Search Results

< Back Matt Davies Fourth Portal Lab, Gravesend Textiles Artist In Residence Matt Davies is a designer specialising in sportswear and outdoor equipment and the curator of the Fourth Portal's 'Textiles, Garb and the Thames', which kicks off the Fourth Portal's Textiles spring season. Matt, a designer specialising in sportswear and outdoor equipment, is based in Kent, drawing inspiration from his surroundings for fresh concepts and design ideas. With a design ethos primarily focused on maximising functionality and performance, Matt extensively researches new fabric advancements. He experiments with innovative pattern-cutting concepts to enhance clothing performance while maintaining a sleek appearance. Having gained experience from studying at the London College of Fashion and working at companies like Vollebak and Purple Mountain Observatory, Matt's goal is to establish a studio in Kent and launch his own tailored clothing range for various conditions. Matt's workflow revolves around digital methods, incorporating 3D software and machine learning algorithms into his pieces. An enthusiastic graphic designer and illustrator, he explores new concepts in his free time and integrates them into future projects. His contributions to the Fourth Portal include organising the 'Textiles, Garb, and the Thames' event, spanning ten days. This event aims to raise awareness about local maritime industries and textile technologies, showcasing their evolution over time. Matt plans to integrate these insights into his future work, exploring how modern maritime clothing can be both functional and stylish. Explore Matt's work at mattlorcan.com or on Instagram @mattlorcandavies. info@fourthportal.com 01-10 February 2024 To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

< Back A First Step Toward AI Regulation With Tom Wheeler Podcast: Tom Wheeler, former chairman of the US Federal Communications Commission, shares his insights on what’s next in the push toward AI regulation. Centre For Humane Technology 1 Nov 2023 On Monday, 30 October 2023, US President Biden released a sweeping executive order that addresses many risks of artificial intelligence. Tom Wheeler, former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, shares his insights on the order with Tristan and Aza from the Centre for Humane Technology and discusses what’s next in the push toward AI regulation. Businessman, venture capitalist, and former chairman of the Federal Communication Corporation during the Obama administration, Tom Wheele r is the author TECHLASH: Who Makes the Rules in the Digital Gilded Age (Brookings, October 2023) and From Gutenberg to Google: The History of Our Future (Brookings, 2019). He resides in Washington, DC. Listen. https://www.humanetech.com/podcast/a-first-step-toward-ai-regulation-with-tom-wheeler For more: Protocols, Security, Machine Learning, Decoupling, Regulation, Standards Previous Next

All Improv Perfomers All Improv Gigs Adrian Northover Alto & Soprano Sax Performer Bio (Max 1000 characters) London and South East improv gigs Boat-Ting Nov24 4 November 2024 Boat-Ting Oct25 6 October 2025 Boat-Ting Nov 2024 http://Website or social media email or phone number

All Improv Perfomers All Improv Gigs Mihee Kim Performer Bio (Max 1000 characters) London and South East improv gigs SKRONK #2 21 June 2016 Performer notes, message or style description http://Website or social media email or phone number

Coastal Electronauts' Estuary Waves brought a night of hypnotic electronics and immersive visuals to Fourth Portal. A diverse lineup of artists delivered experimental soundscapes, deep drones, and glitch-infused performances, creating a rich, atmospheric experience. Coastal Electronauts Estuary Waves < Back 26 April 2024 Coastal Electronauts' Estuary Waves brought a night of hypnotic electronics and immersive visuals to Fourth Portal. A diverse lineup of artists delivered experimental soundscapes, deep drones, and glitch-infused performances, creating a rich, atmospheric experience. Previous Next The Coastal Electronauts' Estuary Waves at Fourth Portal was marked by a powerful performance from Graham Dowdall, known as Gagarin, who sadly passed on 16 June 2024, soon after this event. His set blended deep ambient textures with atmospheric soundscapes, a poignant reminder of his immense talent and immersive performance. Estuary Waves featured a diverse lineup from the Coastal Electronauts' collective, including Sophie Sirota’s haunting melodies, Shape Navigator’s intricate sonic explorations, and AnalogueMechanic’s unpredictable synth improvisations. Smelliott’s glitch-infused set, the Freegk Brothers’ hypnotic drones, and whthponsfpshthtbttn?'s provocative fusion of noise added to the night’s experimental energy. Visual artist diz_qo’s reactive projections seamlessly synchronised each performance with the stunning architecture of St. Andrew's, home to the Fourth Portal. The evening was a rich, immersive tribute to experimental sound, with Gagarin’s set leaving a lasting impression on all who attended. Watch excerpts below. Gagarin – A pioneering electronic artist, Gagarin performed an atmospheric set filled with deep ambient textures. Blending field recordings with experimental rhythms, he created an immersive sonic journey. Sophie Sirota – A classically trained musician, Sophie Sirota explored the intersection of experimental electronics and contemporary composition. Her performance wove haunting melodies with layered textures, producing an ethereal yet powerful soundscape. Shape Navigator – Shape Navigator pushed the boundaries of sonic abstraction with a dynamic electronic set. Using modular synthesis and evolving loops, their performance transported the audience through intricate, shifting sound environments. A nalogueMechanic – Specialising in hardware-driven improvisation, AnalogueMechanic crafted evolving sequences using vintage synths and custom-built effects. His set explored raw sound, balancing structure with unpredictability. smelliott – Smelliott delivered an experimental set blending glitch aesthetics and fractured rhythms. Merging lo-fi textures with intricate beat structures, he offered a unique take on electronic composition. Freegk Brothers – The Freegk Brothers performed a hypnotic set combining drone and pulsating electronic rhythms. Their music created an expansive, trance-like atmosphere, drawing from avant-garde and psychedelic influences. whthponsfpshthtbttn? – A cryptically named artist, whthponsfpshthtbttn? presented a boundary-pushing live set. Fusing noise, spoken word, and manipulated audio fragments, they delivered a provocative and immersive experience. diz_qo (Visuals) – Visual artist diz_qo provided abstract, reactive projections that synchronised with the live performances. Their work enhanced the event with shifting colours, glitch aesthetics, and immersive motion graphics. Visit Event Page MORE ON THIS EVENT BELOW Previous Next Event Documentation Previous Next

All Improv Perfomers All Improv Gigs Benjamin Krauss Trombone Performer Bio (Max 1000 characters) London and South East improv gigs London Improvisers Orchestra #39 28 September 2025 Performer notes, message or style description http://Website or social media email or phone number

< Back Kevin Gavaghan Great Yarmouth and Gravesend Artist: Mind Room The paintings of Kevin Gavaghan in Great Yarmouth and Gravesend Fourth Portals were conversation starters around technologies that can assist those suffering from mental health issues in positive ways. Kevin Gavaghan is a self-taught artist, originating from North London and now working from his studio in Hertford. His paintings are evocative figurative imagery dancing around the fringes of surrealism and abstract art. Kevin predominantly paints in oils. His process involves collecting images and photographs that inform an emotional connection about any given moment in his past. The artworks reflect emotional memories of his life growing up in the 1970s in a large Irish family, coping with the complexity of life with Tourette Tics and anxiety-related illnesses. Paintings are created organically and continue to develop throughout the process. Each painting will often change personality many times before settling on what Kevin believes reflects a truth within his thoughts. An eye condition called ‘Central Serous Retinopathy (CSR) developed 20 years ago that sometimes distorts his vision by producing fluid on his retina. Kevin chose to embrace the condition within his art. This embrace has led to a palette and application of bold vibrant colours. The paintings dissect and bend his figures and portraits to the point of abstraction. For Kevin, it highlights the multi-layers of life and our inner emotions rather than the external likeness of his subject. info@fourthportal.com Summer 2022 and Summer 2023 To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

All Improv Perfomers All Improv Gigs Simon Lawson Saxophone Performer Bio (Max 1000 characters) London and South East improv gigs SKRONK #177 2 September 2025 ImproVox #03 30 September 2024 ImproVox #05 10 December 2024 Performer notes, message or style description http://Website or social media email or phone number

< Back Tape Nostalgia Meets High-tech Researchers are developing a technique that uses the special synchrotron X-ray light from the Swiss Light Source SLS to non-destructively digitise recordings from historic audio tapes. Audio and video tape decays over time and can no longer be played back. phys.org 14 Apr 2024 Reading the magnetic states Audio tapes store information in a layer of tiny magnetic particles—like little compass needles pointing either north or south. When the tape is recorded, their magnetic orientation is changed—the tape becomes magnetized, and the audio information is now physically stored in the orientation pattern. To play back this pattern, the tape is moved past a play head. As the magnetic field constantly changes through the pattern, a voltage is induced in the play head and an electrical signal is generated. This signal is amplified and converted into an acoustic signal. Researchers are developing a technique that uses the special synchrotron X-ray light from the Swiss Light Source SLS to non-destructively digitize recordings from high-value historic audio tapes—including treasures from the Montreux Jazz Festival archive, such as a rare recording of the King of the Blues, B.B. King. To achieve their goal, they have been collaborating with the Swiss National Sound Archives, which has produced custom-made reference recordings and provided audio engineering know-how. Now, a partnership with the Montreux Jazz Digital Project will help to further develop and test the method. Nostalgia meets high-tech Much of the audio world is physics and can be expressed in formulas and numbers. However, when it comes to concepts such as sound and the quality produced, the subjective aural experience is paramount. That is why Gliga works with experts like the Basel sound engineer and composer Daniel Dettwiler. Dettwiler is renowned for analog music processing. His studio is also home to a Studer A80, a tape machine that records and plays back magnetic audio tapes with high precision. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-physicist-rays-music.html For more: Audio, Decoupling, Design Previous Next

Gravesend Innovation Showcase 2024 events, locations, talks, speakers and times. < Back Your Opinion On AI Start Time 11:00 Running Time 2 hours Location 4. Julius Caesar Italian Event Type Discussion About the Event Introduction Come and tell Dr. Glenn McGarry what you really think about AI, do you feel included in the discussion? What do you want to see happen? Do a vox pop about the future! More on the event lead Dr Glenn McGarry is a Research Fellow in the School of Computer Science's Mixed Reality Lab, working in the interdisciplinary field of Human-Computer Interaction. His research interests centre on music technologies and his work in this area has been published in a leading international design conference CSCW. He is the Faculty of science representative for the University's Staff Research Group Subcommittee which works to support and communicate career development opportunities for research staff. He is experienced in conducting fieldwork and analyzing the data gathered using an ethnomethodological approach, as well as other qualitative methods appropriate to addressing the research questions at hand. He is also experienced in working with systems designers, which involves presenting field study findings, working through their implications for design, and formulating design specifications. Event Information This event is free. ___ Even more information ___ This event is being updated This event is being updated Previous Next

Professor Emeritus John Wood introduced his ‘New School Futures’ project that envisages the future of learning as an affordable and natural by-product of local community regeneration. New School Futures Talk < Back 23 November 2023 Professor Emeritus John Wood introduced his ‘New School Futures’ project that envisages the future of learning as an affordable and natural by-product of local community regeneration. Previous Next Reinventing the university Kicking off the Fourth Portal's Education In An Era Of AI event series, Professor John Wood argues that the education system needs a major overhaul in order to face the existential challenges of AI and climate change. Drawing on decades of teaching, and running university courses and workshops, John takes participants on a fun and light-hearted journey to reconsider how education is delivered and received by learners. The context The aim was to help learners to learn more independently and to raise the consciousness of local communities. To assist in developing more life-affirming and entredonneurial approaches to learning. We are more interested in the exceptions than in standards or rules. S E L F (acronym for our 'Self Evaluated Learning Framework') John introduces SELF, a system to help in thinking about self-learning. Who should attend This event is open to anyone interested in how education could benefit from changes to the present status-quo. No formal qualifications are required to attend. Free entry. Website: New School Futures Prof. John Wood John Wood, DipAD, ADF(Manc), FRSA (b. 25 August 1945) is Emeritus Professor of Design at Goldsmiths College, University of London. He taught many Young British Artists when he was Deputy Head of the Fine Art Department at Goldsmiths between 1978 and 1988.[1] He has received AHRC and EPSRC funding for research into metadesign. More https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wood_(design_theorist) Education In An Era Of AI Find out more about the Fourth Portal's event series, Education In An Era Of AI. Visit Event Page MORE ON THIS EVENT BELOW Previous Next Event Documentation Previous Next

All Improv Perfomers All Improv Gigs Filanour Performer Bio (Max 1000 characters) London and South East improv gigs SKRONK #177 2 September 2025 SKRONK #178 16 September 2025 Performer notes, message or style description http://Website or social media email or phone number