Future Places in Oporto from 7-19 October

Curated by Heitor Alvelos and Karen Gustafson, FUTURE PLACES is a meeting of people with one question in mind: if digital media can do so much for global communication, knowledge and creativity, how can it contribute to local cultural development? October 2008 marks the start of this challenge. The first edition of FUTURE PLACES will survey current successful projects from very diverse backgrounds and fields of knowledge, and it takes place in Porto, Portugal, where these challenges and this potential are very evident. It's thirteen days of exhibitions, films, performances, concerts, lectures, parties and workshops.

Workshops: October 7-8
Conference and competition: October 9-11
Exhibition: October 10-19

Speakers will include:

- Philip Dean, Director of the Media Lab of the University of Art and Design Helsinki
- Steven Devleminck, Director of the Transmedia program of Hogeschool Sint-Lukas Brussels
- Caroline Frick, founder of the Texas Archive of the Moving Image and assistant professor at the School of Information and Department of Radio-Television-Film at the University of Texas at Austin
- Mike Harding, the U.K. Ambassador to the Kingdoms of Elgaland-Vargaland (http://www.elgaland-vargaland.org), an international online art project, and co-publisher of Touch, an audio-visual publishing house based in the U.K.
- Ana Nassar of the Museu da Pessoa (Museum of the Person), Brazil (appearing in videoconference)
- BJNilsen, sound and recording artist, that also performed at the Future Places festival welcome party on October 9

The festival already has started, but if you are in the Porto area, you can still enjoy three days of digital media extravaganza.

Porto hosts the most visited museum in Portugal (Serralves), a huge and incredibly popular music venue (Casa da Música), a buzzing club scene (Passos Manuel and Maus Hábitos), and the country’s largest University (Universidade do Porto). Old spaces are constantly being transformed into hubs of creativity (C.C.Stop).

Mixing Centuries-old tradition and a contemporary poise, Porto is famous for its wines, food, monuments and a dazzling landscape by the riverside. But it is currently just as famous for its thriving international music scene, performance spaces and unbeatable shopping bargains.

If you have never been to Porto, prepare to be surprised. If you already know Porto, join the Future Places event and explore it further!