When doors opened on Ireland's newest local venue back in 2017, nothing could prepare them for what would happen. The immediate success of the idea saw music, comedy, film, and club nights taking hold and establishing a well-loved community. Then the Covid pandemic came along and the doors were closed. This isn't the middle-ages, though, and with modern technology the Sound House was able to maintain its steady flow of culture. By hiring a team of digital experts, including Colm Slattery from Fluttertone, they have been able to shift their focus onto live streaming.


So far, so good! The live streaming events have been just as popular as the in house events that came before them. This was definitely a green light to go ahead and grow the concept. With the help of their new team, a brand new agenda has been drawn up. Now The Sound House are able to produce high quality live streams up to five times per week. The idea has shown itself to be scalable and once underway, it is hoped that the Sound House can join the big names that people naturally choose for live streams.


We don't know how much longer these lockdowns will go on for, but as society adapts to new forms of culture and entertainment, the live stream is being taken up as a popular form of media. A half-way between watching the video and actually being there, watching at the time of performance is always something extra special. In the future, when people are given back their freedoms, it can be certain that live streams will remain an integral part of how people enjoy their music. We can't all get to the show, and by unleashing the power of digital on the live music scene, we are able to invite the globe to each event.


Music fans around the world are feeling the emptiness of the live-scene. By having quality live acts available online in this way, it surely is something to gather around and see. Finding that live magic of expertly performed music is within our reach once more. The Sound House is set to begin their new wave of supreme live streams on April 3rd. The headline is Dublin's fast-rising InBetween Honey. Why not book your place today?  

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A blend of traditional and contemporary authentic Inuit art is set to be exhibited at a new display. INUA is the first exhibit at the Inuit Art Centre in Winnipeg. Most people have ideas about what Inuit art looks like, with the traditional carvings and sculptures lasting into modern day for us to admire. The truth is that Inuit art covers many more forms, especially now in that modern society has opened up many more avenues for exploration. Because it's made by Inuit people and from the foundation of their rich and traditional culture, the objects and images remain true to the definition.


The INUA display is planned to open on the 27th of March and will exhibit thousands of works belonging to the Inuit culture. Inuit Nunangat Ungammuaktut Atautikkut, or "Inuit Moving Forward Together", is the flagship art outreach project for this part of the world. The ancestral native residents of Canada, Greenland, and Alaska deserve to have their culture put on a platform just like the artists of western society. This isn't about personality or celebrity but culture, richness, and diversity. It's important to make the contrasts of folk art accessible for all so that their meanings and symbols can be drawn upon and put to work in explaining modern day situations that matter to everybody.


On display are a range of items that stretch from antique wood carvings to 21st century projects such as a seal-skin spacesuit. A traditional food-source for Inuit people, every part of the animal is utilised for community use. By adapting this traditional textile for a futuristic design, the stamp of modernity and survival can be made by this garment. A group of Inuit tailors were taken to the Canadian Space Agency to take a look at the real thing and this impression was the basis for what they ultimately created.


The whole exhibition takes a range of concepts and puts them to work within works of art. The culture of the Inuit people is explored and retold in a plethora of design media. With so many pieces available to witness and read about, there's no excuse to be blasé about this rich collection of stories. So many treasures and layers to society can be seen and applied to our view on the world by visiting places such as these. By widening our perspective on our society and making room for stories that explain life in new ways it can only help to build more stable and higher reaching communities.


Read more and watch videos on the CBC website

An extremely clever and inventive robot has been designed to draw what it sees. Set with a high quality camera and a mechanical arm, Ai-Da is capable of replicating what the camera sees on paper by using the arm. A series of self-portraits are set to be displayed between May and June at the London Design Museum. Named after Ada Lovelace, a famous 19th century female mathematician, Ai-Da is given a feminine look and identity. This suitable name credits the engineering and programming that took place in order to produce such a device.


But is it art? Although the images created look artistic and do not exactly mimic the viewport, which is what one would expect if you asked a scanner to print a photo, the device itself has no emotional connection to the work it produces. By following a set of pre-written instructions, Ai-Da can produce a variety of image styles. The emotional connection between the observer of the work and the work itself is present, as a viewer I can feel and emote with the images but I know that there was no artistic agenda behind the production. At least, not from Ai-Da.


What about her designers, though? Did they have an artistic agenda? When admiring the work of robots we naturally congratulate their creators. It is surely the programming and engineering that has given rise to this collection of portraits. The device has no desire to produce, it simply follows an electronic signal. Some scientists believe that we humans are also simply following electronic signals, and our complicated brains create an experience which gives the illusion of self-governance. Anyone who has taken the high-road because of their personal feelings can put this theory to rest. It doesn't stand up in court, however if a robot does something of its own volition, we can realistically argue that it is the creator who is ultimately responsible.


Is there ever going to be a day when we can philosophically argue for the self-governance of artificial minds? Possibly, and if anything, asking robots to create art is one step in this direction. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
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