About
Supported by Furtherfield and the New Direction programme, Year 4 children from Southwark park primary school have been working with artist Michael Szpakowski on a 50 minute film entitled The Investigators. The film will be exhibited at Shortwave Cinema, Bermondsey Square, October 7th at 5.30pm and follows the children and their teacher through their science studies for an entire school year. Around a framework of footage shot in lesson time and on trips out is assembled other material —creative writing and artwork by the young people as well as re-enactments and discussion of the lessons.
Michael Szpakowski wanted the piece to reflect the excellent and fascinating relationship between the teacher and class as she helps them to discover and assimilate new ideas; of how, at its best, the primary school classroom is a
supportive and magical place. The children, prior to any formal learning, hypothesize about why things happen in the world and of how, although the premises on which these hypotheses are based may be faulty or
incomplete, they are always logical. i.e. They do science naturally..
The Investigators shows how young children are not simply passive receivers of the wisdom of others, but active decoders and constructors of their own world .
Notes to editors.
Michael Szpakowski is an artist, composer & educator his music has been performed all over the UK, in Russia & the USA. Michael has exhibited work in galleries in the UK, mainland Europe & the USA. His short films have been shown throughout the world. He is also a composer & video artist for Tell Tale Hearts Theatre Company & a joint editor of the online video resource DVblog
Furtherfield.org believes that through creative and critical engagement with practices in art and technology people are inspired and enabled to become active co-creators of their cultures and societies.
Furtherfield.org provides platforms for creating, viewing, discussing and learning about experimental practices at the intersections of art, technology and social change.
HTTP Gallery in Haringey, North London is Furtherfield.org's dedicated space for physical events and residencies. VisitorsStudio is their online space for live audiovisual media remixing. From their offices at HTTP, Furtherfield.org initiate and provide infrastructure for commissions, events, exhibitions, internships, networking, participatory projects, peer exchange, publishing, research, residencies and workshops.
Learning, participation and exchange are central to Furtherfield.org's inclusive outreach work with young people. This work is developed through partnerships with visionary organisations and draws on the expertise of a diverse community of artists, musicians, technologists and educators.
2009-12 Furtherfield.org is taking media art ecologies as a focus for its artistic programme and organisational/infrastructural development. This three year programme aims to provide opportunities for art-making, critical debate, exchange and participation in emerging ecological media art practices, and the theoretical, political and social contexts they engage.
Project partners include: Access Space, The Basement, Creative Partnerships, Distributed South, Drake Music, London Games Fringe, MARCEL Networks, Haringey Youth Services, Peckham Space, Science Museum. Furtherfield.org receives regular funding from the Arts Council of England
