PRESS RELEASE: #HACKSTOCK – Immersive Arts Without Boundaries

Jedis welcome at free May Day Holiday, VR Silicon Roundabout Arts Festival

The original Star Wars Trilogy, Producer Robert Watts is backing London’s mind-melting Bank Holiday arts festival, set to offer Hoxton Hipsters an immersive eye-popping assault on the senses, with Virtual Reality, Holograms, Force Mind Control, Homegrown VR Hacks, PsychFi Talkaoke & RAVE Context Engineering Workshops.

London’s first interactive immersive arts technology festival is called #HACKSTOCK and takes place at The Trampery, a short roll away from Old Street’s Silicon Roundabout (29th April to 2nd May 2016).

The free Sci-Fi- London / PsychFi fringe event will feature as part of the London International Festival, of Science Fiction & Fantastic Film, delivering a mind-boggling blast of Alt. generation friendly treats including: holograms, live immersive music that using 4D technology to let your body vibrate with music, plus crew from Sci-Fi-London films such as The Call Up, Polder. The festival has also coined its own phrase of ‘soxploitation’ for UK’s first screening of a sox, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll movie.

The producer of the original Star Wars Trilogy, Robert Watts (plus Roger Rabbit & Raiders of the Lost Ark Trilogy) will be attending festival with other cult Sci-Fi guests, Robert has already road-tested the World Record Setting ‘Google Cardboard’ VR Experience #HackThePlanet and proclaimed ‘Wow, that was a trip!’.

#HACKSTOCK is about the new generation of hacking, NOT hacking into computers, but the innovation and natural evolution kind. Hacking that uses of tech short cuts to create art experiences and break down the traditional boundaries holding human connection and empathy back. The vibe and technology is DIY and collaborative.

The event will feature as part of London International Festival of Science Fiction and Fantastic Film. Now in its 16-year, this event was founded by Louis Savy as a fun, inclusive, fantastical geek launch-pad for film, games, art, tech, fashion and media. With the SFL 48 Hour Film Challenge talent spotting Gareth Edwards (Monsters, Godzilla now in London directing Star Wars – Rogue One)

A celebration of counter cultures past, future and now, known as PsychFi – a combination of Sci-fi, Sci-Fact and Psychedelic Cyber Arts, is open to the public and free of charge, catch Sign of the Times, GoldenMonkee, Enyclopedia Psychedelia, Megatripolis, Bad Punk, A Peoples Voice, Osama – A Violent Century Alumini.

We seek to find the others: hackers, makers, creators, artists, sci-fi lovers, tech geeks, alternate reality seekers and aliens.

#HACKSTOCK curator, James Edward Marks describes the event as ‘all your sci-fi & Psych fantasies under one roof. Visitors will be tripping on technology, loosing all sense of mainstream reality, and travelling to alternate states. We’re not talking about dropping LSD, but tripping out on virtual reality and interactive immersive experiences.

Notes to Editors:

WHAT IS #HACKSTOCK - Immersive Arts Without Boundaries

#Hackstock is taking place from April 29th to May 2nd during SCI-FI-LONDON Film Festival 2016 to bring the mind-blowing sensory stimulating experiences once only seen in movies to the public first hand by showcasing the technologies that will transform the way we interact with the digital and physical worlds; curated alongside lectures, panels, UFO round table discussions and hands-on immersive experiences that can only be seen, felt and heard to be understood...

We’re talking virtual reality, augmented reality, holograms, 360 social video and live experiential, mind control, role play, wearable tech, drawing within a virtual space... all your greatest sci-fi tech fantasies realised under one roof. And that’s just the beginning... there will also be workshops, panels, pop-up hacker experiences, and Talkoake, a spontaneous pop-up talk show and participant-led discussion.... all attracting a creative crowd of hackers, geeks, artists, sci-fi lovers, tech enthusiasts, alternate reality seekers, aliens... ANYONE intrigued by this new wave of powerful technology and ready to transcend perception and reality...

WHO IS BEHIND HACKSTOCK?

#Hackstock is the brain child of PsychFi Creator James Edward Marks. James is the mastermind behind #HackthePlanet virtual reality app recently selected for the 20th annual Webby Awards, and Executive Producer of the upcoming film The Banksy Job about “art terrorist” AK-47, which premiered at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival. From #HackthePlanet to #HACKSTOCK, James’s vision brought to life alongside his team of Alt. state pioneers of tech dreamers, creators, and hackers.

#HACKSTOCK will run in collaboration with SCI-FI-LONDON, and working with tech innovators like RAVE (Context Engineering VR workshop); AltSpace, Virtual Floatarium, Spheres VR, Virtually Mine (virtual reality mini hackathon); Intaglow and 3DScanbot (holograms), HTC (PsychFi Tilt Brush), Polder (augmented reality); Talkoake (UFO PsychFi curator); MyndPlay Ltd (mind tech);Simon Boswell and Field Notes (music); Time Run (immersive game) and more.

Creative Mapping (www.creative-mapping.com) is an official media partner of #Hackstock. CM is a London-Paris- New York based magazine and creative collective featuring established creatives from art, architecture, design, fashion, film and music internationally including a range of talent from Hollywood Director and VR film pioneer Doug Liman (Bourne Identity, Mr. and Mrs. Smith), architectural giant Lord Richard Rogers (Millenium Dome, Lloyd’s building), to Grammy winning Elvis Costello pianist Steve Nieve.

#HACKSTOCK HQ

Taking place at The Trampery, a London-based social enterprise and creative laboratory founded in 2009 by Charles Armstrong at the heart of “Tech City”. Specialising in strategy, design and management for innovation facilities, the Trampery has launched a collective of sector-focused incubators in software, fashion, retail, digital arts and travel. With HRH the Duke of York as Patron, the Trampery partners include the Barbican Centre, the London College of Fashion and Groupe Publicis.

The Trampery, 239 Old St, London EC1V 9EY, LondonApril 29th – May 2nd | Friday 29th of April from 2PM–10PM. Then12PM 6PM!

www.SCI-FI-LONDON/HACKSTOCK #HACKSTOCK #SFL16 #PsychFi

#HACKSTOCK Cherry Picks

Synthesist vs Sagberg (Live Music) Electro wizard Harald Grosskopf (Synthesist, Ashra, Recreation): Harald is a synthesist and musician and will be playing a live set with visual artist Sagberg (Kele, Salon Flux) and will participate on Talkoake Panel, contributing original track to the Rise of the Robots VR mini Hackathon with New Scientist, RAVE, PsychFi, SpheresVR & BeLoudest

Richard Watson (Digital vs. Human): Richard will participate in the panel discussion and a signing of his latest book Digital vs Human: How We’ll Live, Love and Think in the Future out in the UK on April 14th. The book signing and panel will take a look at the moment between science fiction and science fact: Who is influencing whom here? Can sci-fi be used as a serious forecasting tool? What major themes are sci-fi writers writing about now that might be a guide for the technologies emerging in the years ahead? Where do sci-fi writers get their science from and are sic-fi writers prophets or just good guessers? http://bit.ly/DigitalvsHuman

HackThePlanet VR (PsychFi Labs) An MCM Comic Con World RecordSetter & The Webby Awards Honoree VR Experience: Turn On, Plug In & Flashback To HACKERS Join Us! Revenge Of Calculon & Simon Boswell on Altered States Cyberdelia Trip! Android & iOS (Limited Edition Sci-Fi-London / #HackThePlanet Google Cardboard)

HTC Vive ‘Tilt Brush’ Psych-Fi Masters event, an incredible paint-off showdown whereby artists create masterpieces in virtual reality, loose your self in VR immersive interactive arts

viens! (Come) Spheres VR: Sundance New Frontiers & Kaliedescope Selection. In this sensually playful, live-action VR, three women and four men, all naked, appear out of nowhere in the white sunny space of a bright room outside of time. They meet, touch, share their energy, and are transformed spiritually; they let themselves become one with the world.

National Theatre, fabulous.wonderland VR: Sundance New Frontiers Selection. Inspired by wonder.land, the National Theatre’s new musical created by Damon Albarn, Moira Buffini and Rufus Norris, inspired by Lewis Carroll’s iconic Alice in Wonderland. It is the first Virtual Reality experience the National has ever offered its audiences. Users tumble down the rabbit hole and land in wonder.land’s Sunshine Garden – a vibrant world with a unique soundscape. As the full multicolour brilliance of wonder.land is revealed, the Cheshire Cat hovers above, serenading you on a fabulous trip.

Mybryonic (Fish Island Labs Alumni): Mbryonic is a digital design studio working at the intersection of art and techno- logy, using interactive digital media to inspire and engage audiences through apps, installations and virtual reality experiences. Amplify VR is a new technology platform that allows artists to create amazing musical experiences in virtual reality easily. “Ever dreamt of attending a gig on a starship orbiting Jupiter or been in a club where pulsating particles envelop your body? With Amplify VR we open up the possibilities of musical expression.”

Ravensbourne Workshop - Context Engineering Toolkit, Carl Smith - Principal Fellow and Director of the Learning Technology Research Centre: This workshop featuring Carl Smith, will revolve around Context Engineering (CE) and will investigate hybrid transformative technologies and techniques that combine the affordances of the analogue with the digital to enable a new era of Hyper Function, Sensory Augmentation and Perceptual Adaptation. Answering the questions: How adaptable is our perception? How neuroplastic is the brain, what are the biological risks of CE? How can hybrid technological devices help us to reconnect to ourselves and to the surrounding environment? How important is immersion for over coming and subverting the human condition? To what extent can content create context? How can we find an appropriate balance in this hybrid environment?

MyndPlay: Mind Controlled VR Cinema Experience mind controlled videos and games inside your own private VR viewing room where you take control of the content and narrative with just your mind and emotions. Watch you brainwaves in real time on the wall or just sit back and watch your mind alter the story on screen with over 30 games and interactive movies to choose from.

SCI-FIDO HOXTON DOG SHOWIt’s not all serious dystopias and tech paranoia at the festival – DOGSTAR has teamed up with SCI-FI-LONDON for our annual dog show. Do you have a four-legged friend who likes to dress up as a sci-fi character? Or a pooch that looks like Princess Leia? Bring them along to our ‘dressed-up dog’ photo session, in association with Dogstar photo dog photography. Hosted by glamorous dog lover, Bunny Galore, parade your dogs outside The Trampery, Old Street on MON 2 MAY at 2.00PM, and have your dog professionally shot... we mean, photographed, for free! The best dressed dogs will win a bag of goodies and a framed print of their photo! Sign up here

CONTACT: James E. Marks JEM@PsychFi.com Mobile: 07921 523438