Reports
Reports about Watershed's activities which can be downloaded or posted to you on request. The purpose is to make information about Watershed more widely available. These reports are copyright and provided for public information purposes only.
Producing the Future
Understanding Watershed’s Role in Ecosystems of Cultural Innovation.
A case study of Watershed produced by International Futures Forum with an introduction from Watershed’s Managing Director Dick Penny and John Knell, the Intelligence Agency.
To receive a Free copy of this publication please email communications@watershed.co.uk with your full name and address and we will post you a copy.
If it didn’t exist…
A collection of interviews between Steve Wright, (Arts Editor, Venue) and some of the creative individuals and artists that Watershed collaborates with which explore the creative impact of Watershed. Here are some short quotes from a selection of the interviews:
To receive a free copy of this publication please email communications@watershed.co.uk with your full name and address and we will post you a copy.
Luke Jerram
Luke Jerram is an inventor, a researcher, an amateur scientist, an artist: a chameleon of sorts. His multidisciplinary practice involves the creation of sculptures, installations, live art projects and gifts. Since his professional career as an artist began in 1997, Luke has created a number of extraordinary art projects which excite and inspire people around him. Luke is a resident at the Pervasive Media Studio, part of Watershed's digital innovation arm iShed.
I just can't imagine Bristol without it, to be honest.
Joe Magee
Joe Magee is a Bristol-based artist and filmmaker with a personal practice encompassing a range of traditional and electronic media, including film, animation, interactive art and printmaking.
I have had a vital relationship with Watershed for 11 years.
The most important part of that has been access to a vibrant network of artists and organisations. As an independent artist, it can be difficult to find the right collaborators, or just to talk about ideas and hear about other activity. Watershed's café is rightly celebrated as a conducive and fertile venue.
Hazel Grian
Hazel Grian is a writer/director who has in the past three years grown a reputation as a world-class maker of Alternate Reality Games. Hazel creates her own projects experimenting with new kinds of storytelling and entertainment using digital media and also works commercially with agencies on games for major NGOs, big brands and Hollywood blockbuster movies.
A creator of Alternate Reality Games (ARGs), Hazel is also a resident at the Pervasive Media Studio and her association with Watershed has had a rich impact on her creative progression.
Watershed has made an enormous contribution to my career so far. It's usually my first port of call whenever I need to talk over an idea or a problem or find a collaborator. The PM Studio is like a permanent extension of what Watershed offers: professional and creative support, introductions to collaborators and funders.
Duncan Speakman
Duncan Speakman is a Bristol based artist who creates work that physically and emotionally engages audiences in public spaces. He is also a resident at the Pervasive Media Studioand employs walking as both a process and/or outcome in the work.
For me, Watershed offers two things: connections with other practitioners, and openness to what media arts can be. It's a cinema centre, on its basic level - but it's so open to what else you can do with technology, creativity and performance.
To receive a FREE copy of this publication please email communications@watershed.co.uk with your full name and address and we will post you a copy as soon as it is published.
Embracing the Desire Lines
Tom Fleming explores the implications of a more open and collaborative practice for 'bricks and mortar' cultural infrastructures. Tom Fleming is consultant and academic specialising in research and support for the cultural and Creative Industries sector. June 2009
After the Crunch
In this 100-page book, 42 artists, entrepreneurs, commentators, analysts, policy-makers, policy-sceptics, academics, financiers - and citizens - set out their hopes and fears for the future. After the Crunch includes an article from Managing Director of Watershed, Dick Penny: "Crisis is always the best opportunity to do something fresh".
Download the report as a PDF (Registration required)
Media Sandbox 2008 Evaluation
Bringing together leading technology, artistic and media talent, Media Sandbox is a commissioning scheme to support South West companies/organisations to research emerging possibilities in digital media. The theme for 2007/2008 was pervasive media and awards were made to six research projects exploring this cutting-edge theme. Read an evaluation of the success of this new collaborative working model.
Annual Report 2008
Report of the Council of Management and consolidated financial statements Year ended 31 March 2008.
Download the Annual Report as a PDF
Which widget for what?
Examining the use of free web 2.0 tools to facilitate community building
Much has been made of the potential of web 2.0 or social media technologies to harness knowledge and network distributed communities, this report asks how easy is it for organisations to effectively use these widgets and websites?
From Silos to Shrek Ears
Personalisation and the future of Successful Cultural Leadership
The Creative Arts Venues (CAV) network of six venues (Cornerhouse in Manchester, FACT in Liverpool, Watershed in Bristol, Broadway in Nottingham, Showroom in Sheffield and Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle) was successfully awarded funding from the Cultural Leadership Programme under their Networks action learning pilot scheme. The research question for this project was to explore personalisation of audience experiences and its impact on cultural leadership From Silos To Shrek Ears is the dissemination report of the project. It is hoped it will be part of continuing work in this area and that it sparks debate and instigates change.
Annual Report 2007
Report of the Council of Management and consolidated financial statements Year ended 31 March 2007.
Download the Annual Report as a PDF
Whose Art is it Anyway? by John Knell
This piece was commissioned by Arts Council England. Its central focus was prefigured in Peter Hewitt's Changing Places published the previous year - namely how far do the personalisation and choice agendas shaping other areas of publicly funded activity, such as health and education, have any resonance for the arts. March 2006
Download the report as a Word file
Arts Professional Article October 2006
'A Different Kind of Economic Model', Arts Professional, October 2006. A Watershed/iShed profile as part of an article by Clare Cooper and Roanne Dods of the Mission, Models, Money programme
DCMS Creative Economy Programme August 2006
DCMS Creative Economy Programme www.cep.culture.gov.uk
Working party reports published August 2006
Download Watershed case study as a PDF
Download Watershed response as a PDF
Annual Report 2006
Report of the Council of Management and consolidated financial statements Year ended 31 March 2006.
Download the Annual Report as a PDF
Watershed Case Study: Arts and Industry 2005
Under Blue Skies: The Watershed/HP Labs Partnership
Watershed Case Study: Electric December 2005 Arts, Community, Education and Industry
Electric December: Learning, Producing & Publishing through Collaboration
Annual Report 2005
Report of the Council of Management and consolidated financial statements Year ended 31 March 2005.
Watershed Case Study: Alchemy 2004 Arts, Education and Young People at Risk
Watershed works with young peoples' support agencies to provide creative digital media learning projects for disaffected young people from all parts of the city.
RSS Feed
A Registered Charity: 284188 and a