Machines of the Future - Inspiring Young Innovators
Artwork by John Whall at PlayLAND LEVEL Launch 2024. Photo by David John King.
In August 2024, nine young people from Derby participated in Machines of the Future, a project designed to merge creative thinking with technological innovation. A collaboration between UK New Artists, S.H.E.D., and the University of Derby, the initiative explored the connections between art and engineering to equip young people with skills for the future workforce.
Machines of the Future gave participants a unique opportunity to:
Explore and combine artistic and engineering techniques, discovering the synergies between them.
Build confidence in creative thinking and understand how their ideas can shape the world around them.
Connect with other creative young individuals from their community.
Establish a relationship with the University of Derby.
Gain insight into potential career paths in both creative and industrial sectors.
The programme was led by UK New Artists and Derby-based digital participation artist John Whall, who guided participants through an immersive experience of research-driven and practical learning. Using cutting-edge tools such as virtual reality design software and 3D immersive technologies, the participants created innovative designs. They also visited Masson Mill and worked with industry professionals from Bloc Digital, exploring Derby’s industrial past and present, and using this as inspiration for their own forward-thinking concepts.
Impact
The project had a profound impact and was full of first time experiences. None of the participants had previously engaged with the University or the companies involved, and their feedback was overwhelmingly positive. All of the participants reported enjoying their time at the University, with 100% stating that the experience improved their perception of higher education. Reflecting the project's core aim of integrating creativity and technology, feedback showed a perfect 50/50 split between those who said their interest in creativity increased and those whose interest in engineering grew. Every participant came away with a stronger understanding of the importance of blending the two skill sets.
“It was great to integrate both skills when using the software.”
Machines of the Future Participant
“This showed me that engineering and art aren’t really that different.”
Machines of the Future Participant
“Machines of the Future has been the result of a beautiful collaboration between arts departments, non-arts departments, young people and the city itself. This has been one of our most successful collaborations and the learning that has taken place for those young people has been the most we have seen across all of our projects.”
Michelle Bowen, Director of UK New Artists
We see Machines of the Future and this collaborative approach to civic engagement and education as a starting block, bringing together creativity and technology to open new possibilities for young people, equipping them with skills that will be essential in the future workforce, and look forward to exploring future iterations with University of Derby and it’s partners.
About the Artist: John Whall
John Whall is a multi-award winning Digital Participation Artist, Curator and Producer who uses digital tools and materials to creatively engage audiences with arts and contemporary culture. His work is a fusion of digital and participatory practice, through collaborative and co-creative processes, with a focus on creating together. This involves translating complex digital practice into accessible creative activities, which inspire and empower audiences in the creation of immersive experience.
‘‘I'm excited to be working with UKNA and local young people on this project and to see how they creatively use immersive and digital technology, along with engineering, to dream up the future and develop confidence in their own creative thinking.’’
John’s work also includes exploring participatory practice through our conscious experiences of online and offline immersive creative spaces. Aligned with phenomenological philosophies and the basic intentional structure of consciousness. He is intrigued by how our first-person perspectives of collaborative physical and online spaces can allow us to explore our individual conscious experiences and their relationship to others.
John is passionate about developing high quality digital experiences that champion the diverse creative expression of our communities.
About S.H.E.D
The project is a collaboration between UKNA and S.H.E.D (the Social Higher Education Depot), a spin-out company from the University of Derby, which engages the public with lifelong learning and teaching through creative industry and cultural practice. As a flatpack, mobile arts venue, S.H.E.D can adapt to multiple situations and designs, supporting diversity and bringing people together from a range of communities and disciplines.
