Learning Light
Second Floor, Gladstone Building,
1 St James Row, Sheffield, S1 2EU
Tel +44 (0)114 223 2442; Web www.learninglight.com
19th
February 2007
Learning Light helps to identify Melt winners
Learning Light, a non-profit centre of excellence which highlights and
promotes best practice in the use of learning technologies in the
workplace, has helped three organisations to win grants under the
'Melt' programme.
Three of the five organisations recently awarded research and
development (R&D) grants for 2007 under the 'Melt' programme were
introduced to the scheme by Learning Light.
According to Mark Pittaway, Learning Light's chief executive officer:
"In 2006, Melt worked closely with Learning Light to ensure the Melt
funding opportunity was actively promoted to companies working in the
games and e-learning sectors. We're delighted to have introduced to
Melt three of those who eventually won grants to continue their work:
'Earth Heart', 'Inside the Game' and 'Call of the Wild'."
As a result, Melt has awarded grants to:
'Earth Heart' by Steve Manthorp & David Squire
Earth Heart is a serious game that promotes healthy lifestyles in
primary students. Through collaborative and competitive play it also
addresses KS2 targets across the National Curriculum.
'Inside the Game: From Player to Producer' by Jacob Hapgood & Sumo
Digital Inside the Game is a video game that transports players into a
fantasy studio to learn the craft of game development. The game is
designed to be a fully immersive creative adventure which, as part of
the game play, delivers the skills the player needs to make his/her own
games in the 'real world'.
'Call of the Wild' by Tuna Technologies
Tuna wants to make a microphone controlled videogame that lets players
evoke emotional responses and bizarre behaviour from fantasy creatures
by making animal calls made into a microphone.
'The Hive: where bees make honey' by Phil Shankland
'The Hive' links the physical and virtual worlds through the use of
mobile tagging by allowing single shot photo capture on mobile phones
of 'bee tags' - special printed tags that can be found in coffee shops,
bars, venues. Members receive rewards in the form of 'honey points' for
topping up 'The Hive' with their latest recommendations and can set fun
tasks for other members.
'Animoodle' by Showcomotion Film Festival for Young People & Soda
Animoodle
is a new concept that allows children's drawings to come alive using a
mixture of simple animation and simulated physics that combine to
create a hybrid between drawings, puppets and toys. In Animoodle,
children create characters and objects using an online interface based
on Soda's Moovl software, which imbues freehand drawings with simulated
physics. The best creations rising from this ecology of
user-generated-content are used to populate a live television format.
Launched in 2005, Melt is a three year, £1.5m digital content
development programme for South Yorkshire. It is a programme of The
Culture Company working with the BBC, Channel 4, Orange and PACT and is
funded by Yorkshire Forward, Objective 1 South Yorkshire and Arts
Council England. Melt operates in partnership with Screen Yorkshire.
Melt gives annual R&D awards to leading artistic, media and technical
talent to explore the creative and economic possibilities of
innovative, creative content for new and emerging media platforms. The
awards help recipients to take selected proposals from initial concept
stage to pilot or prototype stage, where they can attract further
development funding, production investment or full commissioning.
Melt also enables South Yorkshire creative and digital companies and
individual practitioners to work with partners anywhere in the world.
"Melt is providing a valuable service in allowing exciting,
technology-related learning ideas to be explored and developed," said
Learning Light's Pittaway. "We_re delighted to be able to use our
expertise within the Melt programme."
end
Notes for Editors
About Melt
Melt is a three year, £1.5m digital content development programme for
South Yorkshire which was launched in 2005. It is a programme of The
Culture Company (
www.theculturecompany.co.uk ) working with the BBC, Channel 4,
Orange and PACT and is funded by Yorkshire Forward, Objective 1 South
Yorkshire and Arts Council England. Melt operates in partnership with
Screen Yorkshire.
Melt gives annual research and development (R&D) awards of up to
£50,000 to leading artistic, media and technical talent to explore the
creative and economic possibilities of innovative, creative content for
new and emerging media platforms. The awards help recipients to take
selected proposals from initial concept stage to pilot or prototype
stage, where they can attract further development funding, production
investment or full commissioning.
Melt also enables South Yorkshire creative and digital companies and
individual practitioners to work with partners anywhere in the world.
For Melt application information please go to the Melt website.
http://www.lovemelt.com
Notes for Editors
About Learning Light Ltd
Learning Light is a non-profit organisation that builds relationships
between learning technology researchers, suppliers, buyers and learners
providing learner-centric information to encourage the growth of
learning technologies. By sharing comprehensive research, highlighting
successes and failures, Learning Light helps to promote the learning
technologies community.
Learning Light provides bespoke and individual services to help both
buyers and suppliers of learning technologies (e-Learning). Its current
services include:
Research Services
Providing access to expert insights, advice and guidance built on
indepth research. Helping organisations to effectively implement
learning technologies (e-Learning) and integrate them within their
workflow processes.
Membership Services
Partnering with leading thinkers in the industry and providing a
network for all interested in the field to share information,
knowledge, insight, experience and expertise, through utilising online
community tools, networking events, conferences and guru seminars.
Professional Services
Our highly experienced team offers organisations access to range of
competitively priced consultancy services supporting buyers with the
effective implementation of their learning technology (e-Learning)
requirements. And, for suppliers, helping to provide a range of
services to assist market awareness and generate growth.
In addition, Learning Light provides a comprehensive Professional
Development programme to help Learning & Development professionals
understand the significance of learning technologies in the workplace
today and how to effectively implement them within the workflow
processes of their organisation.
Sheffield-based Learning Light is supported by Yorkshire Forward, the
regional development agency for Yorkshire, and the Humber and Objective
1 South Yorkshire.
Further information from:
Mark
Pittaway/ Kay Simpson, Learning Light, 0114 201 5703
Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, 01727 860405
www.learninglight.com