Digital Inclusion: Creative Engagements with Brunel

Join us for a showcase of creative, digital, and socially responsive engagements with Brunel research About this event

14.30 How can a charity or social enterprise engage Brunel University? DASH’s Story COVID-19 has changed how charities have been using digital and how services have been adapted in response to the pandemic. Many charities now see digital as a priority and are planning to invest more in digital infrastructure and systems, in data skills and infrastructure, and develop a strategy around using digital to reach new audiences. Charitable organisations now see digital fundraising as a priority. Join us to learn about the journey DASH has taken with Brunel University London to develop their online presence in support of disabled people. Explore how DASH were empowered to produce accessible videos, in several formats, to enable disabled people to have increased knowledge and understanding of the claims process for the benefits Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Universal Credit (UC).

Take part in a conversation about how charitable organisations and social enterprises can invest in, and capitalise on, digital services that can be sustainable (scalable) and designed to be inclusive.

15:30 Digital Poverty and Digital Resilience in Margate: preliminary findings of a British Academy project This presentation outlines the preliminary findings of an interdisciplinary research project about two Margate communities: Roma, and 'Creative Diaspora'. The team are investigating how they are each negotiating digital poverty, and we explain some surprising results. Professor Ashley Braganza (Director of the Centre for Artificial Intelligence); Dr Meredith Jones (Director of the Institute of Communities and Society); Dr Rachel Stuart (Lecturer in Criminology and Deviance) and Dr Vassilis Charitsis (Lecturer in Marketing)

16:00 How can artists and creative businesses engage Brunel University? Nine Lyrae Productions Nine Lyrae Productions, in collaboration with Brunel Design School and STEM Centre at Brunel University London, are pleased to present the launch of SYN, the Synaesthesia Room. Experience how SYN brings together artistic, technological and psychological research to investigate the condition of synaesthesia, the mixing of the senses, through an immersive multisensory experience. “Vision triggers sound, sound is made into light, light is linked to touch and smell, in an experience that explores different types of synaesthesia, sensory awareness and synaesthesia memory.” SYN represents a unique opportunity within London's artistic scene to showcase a concept that is not only unique but presents an unmatched variety of possible applications, from education to artistic installation, from neuroscience research to neurodiversity awareness, delivered by Brunel’s Immersive Dome.

This event is part of the Brunel Research Festival, a packed programme of online and on-campus activities throughout May, open to all.

Showcasing the world-class and challenge-led research carried out by our colleagues from across the University, the Festival is a month-long celebration of the diverse impacts that research has on society, both in the UK and globally.

Whether an academic, student, community stakeholder, industry partner, or member of the public, there’ll be something for you at the Brunel Research Festival. brunel.ac.uk/BRF