CallForExpressionsofInterest

2015FestivalAsLab(FAL15)
FutureEverything,2528February2015,ManchesterUK
Backgound
FutureEverything is an innovation agency, that presents city data services, design for science,
innovation events, advice and training, art commissions, and experiences and demonstration. Its
festival is both a cultural event and research vehicle, for experimentation in methods and
mechanismsforresearchandknowledgeexchangearoundtheemergenceofadigitalculture.
CallforEntries
FutureEverything invites proposals for selffunded research and innovation projects to be
presented as a part of the 20th anniversary edition of FutureEverything festival, which takes place
2628February2015.
Successful applicants will be given a unique opportunity to stage codesign, prototyping and
public trials, engaging festival visitors and/or residents of Manchester, at festival venues and/or
across the city of Manchester. Projects will showcase groundbreaking concepts, products and
servicestocommercialenterpriseandtheinternationaldesignandinnovationcommunity.
A physical FAL15 hub with WiFI and AV equipment will be provided for presentation of data,
workshops and public engagement at The Shed, hosted in partnership with MMU Digital
Innovation. Projects must launch and remain live over the festival period. Projects could be live
placeforthosedays,orrunoveralongerperiod.
The opportunity will appeal to research teams, design and new product development companies,
innovation agencies, and commercial enterprises. We encourage applications from consortia and
organisationswithestablishedcommercialpartnerships.
FAL15ispresentedinassociationwithENoLLasapartofFutureEverything2015
FAL15Themes
There is a particular interest in city sensing projects and trials. One option here would be to
combine a number of sensing projects into a sensing lab. More widely, themes of relevance
include:
SmartCities.FutureInternet.InternetofThings.
SmartMobility,WayfindingandTransportInnovation.
DigitalSocialInnovation.CivicParticipation.eGovernment.
CitySensing.CitizenObservatories.DataServices.
CreativeMedia.Experience.Personalisation.Identity.

Each Festival As Lab project could relate to some aspect of the festival experience or journey,
digitally enabled urban innovation, city infrastructure or it could be presented as a standalone
festivalproject/event,whichengagesparticipantsaroundatheme.
FestivalAsLabCharacteristics
Festivals as agile research and development environments for realworld rapid prototyping, open
innovationanduserleddesign.
Expertsandpassionateamateurscomingtogethertoimagineandexperiencethefuture.
City as playspace People and businesses play and experiment with the infrastructure of a
city.
Theseexperimentsdeviseandtestinnovations,andgeneratevisibilityandengagement.
FestivalAsLabandLivingLabDifferentiation

FestivalAsLab LivingLab
popup,
lighttouch
embedded,
longitudinal
staged,
extraordinary
realworld,
ordinary
wide
engagement
deep
engagement
WhyFestivals?
Involvelargenumbersofpeopletakingpartinexperimental,playfulactivity.
Participatoryspacesthatnurtureplay,riskandcommunitycreation.
Enable the free circulation of people and ideas, connecting people at different levels, from
grassrootstogovernmentandbusinessleaders.
FAL15Criteria
Alivinglabprojectinvolvingcodesignand/orparticipatoryresearchthat:
Undertakes research in the wild, in a living, urban environment. Takes research out of the
laboratory to test ideas and prototypes with festival attendees and/or Manchester
residents.
Generatesvisibilityandengagementaroundatheme.
Usescreativityordesignmethodstoengageusersoranaudienceinanovelway.

Involves motivation or reward. This can be intrinsic (the experience is gamified, artistic,
playful, entertaining or thought provoking) and/or extrinsic (an incentive, such as entry into a
competition).
Uses the festival environment to extract learnings be they through participation, user
testing,workshops,interviewing,ethnography,andothermethods.

FutureEverythingisResponsiblefor
Registeringprojectsandprovidingeventcoordinationandadministration.
Venueandeventsupport:abaseforprojects,aFestivalAsLabworkshop.
Promoting the Festival As Lab projects as a whole and the participating research institutes
toitsglobalcommunityandwithinManchester.
Commssupportincludingediting,proofing,refiningcopy.
Guidance (through written and/or verbal feedback) on how to: identify research themes and
questions of relevance to festival attendees and/or Manchester residents create an
engaging experience engage a wide audience/user group communicate the project to
nonscientists.

ThePartnerisResponsiblefor
Design,deliveryandevaluationoftheFestivalAsLabproject,withintermsdefinedbyFE.
MeetingalldeadlinesandmilestonesagreedwithFE.
Creationanddeliveryofcommunicationandinterpretationmaterials.
Adedicatedprojectcontactandlead.
Appropriatecreditingofprojectcontributorsinmarketingandpublications.
FutureEverythingdirectcostsandtheirownprojectcostsinc.travelandaccomm.
Optional:ContributiontoarevisededitionoftheFestivalAsLabToolkit.

CommunicationsBenefits
FutureEverything offer FAL15 partners and external organisations a variety of sponsorship
options, ranging from banner based exposure to festival footfall, branding in promotional
materials, and an opportunity to inform the programme itself by hosting curated and branded
events throughout the festival. Communications benefits for all participating projects/teams
include:
Agreedpassesforallfestivalevents.
Brandingonallmarketingmaterials.
Promotion through FutureEverything online marketing activity, including newsletter (8,000),
Facebook(8,300),Twitter(14,000).

Pricing

For applicants wishing to run a project to the specification detailed above, guidance indicates that
a fundamental event package will cost 5500* (NB: Indicative cost), although applicants may wish
to explore higher scope / cost projects, so it is recommended applicants provide a cost
breakdown.
In understanding that applicants and their partners may have additional requirements,
FutureEverything can offer bespoke innovation events, enhanced festival profile and curatorial
expertise in response to a specific project brief. Applicants wishing to explore additional scope
shouldindicatesointheirexpressionofinterest.
Applicants should signal clearly any interest in commissioning an artist or designer to contribute
to their project (eg. visualisation, participation). The festival plays host to an international
community of artists, critical thinkers, and innovators, therein providing a unique platform for
projectcommissions,visualisationsandparticipation.
EntryFormat
Please send a 4 page application detailing your proposed Festival As Lab project and supporting
informationtoincludeprojectpartners.
Portfolios and supplementary visual resources are encouraged, although will not be considered
withoutadetailedwrittenapplication.
SubmissionEmail:tom.rowlands@futureeverything.org
SubmissionDeadline:5pm,27thOctober2014

Timeline
30September2014Callforproposalsopen
27October2014Deadlineforentries
277November2014Interviews(Skype/HangoutforNonUKapplicants)
22November2014Submissionofrevisedandfullprojectplan
5 December 2014 Final decisions, sign off and contracting, delivery of project copy, images,
materials
12December2014FestivalAsLabpressreleaseandannouncement
January2015Projectteamavailableforprojectcommunicationanddevelopment
February2015Launchanddelivery