – as the people of Babbage say – What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

For we won’t be deterred by the fact that there are all sorts of strange legends and rumours about the oldest parts of the city … nor will we be put off by the fact fact that this is, actually, our closest show to Halloween.

New Babbage

No, we will be having a nice, calm, peaceful show.

Really.

Well, at all events, it will be a show unlike any other Designing Worlds, that we can promise you!

And, to mark this special Halloween edition, we have a special Viewing Party.  We won’t be gathering in the studio today, but at a beautiful location in New Babbage – at Piermont Landing in Wheatstone Waterways, where Miss Breezy Carter will be hosting the unique viewing party.

And, of course, as usual, there are gifts for everyone who attends the show!

The show starts at 2pm SLT, but you should be at our viewing party by 1.30pm to make sure of getting a seat.  Or you can watch on the Treet live stream.

~~~~~~~~~~

Photographs by Mr PJ Trenton

See Burning Life – on the web!

Burning Life 2009 - Fire Stage: photograph by Raven Halaan

You can now see our show about the amazing Second Life community event Burning Life – 34 sims of creativity built by residents for an amazing week of art, music, celebration and fire – on the web – available in both standard and hi-def. And you can also download the show from the iTunes store (just search on Designing Worlds) to watch at your leisure. You can even put it on your iPod to carry around with you!

42 by Raven Halaan and Isle Luneasa, photographed by PJ Trenton

Our guides around Burning Life were Dusty Linden, Linden Labs’ liaison for community events; White Lebed from the Art Department; Drakon Cortes who has been working with the Performance Department; and Raven Haalan, who has not only created a fantastic Escher-like build out on the burning sands of the playa, but who also took time out to be the man behind the Prim Perfect Guide to Burning Life 2009 – a must-have guide and map to the event.

It is definitely a stunning show – and filled with fascinating behind-the-scenes details, as well and highlighting some of the unmissable elements that formed part of this year’s event.

Burning Life 09 - Berlin Stage: Photograph by Raven Halaan

A souvenir guide to Burning Life – Prim Perfect: Images of Burning Life – will be available shortly, containing a wealth of pictures of the fantastic builds at this year’s event.

Designing Worlds is looking for a Studio Manager!

Designing Worlds, the television programme all about design and designers in virtual worlds, is seeking a Studio Manager.

We’re looking for a reliable, responsible individual to join our team. Duties are to manage and organize exhibit space in the studio lobby, update billboards advertising upcoming shows, and prepare the studio and host the audience for weekly live broadcasts.

Work experience in Second Life is preferable. Experience and/or familiarity with television production is a plus.

This is a paid position; salary is dependent on experience.

To apply, please send qualifications and a cover letter to Saffia Widdershins, Executive Producer, at saffia.widdershins@gmail.com.

Designing Worlds, the television programme all about design and designers in virtual worlds, is seeking a Studio Manager.

We’re looking for a reliable, responsible individual to join our team. Duties are to manage and organize exhibit space in the studio lobby, update billboards advertising upcoming shows, and prepare the studio and host the audience for weekly live broadcasts.

Basic SL building skills required. Work experience in Second Life is preferable. Experience and/or familiarity with television production is a plus.

This is a paid position; salary is dependent on experience.

To apply, please send qualifications and a cover letter to Saffia Widdershins, Executive Producer, at saffia.widdershins@gmail.com.

Watch Designing Worlds today – and explore Burning Life!

Burning Life 2009: Short Lived - photo by PJ Trenton

Today the Designing Worlds show takes a trip to the stunning resident experience that is Burning Life – 34 sims of creativity built by residents for an amazing week of art, music, celebration and fire!

Not to mention the multi-coloured porta-potties!

Burning Life 2009: Porta-Potties: photo by PJ Trenton

Our guides around Burning Life will be Dusty Linden, Linden Labs’ liaison for community events; White Lebed from the Art Department; Drakon Cortes who has been working with the Performance Department; and Raven Haalan, who has not only created a fantastic Escher-like build out on the burning sands of the playa, but who also took time out to be the man behind the Prim Perfect Guide to Burning Life 2009 – a must-have guide and map to the event.

Burning Life 09 - Lamplighter Village: photo by Raven Haalan

It’s going to be a stunning show – and filled with fascinating behind-the-scenes details, as well and highlighting some of the unmissable elements that are part of this year’s event.

Burning Life 09 - The Temple of Forgiveness: photo by Raven Haalan

You can join us in our studio in Northpoint to see the show as it happens on the big screen, as we explore this amazing event taking place on the grid.

And as usual, there’s an exhibition to see in our Hall outside the studio – showing the work of designers who have featured in the series.

The show starts at 2pm SLT, but you should be in our Northpoint studios by 1.30pm to make sure of getting a seat.  Or you can watch on the Treet live stream.

See our special CSI show on the web!

Crime Scene in Second Life

You can now see our show about the fascinating CSI work being done by Angela Talamasca on the web – available in both standard and hi-def. And you can also download the show from the iTunes store (just search on Designing Worlds) to watch at your leisure. You can even put it on your iPod to carry around with you!

The show was a fascinating one … Angela showed us the work she has been carrying out for a recent – and controversial – case.  And we were able to discuss different ways that Second Life (and other virtual worlds) could be of assistance to law agencies and to juries.

And this show didn’t stop when the cameras stopped rolling!  As regular attendees of our show will know, afterwards we pop back to the studio – and there was a really interesting discussion between Angela and members of the audience about her work and its possibilities.

So make sure you catch up with this show! It’s something interesting to show your friends and family when they ask the inevitable questions about Second Life!

Join us today for a CSI edition of Designing Worlds

Today we have a really fascinating show on Designing Worlds as we visit the recreation of a real life crime scene, commissioned to help juries and attorneys visualise a complex real life case.

Crime Scene in Second Life

Angela Talamasca is a forensic science specialist who’s been using Second Life to model crime scenes to make them more accessible to jurors and others involved in the legal process.  We will be visiting one of the scenes she has created and discussing with her how the Second Life environment can be used to assist law enforcement and the judicial process.

You can see the show live by joining our viewing party at the Designing Worlds studios on Northpoint. As always, there’s a special gift for everyone who comes to the studio – and afterwards, we’ll be joining the studio audience for a discussion about issues raised in (and by) the show.

Crime Scene in Second Life

And as usual, there’s an exhibition to see in our Hall outside the studio – showing the work of designers who have featured in the series.

The show starts at 2pm SLT, but you should be in our Northpoint studios by 1.45pm to make sure of getting a seat.