Victoria and Albert Museum, London
SW7 2RL
United Kingdom
**** Disaster Playground Workshop – Saturday 20.09.2014 – 10.00am to 5pm
Free public access Sculpture Room 50a (Right Main Entrance)
& Screening of Disaster Playground Teaser film

**** Disaster Playground trailer film and discussion with Nelly Ben Hayoun, chaired by Régine Debatty- Sunday 21.09.2014 2pm -3pm
Lydia and Manfred Gorvy Lecture Theatre
Free public access Disaster Playground is a creative platform investigating the design of emergency procedures in the space programme, with world renowned space experts at NASA, the SETI Institute and an all star team of composers, writers and international collaborators.

WELCOME TO THE REAL ARMAGEDDON!
The project follows the scientists planning the monitoring and deflection of hazardous Near Earth Objects and the real-life procedures in place in the event of an asteroid collision with the earth. Follow the chain of command that runs from the SETI Institute and NASA to the White House and United Nations and meet the people who are responsiblefrom protecting us from a potentially devastating asteroid impact. Hollywood relies on Bruce Willis to save the world in Armageddon, but who are the real-life heroes seeking to save our civilisation from the next major asteroid impact?

Disaster Playground is a platform with many outcomes: a feature film , exhibitions, app, book and many more, regular updates on www.disasterplayground.com

Saturday 20th September, 10am to 5pm in the V&A Gallery, Sculpture Room 50a
Join experts Jay Tate, Richard Tremayne-Smith and Anita Heward with Nelly Ben Hayoun, Director of Disaster Playground, Lisa James, Producer Disaster Playground & team. As part of this event, member of the public will be briefed and tasked to fabricate, design and perform the presidential speech following an asteroid impact.

Sunday 21st September, 2-3:30pm in the The Lydia and Manfred Gorvy Lecture theatre, V&A
Nelly Ben Hayoun, Director of Disaster Playground, will present her latest production Disaster Playground and her impossible quest searching for asteroids hunters. Join us in this exclusive presentation of Disaster Playground feature film trailer.
Followed by a conversation with Designer of Experiences Nelly Ben Hayoun and science communication expert: Anita Heward, Press Officer, Europlanet Research Infrastructure and International Communications Officer, Google Lunar X PRIZE
A conversation chaired by curator, critic and powerhouse behind the blog we-make-money-not-art.com Régine Debatty.

An event, supported by Arts Council England, commissioned through Broadway’s Near Now Programme

ABOUT:
*Jay Tate
Director of the Spaceguard Centre, the Spaceguard Information Centre and the National Near Earth Objects Information Centre, UK. Jonathan Tate was an Officer in the British Army for 26 years. In 1997 he established Spaceguard UK. He is a Director of the Spaceguard Foundation, a consultant to the IAUWGNEO, president of the Space Development Council and a Fellow of the RAS. He is the Director of the Spaceguard Centre and the NNEOIC in Wales.In recognition of his work Asteroid 15116 has been named “Jaytate”.

*Anita Heward
Anita Heward has more than 15 years experience working to promote space and astronomy in Europe. Since 2005, Ms Heward has worked on communications and policy for the Europlanet Research Infrastructure, which links more than 100 institutions active in planetary science in Europe and around the world. As a freelance science communicator and press officer, she has worked for clients including the Royal Astronomical Society, the Science and Technology Facilities Council and University College London.

*Lisa James
Disaster Playground Producer
Lisa James has worked with artists producing installation films for prestigious galleries and museums internationally for over 10 years. She has produced eight short films for Channel Four’s strands ‘Three Minute Wonders’ and ‘Random Acts’ in the UK. Lisa also works with Turner Prize Winner Gillian Wearing, producing ‘Snapshot’ in 2005, and has also worked on many of Gillian’s films and photographs, producing Gillian Wearing’s most recent film ‘We Are Here’ in 2014 and also working with Gillian on her open submission project ‘Your Views’. In 2011 she produced Mark Lewis’‘ Black Mirror at The National Gallery’ which was in competition at The Venice Film Festival, ‘Hendon FC’ 2009 screened at TIFF and she produced ‘Backstory’ in Venice at the 53rd Venice Biennale, which was also screened at TIFF. Lisa has also worked on two documentary feature films which have been screened in international festivals including SXSW.

*Richard Tremayne-Smith
Richard Tremayne-Smith was the former head of Space Environment and International Relations at what is now the UK Space Agency (UKSA). Through the 1990s to date, Mr Tremayne-Smith worked on a wide range of space-related areas that included space transportation and propulsion, manned spaceflight, small satellites (MOSAIC Programme), international relations and United Nations issues, as well as the space environment with emphasis on orbital debris, near Earth objects (NEOs) and space surveillance issues.

*Régine Debatty is the founder of the blog we-make-money-not-art.com. She also works as a curator and critic and lectures internationally about the way artists, hackers and designers use science and technology as a critical medium for discussion.