i-DAT » About

About

“When art is a form of behaviour, software predominates over hardware in the creative sphere. Process replaces product in importance, just as system supersedes structure.”

(Roy Ascott, 1968)

i-DAT is a ‘Centre of Expertise’ located in the Faculty of Technology at the University of Plymouth, and acts as a catalyst for creative innovation across the fields of Art, Science and Technology, facilitating regional, national and international collaborations and cultural projects.

As a networked organisation and ‘cultural broker’ i-DAT’s transdisciplinary agenda fosters ‘open innovation’, Knowledge Transfer and mutual beneficial relationships between companies, institutions, communities and individuals. Through a rich interaction with teaching, research and enterprise it provides access to new technologies, knowledge and ideas, further breaching academia’s ivory walls.

i-DAT is developing new ‘tools’ for production, dissemination and participation that challenge traditional models of creation and consumption, and embrace the shifting relationships between audiences and cultural producers (artists, designers, curators, galleries, etc).

i-DAT is committed to exploring the transformative potential of Digital Art and Technology, developing new audiences, disseminating creative production and nurturing new cultural forms.

i-DAT’s activities are separated into four main areas:

Projects: ongoing series of strategic transdisciplinary projects.
Events: workshops, festivals and exhibitions.
Residencies: local, regional, national and international residency programme.
Network: the expansive distributed creative (local, regional, national and international) network of collaborators.
ToolBox: a range of technologies to support creative production and consumption .
Factory: services provided by i-DAT in the form of production, management and evaluation methodologies

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i-DAT is a member of the A∑Tec (Arts Science Technology) Research Consortium in the School of Computing, Communications and Electronics (RAE Unit 63). It has a rich interaction with BA/BSc Digital Art & Technology, Design Ecologies, Design for Visualisation, and BSc Multimedia Production, and , MA/MSc/MRes Digital Art & Technology, components of a suite of courses delivered by the A∑Tec (Arts, Science, Technology) Subject Teaching Group.

i-DAT is central to the cultural activities of the University of Plymouth through its interactions with the Peninsula Arts and Science programmes, its established relationship with Plymouth Arts Centre and other regional and national arts organisations, and through partnership agreements with Plymouth City Council and the Arts Council England.

As a ‘Centre of Expertise’ for the Creative Industries it is integral to the development of the emergent Centre for Creative Design & Technology, a cross Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Technology initiative and transdisciplinary catalyst for innovation to influence the evolution of new creative design strategies and exploit research and practice in cutting edge fabrication and imaging technologies.

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Funders & Collaborators…

i-DAT receives core funding from: