Beta X, 72 Church Gate, Leicester
Monobloc is a consortium of Leicester digital arts and music, and heritage organisations who are working together to raise the profile of their work in the city. Monobloc's longer-term goal is to establish a grass-roots digital media centre with a gallery, maker space and studios to support digital creativity in Leicester.
As part of the Beta X project at 72 Church Gate, Leicester members of Monobloc organised a range of digital arts activities that tplace in March and April 2022.
The Computer Arts Archive Presents
Leicester Digital Art Pioneers
4th - 22nd April 2022
Leicester and Leicestershire have an important role in the development of digital and computational art. Starting with Stroud Cornock and Ernest Edmonds at Leicester Polytechnic in the late 1960s, the region has an unbroken chain of artists who have worked with computers and computational processes up until the present day.
Interact Digital Arts and the Computer Arts Archive are now working together to document this history through the collection of artworks, ephemera and artist interviews. This small exhibition is an initial presentation of some of the work collected so far. As the collection develops we plan to exhibit it more widely across Leicester, Leicestershire and further afield.
Whispered Tales Presents
A Soundscape for Church Gate
A Soundscape for Church Gate has been created by Whispered Tales, the creative team who recently presented Distant Drums as part of the hugely successful Light Up Leicester.
A Soundscape for Church Gate is an atmospheric audio experience that charts the story of this historic street from the 15th Century through to the present day. Come along and discover its unique heritage from the boxers who would skip along its street to the elephants that would pound its path. A Soundscape for Church Gate shines a light on this iconic street, as it embarks on its new path, as once again Church Gate begins to mutate.
A soundscape for Church Gate contains a number of interviews courtesy of Leicester University East Midland Oral Archive.
Workshop Programme
10th - 24th March 2022
We put together a programme of workshops run by local digital artists. The Sunday workshops rwere aimed at young people, the Thursday ones were aimed at artists and other adults. All workshops took place at Beta X, 72 Church Gate, Leicester.
Thursday 10th March 6pm
Monobloc! Stitch-a-Synth: Create an e-textile musical instrument @ Beta X with Sam Topley.
Thursday 10th March 6pm
Monobloc! Sonolith Workshop @ Beta X with Jim Frize (Sonodrome)
Sunday 13th March 12:30pm
Monobloc! AFK - Gone Zinecrafting (zine making workshop) @ Beta X with Leicester Zine Library.
Sunday 13th March 3pm
Monobloc! Children's Sonolith Workshop @ Beta X with Jim Frize (Sonodrome).
Thursday 17th March 6pm
Monobloc! Cyber Detox Zine Making Workshop @ Beta X with Leicester Zine Library.
Sunday 20th March 12:30pm
Monobloc!Noisy Pompoms: Craft a 'Pompom Musical Instrument' @ Beta with Sam Topley.
Sunday 20th March 3pm
Monobloc! Children's Sonolith Workshop @ Beta X with Jim Frize (Sonodrome).
Thursday 24th March 6pm
Monobloc! Sonolith Workshop @ Beta X with Jim Frize (Sonodrome).
Interact Digital Arts Presents
Interact Live @ Beta X
8th April 2022
Join us on Friday 18th March at Beta X, 72 Church Gate, Leicester for the launch of "A Soundscape for Church Gate" at 6pm, followed by live music and visuals from 7pm until 9pm.
Artists
Monobloc @ Beta X involved many talented Leicester and Leicestershire artists. Including:
Sean Carroll (Computer Arts Archive), Anoushka Goodwin (Leicester Zine Library), Steve Gibbs & Esther Simpson (Whispered Tales), Paul Mazzitelli (R10 Studios), James Frize (Sonodrome & R10 Studios), Sam Topley, Aidan Matthews, Andy Harper, and Sean Clark (Interact Digital Arts & Computer Arts Archive).
Supporters
Monobloc @ Beta X has been made possible by:
