Innovation in Unique Places – Dick Penny of The Watershed

On January 31st, 2017, The Brown Institute at Columbia Journalism School will welcome Dick Penny, director of the Watershed in Bristol. The Watershed offers lively public programs in film, media, the arts and the creative economy. Penny and the Watershed reach out to museums, libraries, government bureaus and NGOs, engaging them through new creative practices and nurturing media innovation in unique places.

The Watershed supports the work of various artist collectives like WeAreAnagram, creators of the immersive theater piece “Door into the dark”, Winner of the 2015 Storyscapes Awards at Tribeca Film Festival and selected for the Digital Dozen by Columbia University. The Watershed is also responsible for nurturing the Pervasive Media Studio, a city-centre research space which brings together a network of over 100 artists, technologists and academics to explore the future of mobile and wireless media — from talks on VR and contemporary dance to sponsoring a “Food Residency”, described as “uniting sound, image and taste.”

In addition to directing the Watershed, Dick Penny works as a producer, a manager and a consultant in the creative sector. He is also founding director of Bristol+, a creative partnership board made up of public sector officials and creative entrepreneurs. In 2010 he was awarded honorary degrees by the University of Bristol and the University of the West of England. He was awarded an MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for services to the creative industries in Bristol.

The event will be held January 31, 2017  starting at 5:30pm in Pulitzer Hall at The Brown Institute on the campus of Columbia University, 2950 Broadway, NY, NY.

We hope you can join us for a discussion of novel collaborations in media!

Dick Penny is also founding director of Bristol +, a creative partnership board made up of public sector officials and creative entrepreneurs. In 2010 he was awarded honorary degrees by the University of Bristol and the University of the West of England. He was awarded an MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for services to the creative industries in Bristol.

They also are responsible for nurturing Pervasive Media Studio, a city-centre research space which brings together a network of over 100 artists, technologists and academics to explore the future of mobile and wireless media. They seek to ”produce open collaborations and create opportunities which bridge expertise, imaginations and boundaries to promote new ideas and enjoyable experiences”

To show just a very small sample of the successful creative projects and endeavours happening at the Watershed, one can take a look at  WeAreAnagram, creators of the immersive theater piece “Door into the dark”, Winner of the 2015 Storyscapes Awards at Tribeca Film Festival and selected for the Digital Dozen by Columbia University.