20th to 22nd June 2008

A micro-festival of open source practice in the production of media art and music

folly and SoundNetwork are kicking off the Summer with an exciting collaboration bringing a micro-festival of art and music to Liverpool, as part of the European Capital of Culture.

Liverpool has a strong history of doing innovative things with electricity, from the birth of the power grid (Sebastian Ferranti) to the early computer games industry (Psygnosis, Ocean, and ZTT). Liverpool also has a formidable musical legacy inevitably centred around the pop phenomenon of The Beatles but which spans every musical genre from classical to electro.

Open Source City tips its hat to Liverpool's pioneering spirit by offering a programme of art, workshops, masterclasses, talks and concerts that shed light on the growing impact of Free/Libre Open Source Software on the creative practices of today, in particular in media art and music.

"FLOSS" offers opportunities to users, and developers at every skill level to participate in the creative process, starting from the writing of code all the way up to the final mix of your masterpiece. These are tools that have the power to bring people together through creativity, collaboration, knowledge sharing and, importantly, technology. So, how will Open Source play a part in the music and art scenes of the future? Maybe the answer lies in your hands....take part.

Artists and speakers involved include goto10, Access Space, Polytechnic, Simon Blackmore, Tom Chance, MediaShed and 64 Studio... Talks include "The role of FOSS in urban regeneration" and a brief philosophical tour of "Copyright and Freedom". The hub of the festival is at Mello Mello in the heart of Liverpool's creative quarter; 40-42 Slater St, Liverpool L1 4BX.

To view the whole programme for the festival, please download the pdf Festival Programme, and to book a paid workshop, download the workshop booking form. Both available from folly's website at http://www.folly.co.uk/click/1060/9

Open Source City is a Liverpool European Capital of Culture Commission - a micro-festival of open source practice in media art and music presented by folly and SoundNetwork.

A Cultural Commission for Liverpool 2008 European Capital of Culture. Supported by Arts Council England and P H Holt Trust.