![\"\"](\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2621\/3728668669_aa199aefc6_b.jpg\" "\\"manchester\\"")
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Next week I’m on a panel called Shaping the City<\/a> at FutureEverything<\/a>, an art-music-conference-festival in Manchester, England. FutureEverything, in part, explores intersections of society and technology and there is a big emphasis on city issues. While I’ll be talking about some of the stuff we do here in Toronto, I’m particularly interested in chatting about how Toronto has trouble with its mythology while a city like Manchester does not.<\/p>\n I’ve never been to Manchester but expect when I arrive it’ll have the usual sense of familiarity that I get whenever I’m in a city in the UK or Ireland. This is, in part, due to the colonial nature of Canada — so much of this place is named after that place — but also because smaller cities like Manchester seem to effortlessly be able to exist in the minds of people who do not live there. Apart from the colonial angle, there is also the pop culture one. How did Manchester become such a music powerhouse? How did word get out about the “Manchester Sound” from the late-punk era onwards — why was the “Madchester Scene” of the Cool-Britannia-Tony-Blair 1990s so well known? Why does Toronto have so much trouble doing the same thing? The bands seem just as good here.<\/p>\n Is there a connection between a city’s historical position (Manchester was one of the main engines of the British Empire) and it’s long-term cultural power, even after the sun set on that empire? Are they just better at marketing themselves? Are they cooler (do they ask themselves these questions we perpetually ask ourselves)? Is it the sports teams? The billboard pictured above is of Carlos Tevez who played first for Manchester United and now for Manchester City — nobody would want to see a Leaf welcoming people to Toronto right now, correct? Is it because they have two sports teams and the NHL won’t even give a hockey team to Kitchener-Waterloo because it’s too close (Manchester’s metro area is around 2.5 million while Toronto’s is 4.5ish)?<\/p>\n As I piece together thoughts on this, thinking about what I’ll say next week, I’m interested to hear from our readers what their thoughts are on the state of Toronto’s mythological aura vs Manchester, London, or anywhere else.<\/p>\n For our UK readers (we have some!) and others who might want to forward it to their UK friends who may be interested in FutureEverything, below is more info on the festival.<\/p>\n – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –<\/p>\n – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –<\/p>\n Manchester England The Lever Prize winning FutureEverything 2010 global festival of art, music and ideas features world premieres of astonishing artworks, an explosive citywide music programme, visionary thinkers from around the world, and awards for outstanding global innovators.<\/p>\n From a Roman feast in a luxury hotel lobby to a revolutionary new way of connecting globally, FutureEverything 2010 brings together some of the world\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s most visionary thinkers and artists to celebrate outstanding creativity and innovation in the digital age. The internationally acclaimed FutureEverything Conference features astonishing talks and visionary people in a global conversation on bringing the future into the present.<\/p>\n Download festival brochure here (PDF<\/a>)<\/p>\n – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –<\/p>\n – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –<\/p>\n GloNet<\/strong> Conference<\/strong> Agents of Change<\/strong> Ryoji Ikeda & Konono No.1<\/strong> FutureEverything Award<\/strong> – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –<\/p>\n – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –<\/p>\n Thursday 13 and Friday 14 May 2010 At the heart of the festival is the FutureEverything Conference, is a destination for a world-wide community of inspirational people, an engaging, entertaining and essential event to attend. Join us to hear about why governments should open up the data that they hold, and what we can do with this information to change our lives. Listen to leading artists and scientists discuss what we can dream and do with unlimited bandwidth. We will illuminate the science of the web, the ways the networked city is being rewired, how poetry can be encoded into DNA, ways we can play the city like an instrument, and how relationships between generations are going to change over the next hundred years. Featured speakers include Professor Keri Facer, Dame Wendy Hall, Ben Cerveny, Nigel Shadbolt, Darren Wershler and many more.<\/p>\n – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – The Full Festival Pass is the gateway to the FutureEverything Festival & Conference. With the Festival Pass you have access to all festival events including art, music, conference, opening and gala events.*<\/p>\n Pre-booking Rate — Available till 11 May — \u00a3135 * Some music and gala events have restricted capacity and will be open to a limited number of Festival Pass holders. An event ticket may be required<\/p>\n Click here for tickets<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"FutureEverything 2010<\/a><\/h1>\n
\n12-15 May<\/p>\nHighlights include<\/h1>\n
\nWitness the launch of GloNet, a new way to interact globally, extends the festival via live events in five cities in different time zones, and was developed to respond to needs for festivals to find new ways to be globally connected<\/p>\n
\nExploring the interface between technology, society and culture, the internationally acclaimed FutureEverything Conference is the crucible that allows artists, technologists and future-thinkers to share, innovate and interact
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\nSerendipity City<\/strong>
\nOur main art exhibition, Serendipity City, features architecture-inspired art by leading figures in visual culture, a curated selection of city-drifting mobile apps, jaw-dropping data visualisations and a selection of Award nominees<\/p>\n
\nAgents of Change transform a secret urban location using spray-cans and perception altering art, streamed live across the city as clues gradually reveal their location, culminating in a public opening on the last day of the festival<\/p>\n
\nOne of the world’s leading sound artists, Ryoji Ikeda shows us the pure beauty of data in his stunning audio-visual performance, plus legendary Konono No.1’s distinctive, raw sounds taken from traditional Bazombo trance.<\/p>\n
\nWinner of the debut \u00ac\u00a310,000 FutureEverything Award is The Eyewriter, a pair of low-cost eye-tracking glasses that allow artists and graffiti writers with paralysis to draw using only their eyes.<\/p>\nFutureEverything Conference<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\nContact, Manchester England<\/p>\n
\nBooking Information<\/strong>
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\nWalk Up Rate — Available 12-15 May — \u00a3150
\nDay Pass — No deadline — \u00a3100<\/p>\n