MediaShed formation

The MediaShed Initiative began with the "Grow Your Own Media Lab" workshop which took place one weekend in December, 2005. Mongrel brought together various local groups, the Southend Linux Users Group (SosLUG), Sundown (poetry and acoustic music group), members of the Leigh Film Society and ex residents of the YMCA as well as artists and participants of the “Being Here” project. Since then we have quietly built the MediaShed up from the diligent work of volunteers and by investing Mongrel's time and money to set it up. The Sheds technological resources have been built from donated and trash computers, monitors and other equipment. A small computer network has been built by SosLUG for local users with Free Open Source software. The shed is open and available for local people three days a week. An Internet radio station has been built and we have regular events with up to 60 people attending in the Shed itself. We have a MediaShed website with over 80 people subscribed.





The MediaShed is a place for people to exchange views share ideas, and decide how the organisation should work. We have regular screenings for local film and video makers in which people discuss their work. We hold regular workshops with people speaking from far and wide. For our NODE.London festival event we featured Yoshi Mori from Tokyo University and Amanda Mcdonald Crowley, the director of Eyebeam, New York talking about projects they have been working on as well as Nostalgia Ya Mboka demonstrating the “Telephony Trottoire” project we built for them and workshops with sound artists in “Constructivist Noise”.