The Art of Ping Pong started life back in 2009 in response to a student brief set by YCN Annual Student Design Awards. At that time the concept was simple: to record where the ball makes contact with the table during a game of table tennis and allow players to be interactive in creating original pieces of artwork. The concept was commended and won an YCN national student award.

That same year, I started a Graphic Design placement with Shetland Arts Development Agency. Shetland Arts is the leading arts agency in Shetland and promotes a year round programme of music, craft, theatre, literature, visual arts, dance and film events; the agency also runs Mareel, the UK’s most northerly music, cinema, and creative industries centre, the Garrison Theatre, and Bonhoga Gallery. 2009 passed quickly and I soon found myself in 2010 having to thinking about what I was going to do when my placement came to an end. This is when I decided to revisit The Art of Ping Pong. I knew I would have to secure funding to take the concept further, so I started looking for sources and filling in application forms.

In 2010 I secured a Visual Artist Award from Shetland Arts in partnership with Creative Scotland and the Shetland Islands Council. This would allow me to develop the concept into a reality by allowing me to purchase some equipment and expand my skills in programming software and hardware.

When my placement came to an end I was met with an unexpected surprise: Shetland Arts wanted to keep me on in full time employment, and I gladly accepted. However, this changed my Ping Pong plans slightly as, obviously, the amount of time I had to work on the project would be significantly less than I was bargaining for.

By this time I had started blogging on The Art of Ping Pong with the aim of creating a record of the research and testing I had been working on. I started with some very basic tests on how to track the ball. Some of my initial ideas included colour tracking and sound tracking, and using multiple microphones under the table to pinpoint the sound and location of a ball bounce. I found that there was quite a lot to get my head around and I didn’t have nearly enough time in the day dedicated to thinking it through, and consequently things were taking longer to progress than I had expected. But on reflection this was not necessarily a bad thing…

The project took a big leap forward at the start of 2012 when a friend mentioned that Xbox Kinect could be a useful tool and was already being experimented with for projects similar to The Art of Ping Pong. The Kinect has a depth sensor, alongside video camera and microphone, so the possibilities seemed very exciting for my project.

I used the Kinect by taking the data the device provides in its normal functions and translating this, using a code I created myself, into a display of graphics.

The Kinect is fundamental to how the project actually works. So now when I look back at the extended period of time I’ve spent working on this project, I find it interesting to note how quickly things can change. It will be interesting to see where we are in 3 years time.

The run up to the exhibition was a pretty hectic time for me: working full time alongside managing a separate project isn’t easy! I dedicated lots of my nights and weekends to the project, and also took some holidays in order to complete it. I took over my parents’ garage with a (rough around the edges) set up of the exhibition – all of this with lots of help from my Dad, including lots of games of ping pong!

The exhibition was set up very quickly at Bonhoga Gallery with some tinkering time for added extras to make things run more smoothly, and as the doors opened for the preview night, I was ready to play!

The opening night had demos on the table by Shetland Table Tennis club and also music by a local DJ. The vibe was great and I really enjoyed myself, and the feedback I got was that others really enjoyed the exhibition too.

The question on everyone’s lips was “What happens to the table now?” The honest answer is: I don’t know.  But I do have a few ideas for more events here in Shetland but also further afield, I would like to hear from anyone interested in having an Art of Ping Pong event anywhere, from galleries, to clubs, bars, halls, group events, and anything else at all. You can contact me to find out more.

Where to find out more:
Website | Blog | Twitter

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Want to take a look at more suggested blogs by artists? Look here.

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This year sees the opening of Shetland Arts’ much anticipated music, cinema and creative industries centre, Mareel in Shetland’s capital, Lerwick. There’s a lot of excitement surrounding the opening of what will be the most northerly venue of its type in the UK and, for me personally, it’s particularly exciting because it offers a real promise of a bright creative future for Shetland.

image by Mark Sinclair

This future will include audiences enjoying concerts in a purpose built venue; education and production facilities available to the public; and a dedicated cinema with two screens and films shown seven days per week. I’m aware that a dedicated cinema may not sound like much to someone living in the UK Mainland, but such a resource in a community like Shetland is totally indispensable.

While Mareel will act as a hub to Shetland’s exciting creative scene, this unique venue only begins to scratch the surface of what Shetland has to offer.

 
image by Shetland Arts

Traditional Shetland music is well known and played throughout the entire world, but the very best way to experience authentic traditional Shetland music is by visiting one of Lerwick’s pubs, The Lounge, on a Wednesday night when local and visiting musicians alike all gather for an impromptu session.

image by Chris Wright

One of the most exciting developments in the contemporary music scene right now is the Shetland Young Promoters Group – a group of young people who work together to put on and promote their own events throughout the Isles.

Northern Focus Parkour is a group of young people in Shetland that has come together because of Parkour, Free Running and Tricking. NFPK has nearly 40 active members in the community and more wanting to join every week.

image by Shetland Arts

The Garrison Theatre shows a mixture of amateur and professional productions from local groups including Shetland Youth Theatre, Serpentine Drama, Islesburgh Drama Group and a range of different types of dance groups as well as occasional national touring productions.

image by Jono Sandilands/Shetland Arts and Crafts

The Shetland Arts & Crafts Association is a group of craft-makers who run a number of innovative projects such as The Craft Trail which is an excellent and comprehensive introduction to part of Shetland’s creative scene. The Craft Trail facilitates public visits to artist and designers studios, allowing a rare close look at the source of Shetland’s craft-makers’ creativity.

Veer North is a professional association of visual artists set up in 2003 in order to provide a supportive and professional network for artists in Shetland. Their members try to encourage debate while also developing opportunities for artists in Shetland and beyond.

Shameless self promotion time: Also check out Co:Lab – a collective group I am involved in. We meet every week to work on projects together to motivate one another on the never ending quest for creative satisfaction outside our 9-5 jobs. Plus its good fun!

image by North Rock Gallery

image by North Rock Gallery

image by Bonhoga Gallery

Some other great creative points of interest in Shetland including Shetland Museum and Archives , Bonhoga Gallery, North Rock Gallery and Vaila Fine Art. All these venues offer great opportunities to view and buy local, national and international artwork, as well as shopping for great gifts for friends and family.

If you are out and about Shetland then you will need to refuel and there are some great places to do this and get a taste of some fresh local food at the same time. For restaurant food, my top choices are The Scalloway Hotel and Monty’s Bistro, Lerwick. My favorite for pub grub is at The Pierhead Bar and Restaurant in Voe, a brilliant picturesque town, which serves great local food. And for a takeaway

Frankie’s Fish and Chip Shop is the most northerly award winning fish and chip shop in the UK and rumour has it, staff can name the fishing boat that caught your dinner!

Shetland must have the highest amount of festivals per head of population in the UK, if not in the world! Here are a few, I’m sure there’s more.

Up Helly Aa
Shetland Jazz Festival
Shetland Folk Festival
Shetland Nature Festival
Fiddle Frenzy
Shetland Blues Festival
Peerie Willie Guitar Festival
Shetland Accordion and Fiddle Festival
Thomas Fraser Memorial Festival
Shetland Wool Week
Wordplay Book Festival
Screenplay Film Festival
Christmas Craft Fair
Shetland Food Festival

As you can see – we love festivals! That’s 14 every year, so if you plan to visit Shetland at anytime of year, you are spoilt for choice to indulge in some of our creativity!

More about Shetland Arts
For more information about Shetland go to www.SHETLAND.org

Feel free to add any comments or suggestions about your experience of the arts scene in Shetland below.

More: Website | Facebook | Twitter

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