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Funki Porcini discussed the design and engineering behind his 800-laser Laserium rig in advance of the full one-hour immersive shows, joined by Andy Payne, who assisted with its engineering, and Nicky Cure from Mechanismo. Together, they explored the intersections of lasers, robotics, and design, including the creation of the Crawley Bots. Lasers and Robots Talk < Back 28 January 2024 Funki Porcini discussed the design and engineering behind his 800-laser Laserium rig in advance of the full one-hour immersive shows, joined by Andy Payne, who assisted with its engineering, and Nicky Cure from Mechanismo. Together, they explored the intersections of lasers, robotics, and design, including the creation of the Crawley Bots. Previous Next The Fourth Portal hosted a post-Gravesham Light Festival talk featuring the creators of the Laserium laser rig and the Crawly Bots. Prior to his immersive evening performances, Ninja Tune legend Funki Porcini (James Braddell) discussed the development of his 800-laser rig, alongside engineer Andy Payne and artist Nicky Cure, the minds behind the Crawly Bots. These robots, bridging the gap between remote-controlled cars and fully autonomous machines, roamed both the Fourth Portal and the LV21 Lightship throughout the weekend, engaging visitors of all ages. The discussion delved into design processes and audience perceptions of both the Laserium and the Crawly Bots. At the conclusion of the page, a video elucidates the differences between viewable lasers, as showcased in the Laserium, and those capable of cutting materials. Inspirational and Innovative While walking the Thames Path, Elvin, Head of Data Analytics for a FinTech company, and his companion encountered the Crawly Bots. After interacting with them briefly, Elvin encapsulated the essence of the talk and the Fourth Portal in a 50-second video, highlighting the connections between play, robotics, learning, and knowledge exchange. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/2fcede_c33a97f88c6048e7b6f0dd07602057fc/1080p/mp4/file.mp4 3D Printed Light Reader Software Engineer Graham Klyne introduced the developing Monotype Compositions Tape Reader at the event. Led by artist Dawn Cole, Monotype Compositions is an ongoing collaboration with Graham and the Fourth Portal to develop an audio reader for a punched spool from a Monotype printing machine. This spool was used in printing the diary of Dawn's Great Aunt, Clarice Spratling, a WWI VAD nurse. The discussion highlighted the distinctions between light readers and lasers. The Lasers and Robots talk was free to attend. About Mechanismo Mechanismo is a creative technology initiative based in Warwick, UK, specialising in playful, creative technology and joyful robotics. Their projects include various robotic creations, such as the Crawly Bots, which exemplify their commitment to engaging and innovative design. Lasers and Robots were free to attend. This event has ended. Visit Event Page MORE ON THIS EVENT BELOW Previous Next Event Documentation Previous Next

This is a dummy page showing how an Burning Harpsichord Salon gig page may appear once the Culture Reverb memory system is live. It is for demonstration purposes only and not yet connected to the full network. FlimFlam FlimFlam – Culture Reverb Demonstration Page This page is a demonstration of how Culture Reverb may look once live. The FlimFlam webpage automatically generates a gig page containing a full interactive list of performers. These pages will connect to individual artist pages, instruments, collaborations, and venues, allowing scenes to emerge from the data. Once fully live, everything on the page will be connected across the open web. FlimFlam is brought founded and curated by Alan Wilkinson. For more information on Culture Reverb, contact John at info@fourthportal.com FlimFlam 29 October 2025 181 Stoke Newington Church St, London N16 0UL Francis Conyn John Macedo Colin Somervell Colin Webster Barry Edwards Neil Metcalfe Alan Wilkinson Matthew Grigg Andrea Bazzicalupo Flimflam 24 September 2025 181 Stoke Newington Church St, London N16 0UL Viv Corringham, Sue Lynch, Paul Taylor, Korhan Futaci, Alan Wilkinson, Dominic Lash, Aidan Searle Flimflam 30 July 2025 181 Stoke Newington Church St, London N16 0UL Steve Beresford Stale Liavik Solberg Roy Dodds Alan Wilkinson Mark Hewins John Edwards Flimflam 25 June 2025 181 Stoke Newington Church St, London N16 0UL Daniel Thompson, Tom Jackson, Colin Webster, Caius Williams, Andrew Lisle, Alex Bonney, Alan Wilkinson Flimflam 28 May 2025 181 Stoke Newington Church St, London N16 0UL Kay Grant, Charlotte Keeffe, Richard Hughes, Aidan Searle, Alan Wilkinson, Ian MacLachlan, Marcio Mattos, Steve Noble

Ten years of research and development has been spent developing these original portal spaces focused on technology, environment and sound that offer opportunity for entrepreneurship that benefits whole communities while reducing the impact on the planet. Video Tours Short Tours Of Our Online Venues Welcome to the Fourth Portal, thank you for your interest. Below you will find short videos providing some of the key features of our online venues, these are being updated regularly so please check back for more updates. Get In Touch Fourth Portal Lounge For gatherings from 6 to 500 people This 5min video offers a quick tour of the Fourth Portal Pavilion Lounge, perfect for smaller gatherings, including collaborations, networking, workshops, presentations and team-building events. The lounge can hold up to 500 hundred guests simultaneously and in addition to all the features mentioned, can also auto translate into 9 languages and offers Closed Captions for those with hearing impairment. BOOK A TOUR Fourth Portal Pavilion Arena For gatherings from 150 to 2000 people This short video offers a tour of the main features of the Fourth Portal Pavilion Arena, a perfect venue for larger gatherings, conferences, major work events, showcasing, exhibitions, training, educational events and open days. The Pavilion Arena can accomodate up to 2,000 guests simultaneously and in addition to all the features mentioned, can also auto translate into 9 languages and offers Closed Captions for those with hearing impairment. BOOK A TOUR Discussion Festival Weekly online Free event This short video offers a tour of the main features of the Fourth Portal Pavilion Arena, a perfect venue for larger gatherings, conferences, major work events, showcasing, exhibitions, training, educational events and open days. The Pavilion Arena can accomodate up to 2,000 guests simultaneously and in addition to all the features mentioned, can also auto translate into 9 languages and offers Closed Captions for those with hearing impairment. BOOK A TOUR

< Back Datacenters in space are a terrible, horrible, no good idea. "There is a rush for AI companies to team up with space launch/satellite companies to build datacenters in space. TL;DR: It's not going to work." TARANIS IN TECH 12 Dec 2025 The short version: this is an absolutely terrible idea, and really makes zero sense whatsoever. There are multiple reasons for this, but they all amount to saying that the kind of electronics needed to make a datacenter work, particularly a datacenter deploying AI capacity in the form of GPUs and TPUs, is exactly the opposite of what works in space. If you've not worked specifically in this area before, I'll caution against making gut assumptions, because the reality of making space hardware actually function in space is not necessarily intuitively obvious. [...] The first reason for doing this that seems to come up is abundant access to power in space. This really isn't the case. You basically have two options: solar and nuclear. Solar means deploying a solar array with photovoltaic cells – something essentially equivalent to what I have on the roof of my house here in Ireland, just in space. [...] The first question is where in space? If you are in low Earth orbit (LEO), you are inside the inner radiation belt, where radiation dose is similar to that experienced by high altitude aircraft – more than an airliner, but not terrible. Further out, in mid Earth orbit (MEO), where the GPS satellites live, they are not protected by the Van Allen belts – worse, this orbit is literally inside them. Outside the belts, you are essentially in deep space (details vary with how close to the Sun you happen to be, but the principles are similar). There are two main sources of radiation in space – from our own star, the Sun, and from deep space. This basically involves charged particles moving at a substantial percentage of the speed of light, from electrons to the nuclei of atoms with masses up to roughly that of oxygen. These can cause direct damage, by smashing into the material from which chips are made, or indirectly, by travelling through the silicon die without hitting anything but still leaving a trail of charge behind them." [Follow link for full article] https://taranis.ie/datacenters-in-space-are-a-terrible-horrible-no-good-idea/ For more: AI, CPU, Design, GPU, Infrastructure, LLM Previous Next

< Back What Is The Fediverse The Fediverse is the buzziest new thing in social networking is a big deal. It’s also very confusing. And it’s not actually new. It’s an interconnected social platform ecosystem based on an open protocol called ActivityPub, which allows sharing of content, data, and follower graph between networks. The Verge 21 Apr 2024 "The fediverse is as if you took X, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook and made them all interoperable so you could post anything from anywhere, and all your followers would be guaranteed to see it. And if you wanted to leave one platform for another, you could bring all your content, all your followers, all your everything with you. Oh, so it’s a new social network! Why didn’t you just say that? It’s actually lots of new social networks ! A bunch in the fediverse already exist, and lots more are coming. But the interconnection is the thing: instead of having all your Facebook stuff on Facebook and all your X stuff on X, the fediverse allows them to interoperate. That’s really the big shift here." [Follow link to read more } About the author By David Pierce , editor-at-large and Vergecast co-host with over a decade of experience covering consumer tech. Previously, at Protocol, The Wall Street Journal, and Wired. https://www.theverge.com/24063290/fediverse-explained-activitypub-social-media-open-protocol For more: Linked Data, Standards, Algorithm, Cloud, Protocols, AI, Meta Tags, Infrastructure, Design, Security Previous Next

Fourth Portal transforms traditional and derelict shops, pubs and public places* into activity and co-working spaces for entrepreneurs, start-ups and creative business people providing relaxed surroundings and ambient atmosphere in an imaginative setting. About Fourth Portal Before the onset of Covid-19 in early 2020, the Fourth Portal was on a journey to create real-world spaces that would introduce AI and Machine Learning to non-academic, non-technologist by creating hybrid venues that people could visit like any cafe or shop on the High Street. The original intent was to create some real-world spaces and introduce virtual working using emerging tools like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, almost unheard of outside technology and corporate circles. The pandemic turned this on its head, and the Fourth Portal had to pivot, to develop the virtual spaces first and then introduce the real-world opportunities. This is the story so far... Introduction | Fourth Portal plan in December 2019 Fourth Portal transforms traditional and derelict shops, pubs and public places* into activity and co-working spaces for entrepreneurs, start-ups and creative business people providing relaxed surroundings, ambient atmosphere in an imaginative setting with a range of services, products, events and exhibitions focused on new and future technology. How ideas become reality | A personal journey Fourth Portal is the brainchild of founder John McKiernan (history here ) who is fascinated by how ideas form and become reality, whether it's a business, technology or a work of art. This fascination is coupled with a frustration with an education system that seeks to systemise the process of bringing an idea to fruition by focusing on acronyms, models and flowcharts. Modelling is fine for iteration, making slight changes to a product or service, however there is limited value when deciding whether to develop an original idea and make it reality. Haphazard Business | How ideas become reality John once had a small chain of coffee bars in South London and was always intrigued by the number of ideas and schemes customers were trying to develop, whether a business start-up, researching for an academic qualification or creating a work of art. The joy, pain and reality in the processes of all these personal journeys shared certain traits: the inconsistency of everyday life, overcoming scepticism of peers, energy to carry through on an idea and of course the stark reality that some ideas are just not very good. Emergence of Fourth Portal | A road trip Fourth Portal itself has been an idea floating around in John's head for more than a decade, an idea that would capture peoples' imagination briefly only to fade as it could not be explained simply; making financial support difficult to obtain. So in early 2019, John set off on a self-funded Haphazard Business road trip (as a representation of the journey of discovery) to blog about the process of developing his idea of establishing an innovation hub. Haphazard Business became the name of the blog documenting his travels, emphasising how an original idea pivots as comments, circumstance and other haphazard factors feed in and alter progress. Meeting of Minds | Coincidence, synchronicity or luck During his haphazard journey, John attended many events, exhibitions and locations, allowing himself to drift with the flow rather than dictate or seek an outcome. This took him to many interesting places, discovered numerous insights and met some fascinating people, including Gillian Harwood, who would lead the project to Great Yarmouth, a down-at-heel Norfolk coastal town. Great Yarmouth | Gillian Harwood's story Gillian Harwood has been a successful entrepreneur for more than 40 years, and owns a number of small business work hubs, the largest of which is Busworks, in London's King's Cross (read more here ). Gillian fell in love with Great Yarmouth following a visit to the permanent Hippodrome Circus in 2017. Seeing the town was in steep decline, and lined with beautiful period architecture, Gillian decided to try and help kick off a change in fortunes by investing in some run down buildings and returning them to the splendour they once enjoyed. Meeting of Minds | Fourth Portal John met Gillian randomly over a glass of wine at the Royal Society of the Arts (RSA), where they are both fellows. John explained his journey and Gillian encouraged, repeatedly, for him to visit Great Yarmouth. Initially uninterested, over the summer of 2019 John became increasingly intrigued by the town, its decline and the potential to reinvent itself (more here ). Gillian offered John free use of the buildings she had purchased to trial out Fourth Portal and the project was born. Covid-19 | A Haphazard Response With the doors to Portal B just ajar for the first customers, the UK government ordered a lockdown to counter the rapidly spreading Covid virus, requiring all non-essential businesses to close. Across the world personal and commercial business went into a tailspin as governments responded in a haphazard fashion. Just as John set out on a haphazard business journey one year ago, now the rest of the world seems to have decided to join him... Read More >

This is a dummy page showing how an Impro Vox gig page may appear once the Culture Reverb memory system is live. It is for demonstration purposes only and not yet connected to the full network. ImproVox Gigs Impro Vox – Culture Reverb Demonstration Page This page is a demonstration of how Culture Reverb may look once live. The Impro Vox webpage automatically generates a gig page containing a full interactive list of performers. These pages will connect to individual artist pages, instruments, collaborations, and venues, allowing scenes to emerge from the data. Once fully live, everything on the page will be connected across the open web. Impro Vox is brought together by Freland Green and Stuart Wilding. For more information on Culture Reverb, contact John a John at info@fourthportal.com ImproVox #11 29 September 2025 Bridewell Theatre Bar, 14 Bride Lane, Fleet Street, London, EC4 8EQ Veryan Weston Alan Wilkinson Phase IV Laura Fudge Dominic Thurston Matteo Malquori https://www.fourthportal.com/improv-performer/dominic-thurston ImproVox #11 ImproVox #10 30 June 2025 Bridewell Theatre Bar, 14 Bride Lane, Fleet Street, London, EC4 8EQ Julia Brüssel Hannah Marshall Jonny Martin Anthony Osborne Seb Stone Scott Biagi Adrian Roper James Spatz ImproVox #10 ImproVox #09 19 May 2025 Bridewell Theatre Bar, 14 Bride Lane, Fleet Street, London, EC4 8EQ Steven J. Fowler Benedict Taylor Saulius Bendoraitis Tomas Mejer Freland Green Matteo Malquori Mario Guarnieri Stuart Wilding ImproVox #08 14 April 2025 Bridewell Theatre Bar, 14 Bride Lane, Fleet Street, London, EC4 8EQ Charlotte Keeffe Pete Robson Stuart Wilding Charlie Folorunsho Laura Fudge Sally Stamp Phil Hollins Akira Felix X Tigersonic Jo Morrison ImproVox #08 ImproVox #07 10 March 2025 Bridewell Theatre Bar, 14 Bride Lane, Fleet Street, London, EC4 8EQ Viv Corringham Iris Garrelfs Elien De Schryver Barbara Mukoda Pete Robson Seb Stone Dominic Thurston ImproVox #06 5 February 2025 Bridewell Theatre Bar, 14 Bride Lane, Fleet Street, London, EC4 8EQ Antonio Arca Mario Guarnieri Stuart Wilding Ben Watson Bill O’Connor Sophie Sleigh Johnson ImproVox #05 10 December 2024 Bridewell Theatre Bar, 14 Bride Lane, Fleet Street, London, EC4 8EQ Maggie Nichols Mark Wastell Felix X Tigersonic Mario Guarnieri Simon Lawson Phil Hollins Freland Green ImproVox #04 28 October 2024 Bridewell Theatre Bar, 14 Bride Lane, Fleet Street, London, EC4 8EQ Iris Colomb Lev Dudas Ian Kennedy Carina Tint Michael Zbyszynski Saulius Bendoraitis Isaac Robson Pete Robson ImproVox #03 30 September 2024 Bridewell Theatre Bar, 14 Bride Lane, Fleet Street, London, EC4 8EQ Kay Grant Alex Ward Myco Phoonk Simon Lawson Matt Scott ImproVox #02 30 August 2024 Bridewell Theatre Bar, 14 Bride Lane, Fleet Street, London, EC4 8EQ Antonio Arca Will Morland Barbara Mukoda Vivienne Soan Ben Watson Michael Zbyszynski ImproVox #01 8 July 2024 Bridewell Theatre Bar, 14 Bride Lane, Fleet Street, London, EC4 8EQ Sharon Gal Sue Lynch Adrian Roper Ian Kennedy Isaac Robson Andrea Bolzoni Scott Biagi Mario Guarnieri

< Back Joe Cleary Local-born and bred Joe Cleary is one-half of Hypermedia events who run monthly events within the Fourth Portal since August 2023. I first discovered the Fourth Portal in July 2023 from a friend of mine Harriet; she had been coming in since very close to the opening date, I believe. Q1: How and when did you first discover the Fourth Portal? I first discovered the Fourth Portal in July 2023 from a friend of mine Harriet; she had been coming in since very close to the opening date, I believe. Q2: What were your initial impressions? I was captivated from the off - if I'm being totally honest. Everywhere you look for longer than a couple of seconds, you find something new to interest you that all seem to amalgamate into one fluid entity. It's a must-have for Gravesend and Kent alike. Q3: How has Fourth Portal inspired you? The Fourth Portal has bridged the gap between my "imposter" syndrome and my ADHD and gave me the confidence and as equally important, the facility and encouragement to pursue my passions, which otherwise would remain an echo chamber in my head. It's been a very vital tool in allowing me to give myself a fair chance and level the playing field. Q4: Will the inspiration be of benefit in the future? The inspiration is not only of an emotional and support benefit for someone like myself, but it is also shaping up to be a major contribution to the event me and co-founder, Harriet run here one Wednesday a month, which is a complete bi-product of us just coming here to chill out and take in our surroundings. Q5: (optional) Anything you wish to add? I would like to thank Harriet, John, Lauren and all the people behind the scenes for the work they put in. I would also like to thank everyone who has attended hypermedia in any format and Harriet for all she does. Previous Next

A full Fourth Portal with a packed performance roster for the first Hypermedia Open Space of 2024 of DIY poetry, spoken word, music, open mic, visuals, art, and discussion. Curated by Gravesend’s own Hypermedia Events, the night attracted audiences and performers from across Kent, London, and Gravesham. Hypermedia DIY Open Space 6 < Back 7 February 2024 A full Fourth Portal with a packed performance roster for the first Hypermedia Open Space of 2024 of DIY poetry, spoken word, music, open mic, visuals, art, and discussion. Curated by Gravesend’s own Hypermedia Events, the night attracted audiences and performers from across Kent, London, and Gravesham. Previous Next Hypermedia Open Space 6 Hypermedia Open Space is an emerging new kind of performance gathering. Developed at Fourth Portal over the past six months by local curators Harriet Hammond and Joe Cleary, Hypermedia offers a unique alternative to standard open mic events. The open-format approach attracts performers and audiences from across London, the Kent coast, and beyond. As Joe Cleary, one of the founders, puts it: "Hypermedia is inclusive to any medium of art." Blending gathering spaces, 1960s happenings, living room gigs, and open mic, Hypermedia creates an alternative experience that’s hard to categorise. Friendly, supportive, and open to all creative disciplines, it is gaining a reputation for transforming the arts scene in Gravesend and North Kent. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/2fcede_706b4890e94a40698b068d920925a30b/1080p/mp4/file.mp4 Performers at Hypermedia 6 Joseph Cleary Clementine Canpont Anthony Hart Sophie Sirota Simeon Smith Chris Porcas Zach Davies Smelliot Lee Campbell Pip McDonald Nic Tony Thorley Dan Clifford Knitted Tongues (Meej Douglas, Em Doodles, Sandra Zanetti) Amy Boyle Borje Melanie Sapiets https://video.wixstatic.com/video/2fcede_0f143f039c4e40f08a53c12d6110f658/1080p/mp4/file.mp4 Knitted Tongues Knitted Tongues Knitted Tongues is a London-based experimental music collective known for its avant-garde performances and innovative soundscapes. Their debut album, No One in Europe Knows How to Scream Anymore, is available for streaming and download. Next Event: Hypermedia Open Space 7 | https://www.instagram.com/knittedtongues/ The next Hypermedia will take place on Wednesday, 13 March 2024. Get in touch: https://www.instagram.com/hypermediaevents/ This event has ended, but the Hypermedia series continues. Visit Event Page MORE ON THIS EVENT BELOW Previous Next Event Documentation Previous Next

"Hypermedia returned, building on February’s packed event with an even larger audience. A full, non-stop programme of DIY poetry, spoken word, music, open mic, visuals, artist talks, and discussion ran from 7:00pm to 11:00pm, curated by Hypermedia Events." Hypermedia DIY Open Space 7 < Back 13 March 2024 "Hypermedia returned, building on February’s packed event with an even larger audience. A full, non-stop programme of DIY poetry, spoken word, music, open mic, visuals, artist talks, and discussion ran from 7:00pm to 11:00pm, curated by Hypermedia Events." Previous Next Hypermedia Open Space 7 Gravesend's own Hypermedia returned to Fourth Portal for another evening of DIY poetry, spoken word, music, open mic, and discussion . Over 100 attendees passed through the doors across the four-hour event , as poets, musicians, and sound artists from London, Kent, and Gravesend took to the stage to share their work. A Gathering of Voices – A Space for Creative Collaboration Instigated by local Gravesend artists, Joe Cleary and Harriet Hammond Hypermedia Open Space continues to push the boundaries of open mic, gathering spaces, and artistic happenings. More than just a performance night, it is an open and inclusive platform designed for creative exchange, bringing together people from different backgrounds, disciplines, and locations. The event fosters an experimental environment, welcoming both seasoned performers and first-time participants, providing a space where ideas and artistic expression can thrive. With events regularly fully booked, walk-ins are encouraged—whether to perform or simply absorb the energy of the space. Drawing participants from London, Kent, and beyond, Hypermedia has grown into a hub for collaboration and artistic experimentation, breaking down barriers and forging new creative connections. Running Order – Artist Presentations 7:05 – Ronnie 7:10 – Zach Dares 7:15 – Tony Thorley 7:20 – Tony, Harmonica 7:25 – Amy 7:30 – Betay 7:35 – Nick 7:45 – Bodie Stanley 8:00 – Lee Campbell 8:15 – Jonny G 8:20 – Aaron 8:35 – Sophie 8:50 – Colin 9:05 – Borje Lorcan 9:30 – Knitted Tongues 9:45 – Smelliot 10:05 – Nahum 10:20 – Ryan 10:40 – Tom 10:45 – Dan Clifford 10:50 – A nthony https://video.wixstatic.com/video/2fcede_097e4e07f63a4388824885ab8321ebaa/1080p/mp4/file.mp4 The similarities between Hypermedia and the early web A Space for All Generations Welcomin g artists of all ages and experience levels, Hypermedia Open Space creates an accessible and relaxed atmosphere for performers and listeners alike. The youngest participant at the March event was 12, while the eldest was 85, re flecting the broad appeal and openness of the format. Hypermedia and the Early Internet Hypermedia mirrors the early days of the Internet , where connections were formed organically through s hared spaces and open dialogue. Much like early bulletin board systems (BBS), it acts as a real-world network, bringing together artists, thinkers, and performers to share ideas and create new opportunities. This evolving, node-like structure reflects how the first digital communities developed - breaking traditional barriers and fostering collaboration beyond geographical limits. See Previous Events To explore previous Hypermedia Open Space performances , visit the galleries and vide os here: 🔗 Event Documentation Supporting Independent Art Hypermedia Open Spac e is free to attend, but audience contributions are encouraged to h elp support future events . Meet the Curators Founded by Harriet Hammond and Joe Cleary , Hypermedia is an evolving creative movement dedicated to fostering DIY artistic expression. 📲 Follow & Contact via Instagram: 🔗 @hypermediaevents ___This event has ended__ _ Visit Event Page MORE ON THIS EVENT BELOW Previous Next Event Documentation Previous Next

More than 450 visitors queued on Saturday night of the Gravesham Light Festival for Funki Porcini’s Laserium. The 10-minute taster filled the darkened Fourth Portal with 800 synchronised lasers, pulsating to an original score. Reviews ranged from exceptionally calming to imagining the universe forming. Funki Porcini Laserium Saturday < Back 27 January 2024 More than 450 visitors queued on Saturday night of the Gravesham Light Festival for Funki Porcini’s Laserium. The 10-minute taster filled the darkened Fourth Portal with 800 synchronised lasers, pulsating to an original score. Reviews ranged from exceptionally calming to imagining the universe forming. Previous Next Following the success of Friday night’s Laserium, even larger crowds gathered on Saturday at the Fourth Portal for another immersive spectacle. More than 450 visitors queued to experience the 10-minute Laserium taster, with reviews ranging from exceptionally calming to imagining the universe forming. The Laserium, an 800-laser rig built by composer, musician, and artist James Braddell (aka Funki Porcini), transformed the darkened church into a mesmerising display. Beams of light danced off mirrors and glass, synchronised to Funki Porcini’s surreal soundscapes, creating a hypnotic and deeply immersive experience. The free event welcomed visitors of all ages, from the youngest children to the eldest attendees. Responses varied, with younger audiences describing the performance as soothing and meditative, while older visitors found it intense and absorbing. The full one-hour immersive show followed on Sunday, 28 January 2024. Earlier that afternoon, a talk was held with Laserium collaborators Andy Payne and Nicky Cure, who also designed the Crawley Bots robots and contributed to the laser rig’s construction. Read more about the talk here . https://video.wixstatic.com/video/2fcede_99db91dd5ebf4b39b6d2f32409b6bf79/360p/mp4/file.mp4 Gravesham Light Festival Continues The Gravesham Light Festival continued on Saturday, 27 January 2024, with expanded capacity at Fourth Portal Lab to accommodate even more visitors. Nearby, LV21 Lightship hosted a light installation and shadow show, adding to the festival’s diverse visual experiences. Who is Funki Porcini? James Braddell, aka Funki Porcini, is a British electronic music provocateur, blending surreal jazz, found noise, synthetic textures, and dreamlike logic. A defining artist of Ninja Tune’s early years, his name plays on Funghi Porcini, the Italian term for the Boletus edulis mushroom, commonly known as penny bun. Braddell spent ten years in Italy composing for film and television before returning to England in 1994, signing with Ninja Tune, and setting up his own studio, The Uterus Goldmine. Find out more about Funki Porcini on Ninja Tune. The Lasers and the Rig For insights into the lasers and the creative process behind this spectacular rig, visit Funki’s Bandcamp. Visit Event Page MORE ON THIS EVENT BELOW Previous Next Event Documentation Previous Next

This is a dummy page showing how an London Improvisers Orchestra gig page may appear once the Culture Reverb memory system is live. It is for demonstration purposes only and not yet connected to the full network. London Improvisers Orchestra London Improvisers Orchestra – Culture Reverb Demonstration Page This page is a demonstration of how Culture Reverb may look once live. The London Improvisers Orchestra webpage automatically generates a gig page containing a full interactive list of performers. These pages will connect to individual artist pages, instruments, collaborations, and venues, allowing scenes to emerge from the data. Once fully live, everything on the page will be connected across the open web. The London Improvisers Collective is a London based collective that performs monthly concerts throughout the year. For more information on Culture Reverb, contact John a John at info@fourthportal.com London Improvisers Orchestra #39 28 September 2025 Holy Trinity Church, Prince Consort Road, South Kensington, London SW7 2BA Sam Eastmond Jonny Martin Faradena Afifi Martin Hackett Douglas Benford Tilly Coulton Gina Fergione Kes Matsui Steve Beresford Benjy Sandler Benjamin Krauss Olga Ksendzovska Jess Bull Anderson Julian Woods Gerardo Gozzi Aurelie Freoua John Eyles London Improvisers Orchestra #38 9 July 2025 St Mary’s New Church, Stoke Newington Church St, London N16 9ES Jerry Wigens Sam Eastmond Steve Beresford Julian Woods J onny Martin Aurelie Freoua Chris Killick Martin Hackett Chris Hill Manuel Miethe Isabel Anders Dave Fowler Douglas Benford Bettina Schroeder Jo Morrison John Eyles John Bisset Adam Bohman Sue Ferrar Andrei Abramov Phil Minton Ivor Kallin London Improvisers Orchestra #37 8 March 2025 St Mary’s New Church, Stoke Newington Church St, London N16 9ES Dave Fowler Douglas Benford Steve Beresford Sam Eastmond Olga Ksendzovska Julian Woods Chris Hill Martin Hackett Thomas Mejer Ivor Kallin Jonny Martin Jerry Wigens John Bisset Noel Taylor Sue Ferrar Sung Mi Marina Kim Gina Fergione London Improvisers Orchestra #36 7 June 2025 St Mary’s New Church, Stoke Newington Church St, London N16 9ES Tansy Spinks Julian Woods Chris Hill Faradena Afifi Martin Hackett Korhan Futaci Douglas Benford Alan Newcombe Jerry Wigens Thomas Mejer Gina Fergione Jo Morrison Steve Potter Julia Doyle