Cumulus Conference 2009

London: 21 May 2009

News Release

Are you postponing the future? Cumulus Conference 2009

Ravensbourne hosts this year’s prestigious international Cumulus Conference at The O₂ Arena, London on 27-30 May 2009. International thinkers, opinion formers, practitioners and educationalists will come together to consider how technology, globalisation and sustainability will impact on the future of the creative industries and education.

New technologies are enabling communications, design, production, innovation, distribution and consumption in ways barely imaginable in the 20th Century, creating unprecedented disruption in the way design and media practice and education has had to operate. This technology will continue exponentially as hardware, user-led innovation, user-generated content, YouTube, citizen journalism, Apple, Adobe, shareware and open source software developments advance at lightning speed. Can we be sure the design and communication industries are ready? Do we have the skills in business and education to manage this change and the challenges it poses?

The Cumulus Conference will host a panel of leading practitioners and  delegates from industry and education across the globe. 400 experts are expected to attend, with speakers including: Sir Ken Robinson, Sir Christopher Frayling, Shane Walter of onedotzero, Dr Angela Dumas and Nicole Yershon of OgilvyOne Digital Innovation Lab.

Ravensbourne is an internationally-recognised higher education college championing the creative exploitation of new technologies in design and communication. In hosting the conference, Ravensbourne marks its relocation to an iconic new building next door to The O₂ Arena in 2010. Driven by industry standards and supported by the latest high-performance technology, Ravensbourne’s highly employable and enterprising graduates will fulfil the current and future skills needs of the design and communication industries.

Professor Robin Baker OBE, Director of Ravensbourne and conference speaker said: “Even five years ago, today’s design and communication landscape would have been unimaginable. The breakneck speed of technological advances has meant the creative industries and educators like us have had to respond quickly and often radically, to stay one step ahead. We have chosen to host this year’s Cumulus conference to mark our imminent relocation to Greenwich Peninsula in 2010. We aim to become the digital creative destination for London – a design and communication institution at the forefront of the revolution in the creative and commercial exploitation of digital technology.”

Nicole Yershon, Director of Innovative Solutions at Ogilvy, said: “The creative process drives the need for innovations in digital media. It’s more important now than ever, in this time of economic uncertainty, to react to changing technology and devise bigger, bolder and better ways of reaching audiences. This conference is a great chance to show others in the industry how a large organisation like Ogilvy is dealing with this fragmented media landscape while staying innovative and cutting edge.”

Chris Roberts, Leader of Greenwich Council, who will address delegates at the conference on Wednesday, said: “It is appropriate that the 2009

Cumulus conference is being held at Greenwich Peninsula – a part of London that is undergoing huge change as it adjusts to a post-industrial era.

“Transformation of the Peninsula from Europe’s largest gas works to London’s newest business and entertainment district is underway and at its heart is a creative and digital media business hub. The Council is working to ensure that the conditions are right to attract digital media businesses to the Peninsula, that we can use these technologies to improve the quality of people’s lives and the services they use and that we create an environment for innovation and enterprise.”

For more information, arrange press passes or interviews please contact:

Leese Johnstone, Communications Officer

email: l.johnstone@rave.ac.uk

mobile: 07904 257734

www.cumuluslondon2009.com

www.rave.ac.uk

Follow the conference on Twitter: http://twitter.com/cumulus_09

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Notes to Editors

About Ravensbourne

Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication is a University Sector College, validated by City University London. It is currently based in Chislehurst, Kent. Ravensbourne champions the creative exploitation of digital technology through innovation and collaboration. Driven by industry standards and supported by the latest high-performance technology, it produces highly employable and enterprising graduates that fulfill the current and future skills needs of the design and communication industries.

It has a community of approximately 1,400 students that follow either pre-degree (Further Education), undergraduate or postgraduate (Higher Education) programmes, and are drawn from the UK, Europe and around ten percent from International (non-EU) destinations. Ravensbourne programmes span fashion, broadcasting, interactive product design, architecture, interior design, graphic design, animation, moving image, sound design.

In 2010 Ravensbourne is relocating to Greenwich Peninsula into a purpose built, state-of-the-art building which will offer collaborative work spaces, resources for networking, high-tech creative suites and wifi access throughout. The building is also built to the highest environmental standards as part of Ravensbourne’s strategy to minimise its carbon footprint.

The design of the new Ravensbourne building is by Foreign Office Architects (architecture) and DEGW (internal space planning).

www.rave.ac.uk

About Cumulus

The University of Art and Design in Helsinki (TAIK) and the Royal College of Art in London, in co-operation with Danmarks Designskole, Gerrit Rietvelt Academy, Universität Gesamthochschule Essen and Hochschule für Angewandte Kunst in Wien founded the Cumulus Network in 1990.

They all had a common desire to enhance the quality of education through co-operation, student and teacher exchange within the European Union Erasmus programme. The Network was transferred to Cumulus Association in 2001.

Cumulus has been a pioneer in developing jointly organised MA-programmes, intensive workshops, projects and biannual conferences. It has published ‘working papers’ which have documented the discussions and seminars in conferences, a First Aid Kit to help students and professors in planning mobility actions, kept up a web page, etc. These activities go on.

During the past ten years Cumulus has grown in size and ambition, and is now known as Cumulus (the International Association of Universities and Colleges of Art, Design and Media). The number of members has grown from 6 to 140 (2008). Member universities represent now 41 different countries. The aim is to build and keep on going a dynamic and flexible academic forum that would bring together top level educational institutions from all parts of the world.

www.cumulusassociation.org

About Greenwich Peninsula

Greenwich Peninsula is London’s most exciting new community embracing the Thames riverside. We will be right at the heart of it.  The area will bring homes for 25,000 people, it has shops, restaurants, parks, healthcare facilities, schools and a world-class entertainment complex, The O₂ – everything you need in one convenient place.

It’s part of London and only 20 minutes from the West End, well served with modern public transport connections yet only a couple of miles from elegant historic Greenwich.

Greenwich Peninsula is new and distinct, connected to an established and vibrant community, as well as being steeped in the London’s rich culture and heritage.

­www.greenwichpeninsula.co.uk

About Greenwich Council – Destination Greenwich

Destination Greenwich was launched in Beijing during the 2008 Olympic Games where Greenwich Council and its partners sought to develop good relations with the Chinese business community. At its heart is a creative and digital media business hub for the commercial core of Greenwich Peninsula – London’s newest entertainment district and home to The O2. This new riverside district – Peninsula Central – is being developed with 10,000 new homes, hotels, shops and leisure facilities. The Destination Greenwich team including the Council, Ravensbourne College and a wide range of partners, is developing an environment where creative and digital media businesses can thrive at the heart of a diverse commercial community.

www.greenwich.gov.uk

About AEG and The O₂

AEG is one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world.   It owns or operates some of the world’s best arenas and theatres, numerous sports franchises including the Los Angeles Kings (NHL) and The David Beckham Academy, and a collection of companies dedicated to producing, promoting and presenting world-class live entertainment.

In May 2005, AEG announced that it would transform the former Millennium Dome and the surrounding area into the UK’s most exciting and technically advanced music, sport and entertainment destination. It was renamed The O₂ and opened in June 2007.

The centrepiece of the multi-million pound development is the 20,000 capacity indoor arena, the most popular music arena in the world.  It hosted over 150 world-class music, entertainment and sport events in its first year of opening. There is also a live music venue – indigO₂ – with a capacity of 2,300.

In 2008 The O₂ was named International Arena of the Year and Best New Major Concert Venue at the Pollstar Industry Awards, Venue of the Year at the Music Week Awards, Venue of the Year at The Event Services Association and Favourite Venue at the TPI Awards.

In Zone 2 of London’s Underground, The O₂ is situated on the Greenwich Peninsula next to the North Greenwich station on the Jubilee Line, which provides direct access to central London in less than twenty minutes. Thames Clippers, fast-speed catamarans run a ferry service from central London to the QEII pier next to the venue every 20 minutes.

The O₂ is an official venue for the 2012 Olympics hosting both the gymnastic and basketball events.

AEG employs more than 3,000 staff in over 45 operating companies worldwide. Its international head office is in Los Angeles, and its European headquarters is based in London.