Festival of socially powered media in the post-broadcast era

Over the 2nd and 3rd of July the 2gether08 festival in London will look at how ideas and popular technology interact. The event is a forum that looks at improving our lives through digital media. Those presenting or developing ideas in the sessions at 2gether08 can take advantage of potential investment from 4IP’s £50 million fund.

The festival is also the launch event for 4IP itself, Channel 4’s latest initiative designed to kick start a wave of interest in public service digital media. The 4IP fund will launch in July and feature collaborations between broadcasters, education and media agencies in the UK.

The event will feature over a hundred hours of content. Keynote presentations, panel discussions, open space sessions, pitching sessions, creative workshops and interviews with key people in digital, ceremonies and parties. With the stress on participation, if you know a speaker who you think would be great, 2gether08 want you to suggest their name when you register and they will try their best to get them there.

The first session, “Show and Tell”, will let attendees present their ideas to the group as well as hosting a discussion of their choice. It can be on absolutely anything as long as it’s in the spirit of 2gether08. The New Statesman 10th Anniversary New Media Awards take place over the course of the two days too and you’ll also have the opportunity to pitch your ideas to UnLtd who are offering up funding to ideas with the most potential.

Technology is faster, cheaper and easier to use than ever before and everything you need to be a producer can be carried in your back pocket. It’s the users who control the media they consume, and it’s not just Channel 4, but all broadcasters, should be approaching talent on these new terms.

Talks, presentations and workshop confirmed so far include sessions featuring John Naish, Umair Haque, Adam Gee and Julian Bagginni. Details of the programme are being regularly updated here.

To participate in this event you must be an individual or a group of individuals over 16, a UK resident. Send a brief synopsis of your idea to [email protected] to outline the idea that its social benefit.