Threads of Knowledge

weaving my own web of knowledge

[informationenvironments]

Congratulations Masters of Research!

[informationenvironmentsblog-blog]

Graduates from MRes Information Environments continue to inspire…

Maulshree, who completed the course in 2011, will be presenting aspects of her thesis work to delegates at Making: An International Conference of Materiality and Knowledge to be held in Nottodden, Norway, 24-27 September 2012. Her...

[moonrythms]

[moonrythms]

A series of six animated folklore, each retold in the format of a traditional artform of six states.. very interesing and inspiring..

for anyone interested to watch, its repeat will be aired on 31st march at 1pm on none other than our favourite Cartoon Network!

[moonrythms]

[informationenvironments]

The British Library asked IE students to research solutions for ‘The Silent Network.’ From the brief: 

Within the Library building you can see hundreds of Readers poring over manuscripts in silence, absorbed in their own thoughts. They are working on groundbreaking projects, and, on the surface of it, don’t want to be disturbed.

But scratch beneath the surface and there’s a different picture. Do our Readers wonder who is sat at the desk next to them? Do they want to reach out to people researching a similar topic? Are they stuck and need some help and support?

Or if they have a commercial aspect to their work, are they looking for contacts?

What happens when you connect an author with a scientist? Or an inventor with a group of students? There is a ‘silent network’ of Readers that to date has been largely untapped and unconnected. The potential is huge.

Download the resulting research here, and see the solution we came up with below:

Receiving the initial briefing from Fran Taylor, Marketing Manager for Creative Industries at the BL, on 21 Oct 2011

Interim presentation 11 Nov 2011.

Final presentation

IE student John Fass leaves his mark.

[informationenvironments]

Threads of knowledge: Knowledge exchange in Indian craft communities MRes Information Environments thesis by Maulshree

This study examines craft communities in India from a social constructionist perspective. Using data from interviews and observation in three craft communities and one craft development organisation, I analyse the craft community structures, map the knowledge exchange networks for each community using social network analysis, and illustrate the issues that affect the knowledge transfer. This leads to a further discussion of the ecosystem that craftspeople are part of, and proposes the need for a paradigm shift in the outlook and perception of crafts, in the context of a new information-based economy, where creativity, innovation and knowledge play a major role.

[moonrythms]

Read online at: http://issuu.com/maulshreesinha/docs/threads_of_knowledge_maulshree

[wrinkledorgan]

The installation artist Tatiana Blass addresses the myth of Homer’s Odyssey. Penelope was the wife of Odysseus and waited twenty years at the beach on her husband while he enjoyed his adventures. In order not to be distracted by annoying admirers of waiting, she looked for meaningful work. She wove a shroud for three years for her stepfather. Penelope promised to select a candidate when she had done, because no one believed in the return of her husband. But secretly she bound parts of the shirt on again at night choose to have no other and to remain faithful to their adventurers. The installation is located in the chapel of São Paulo Morumbin. Blass lives and works in Brazil. The loom is located where the altar was supposed to be. On one side is a long red carpet spread out throughout the threads that lead into the loom are completely confused on the back. The red yarn is fed through holes in the wall outside, where it covers the whole garden. One wonders, similar to Penelope’s story, whether the piece is being woven or untied.

[moonrythms]

Applying retail strategies to cultural institutions

This research is to understand whetheror not the general public is aware of the cultural institutions onEuston Road and to utilise this information to devise design andmarketing ideas to create an awareness of what‘s inside (on theoutside) thus pulling in more visitors.

[moonrythms]

An insightful series of conversations with well known mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik.

Is there an Indian way of doing business?

Business Sutra attempts to answer that question through a special Pattanaik believes that mythological stories along with symbols and rituals are the tools through which our ancestors shared their wisdom, wisdom that is relevant even in modern times. Business Sutra is an attempt to make the wisdom of mythology accessible and applicable to the corporate world. (Source: Youtube)

A series worth watching....!

[moonrythms]

my masters thesis: An insight into the Knowledge Exchange in Indian Craft Communities

My research examines the craft communities in India from a social constructionist perspective with the aim to document and analyse how knowledge exchange takes place in these communities. Using data from interviews and observation in three craft communities and one craft development organisation,all in and around the city of Bhuj in Gujarat, I analysed the craft community structures. An understanding of the relationships between the different bodies that form the communities provided the base for mapping the knowledge exchange networks for each community using social network analysis, and illustrating the peripheral factors and issues that affect the knowledge transfer.

This examination of the current scenario of the Indian crafts industry brought a trend to light - migration of the craftspeople from their crafts, reflecting the growing impoverishment of artisans and unsustainability of their craft. This led to a further exploration and understanding of the ecosystem that craftspeople are part of, proposing the need for a paradigm shift in the outlook and perception of crafts, in the context of a new information-based economy, where creativity, innovation and knowledge play a major role.

Below is the link to the full thesis:

http://issuu.com/maulshreesinha/docs/threads_of_knowledge_maulshree

[moonrythms]

Learning is not a separate activity. It is not something we do when we do nothing else or stop doing when we do something else. Even failing to learn what is expected in a given situation usually involves learning something else instead.

Etienne Wenger

http://www.ewenger.com/theory/

[moonrythms]

Effective use of sketchboards.. can be adapted to practically any brainstorming.. (the perfect excuse to go on a stationary shopping spree! ;-) )

[moonrythms]

Research -- Mediation -- Design

Activity theory simplified?

[moonrythms]

What is Craft?

"Contemporary craft is about making things. It is an intellectual and physical activity where the maker explores the infinite possibilities of materials and processes to produce unique objects. To see craft is to enter a world of wonderful things which can be challenging, beautiful, sometimes useful, tactile, extraordinary, and to understand and enjoy and care which has gone into their making." - Rosy Greenlees, Director, Crafts Council, UK.

Craft is about objects, the artists who make them and the people who use them.

[moonrythms]