_LAB provides a chance for young people (primarily aged 14-16) and their parents/carers to play with some cutting edge technology, explore how everyday tech skills could lead to interesting careers and talk to professionals working in creative tech.

At this drop-in event, people are encouraged to find their own path through the event, create their own technology, win prizes and have plenty of fun.

• 'Behind the Scenes' exhibits and talks from inspirational creative tech professionals + Q&A session
• Exhibition space with short interactive taster sessions to explore
• Workshops to delve a little deeper into a topic and gain some hands-on experience

Sian Fan

Sian Fan is an interdisciplinary artist working between Essex and London where she is artist in residence at Somerset House Studios. Her work combines movement, the female body and technology to explore embodiment, spirituality and human experience in the digital age.

She has exhibited internationally with institutions including Tate Modern, FACT, and the V&A, as well as producing work with Channel 4, the BBC and Facebook/Meta.

Topics covered in the talk:

• Tech tools Sian uses and how
• Thinking about technology in a creative way
• Being inspired by or working in responses to technology
• Working in an interdisciplinary way by combining different materials
• Sian's career path from school to being a working artist
• Unpacking her 'business model' as an artist

Sian will also be exhibiting a work called Gilded Bodies.

Aj Grand-Scrutton - Dlala Studios

Dlala is an award-winning independent game studio located in Essex.

Topics covered:

• Aj will step through the different stages of a game development cycle showing how a game, like the award-winning Disney Illusion Island, goes from an initial concept to release and beyond

These workshops of varying lengths will allow attendees to get some hands-on experience and a more in-depth focus one one aspect of creative tech.

Astro Pi Mission Zero offers young people the chance to have their code run in space!

In this workshop, you will write a program to display a personalised image on an Astro Pi computer on board the International Space Station to remind the astronauts of home.

A show and tell workshop on the games industry, providing a breakdown of the different areas you can get involved in. Virtus Studios will show you how to get started with games engines and talk about the exciting projects they've worked on, before letting you get to grips with the creative tech available at the Screen South exhibition stand.

Make your own small wind turbine and use it to power lights in a dollhouse!

STEAM Powered Education supports children to learn practical 21st century skills in robotics, coding, problem solving and creativity to help develop a sustainable future. 

Try out some different roles in film-making to bring a script to life.

Aaron Shrimpton is a filmmaker and director of New Waverley Studios which was formed in 2017 by bafta winning 1st class hons graduates.

A range of short interactive taster activities to explore at your own pace. Exhibits will demonstrate a range of sectors that use creative tech skills. Activities can be done individually or in small groups.

Disney Illusion Island is the smash hit game for Nintendo, developed by Dlala Studios.

As you explore the beautiful hand-drawn world of Monoth, you'll meet a colourful cast of new characters, and acquire a host of fun abilities to help you on your journey to save the island, and be a hero.

Raspberry Pi Foundation's mission is to enable young people to realise their full potential through the power of computing and digital technologies.

Coolest Projects is a celebration  of young digital creators and the amazing things they make with technology.

Experiment with Microbit computers and discover the world of 'physical computing'. Use simple coding to program LEDs, control motors and build your own robot!

Signals is a multi award-winning centre for creative digital learning, that provides courses, workshops and projects across Essex.

The Drone Rules provides a platform for the education of individuals, institutions and companies on Remotely Piloted Aircrafts (drones). 

The Drone Rules will be demonstrating the real-world application of drone technology.

Screen South is a cultural development organisation with digital creativity at its heart.

Screen South will be introducing us to sessions and showcases in Unreal Engine, 360 filmmaking and painting in VR.

The Unseen World with Leonardo.

Leonardo's thermal imaging tech has been used in filming for Planet Earth 2, One Planet, Dynasties and Autumn Watch, to capture previously unseen footage of animals in the wild.

Come and experience a thermal imaging camera, and see if you can solve Leonardo's challenge!

Don a VR headset and Shape the Music!

Create and shape a musical scene without the need to play a musical instrument.

Shape the Music is a virtual reality video game for intuitive music creation, brought to you by Anglia Ruskin University.

Get Shot Studios will be answering questions about photography and setting participants a professional brief to take an action shot of people engaged in creative tech activities.

The best shot for each session will win a brand new tablet!