Ghislaine Boddington

• Research and Scholarship - practice led research contributing to the Department's research outputs in the context of her research topic "The Internet of Bodies"
• Professional Practice - to contribute to the professional and impact profile of the Faculty
• Mentoring and supporting staff and students in dealing with and extending external opportunities for public facing impact
• Enterprise and Community Engagement - connections to enterprise activities and other external opportunities
• Networking for the department in the wider context of the creative industries and tech business sectors, both in UK and internationally

• Inclusive Tech Alliance Finalist - Innovator of the Year
• Visionary Pioneer Award by Society for Arts and Technology (SAT) at the IX Immersion Experience 2017 in Montreal, Canada, for extensive and innovative work in digital arts. The award is in recognition of her role as a global thought leader and major driving force in immersive experiences and body responsive technology (2017);
• TechCityInsider100 2014 - Award to 300 people who helped make digital London tick between 2012 and 2014 - Tech City UK
• Collaborative Research Award 2015 by Creative Works London for her pioneering work The Weave – Co-Creation Collaboration Process and Methodology for performative interactions (1996).

• Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
• Member of the Advisory Board of AI & Society journal by Springer
• Spokesperson for the Deutsche Bank / NWES "Women Entrepreneurs in Social Tech" Accelerator
• Co-Founder of Women Shift Digital
• Trustee for the Stemettes
• Committee Member of Education and Women In Tech Working Groups, TLA Tech London Advocates
• Council Member of IOT Internet of Things Council (Belgium)
• UK Committee Member of Digital Arts Network RAN (France)
• Committee Member of the Gabriela Tudor Foundation (Romania)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghislaine_Boddingtonhttp://www.bodydataspace.net/who-we-are/core-team/ghislaine/

Ghislaine's research is focused around the exploration into the advancements of the human body through a concept she calls "The Internet of Bodies", the evolution of our future multi-selves through gesture and sense interfaces, augmented realities and embedded digital body connectivity – all leading to the rapid blending of the virtual and the physical body. Boddington started experimenting with performative telepresence and remote stage connectivity in 1989, and across the nineties directed numerous projects and workshops worldwide with thousands of creatives (artistic and technical), all exploring the integration of the body and technologies, in particular through telepresence and remote stage interactivity.

Her work has advocated for the living breathing body as an interactive interface itself, the evolution of human-led data interaction processes and connected engagement methodologies, understanding that the user experience is key to the fluid and flexible integration of our daily interactions within digital worlds. Ghislaine does not separate her practice from her academic research - rather she continuously weave these two together throughout her making processes, her curatorial work and her thought leadership, taking the outputs, topically and iteratively, into mid to large scale public engagement.

Ghislaine's key research interest areas include: Personal data and biometrics, biofeedback, wearables, gesture interfaces, sense/touch tech, implants, motion capture, telepresence, robotics, avatars and virtual worlds, digital intimacy, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, telepresence, virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, holograms, immersive installations, responsive architecture, smart cities, music tech, fashion tech, net/web culture, future trends.

Key funded projects

Collective Reality (2016 to date)

'Collective Reality' comes alive when you come together. As aware of us as we are of it, this digital environment invites us to move and perform as a group to create unique visuals and sounds. Using a convergence of generative technologies, it looks ten years ahead, beyond the current VR headset craze, to real-time collective reality. Premiered at FutureFest London 2016 Conceived and created by body>data>space - conceived and directed by Ghislaine Boddington with Joseph Hyde, Phil Tew and Nick Rothwell An original work exploring topical territory, evolving onwards my pioneer work in digital immersion for public participation. Commissioned by FutureFest 2016 and created by interactive design collective body>data>space in collaboration with the University of Greenwich (Creative Professions and Digital Arts), d3 technologies and Genelec. With support from Panasonic, The Games Europe Plays, EUNIC, British Council, Stage Sound Services, iSci and the Freestyle Footballers Federation. International premiere in the SAT Dome, Montreal 2017.

The Games Europe Play (2016)

"The Games Europe Plays" was conceived and developed by curator/researcher Ghislaine Boddington to give visibility to the booming and vivid European gaming scene and to envision future scenarios in which gaming experiences are at the centre of work and play. Ghislaine was invited to curate "The Games Europe Plays" as a series of three exhibitions, events and talks inviting developers, makers and academics from the UK and Europe. Exploring our body from its hidden micro bacteria to its digital incarnations "The Games Europe Plays" presented the second exhibition in the series of three – BODY<>TECH - at the University of Greenwich in July/August 2016 and took a playful look at how digital technologies are helping us to heal but can also disturb our wellbeing. Presenting the works of interactive artists and game makers from the UK and continental Europe, the show envisioned how we will inhabit and take care of our virtual and physical bodies in the future. A day-long Symposium was held at the university as part of the exhibition for students, staff and public.

"The Games Europe Plays" was initiated by EUNIC London, and co-produced by the Finnish Institute and body>data>space. Supported by the British Council and Arts Council England it presented as part of the London Games Festival Fringe official programme, at the University of Greenwich and at Nesta's FutureFest 2016.

FutureFest 2016

Nesta's flagship festival at London's Tobacco Docks. In 2016 Ghislaine curated the theme 'Future Love' - researching and examining digital intimacy in this time of connectivity, the innovations in digital engagement in love and sensualities, and the physical merge with the virtual. She curated 8 main stage speakers, 4 Debate Stage panels (32 speakers) and 4-8 installations. This included a Human Chip Implant event live on stage and debates on Hyper Enhanced Sensualities, Synthetic Emotions and Shifting Identities. Ghislaine worked for Nesta as a co-curator of FutureFest 2015-2018.

• Studio Expert and Co-Host (bi-weekly) at BBC Click Radio, BBC World Service flagship technology show;
• 'Internet of Bodies': disconnect to reconnect through our bodies, Alberto Payo, Byzness, February 2019. Article on Ghislaine Boddington's talk at Mobile World Congress 4YFN Barcelona 2019;
• Why VR is out of Touch with Reality for Women, Serena Tarling, Financial Times, 2018. Article on Ghislaine Boddington and her work with women in tech, focusing on immersion tech, with links to stats and reports;
• FutureFest: A New Vision of Interdisciplinary AI and Blockchain That Uses Collective Intelligence, Western Bonime, Forbes, 2018. Article on FutureFest 2018 with Ghislaine Boddington's curatorial debate on future humans and behaviours;
• Team Human – Ep. 69 Ghislaine Boddington "Full Immersion", podcast interview by Douglas Rushkoff, 2018. Ghislaine joins Douglas Rushkoff for a conversation about the nature of immersive technologies and how we might bring our bodies with us into the digital realm. Rather than diminish the role of the physical body, Ghislaine's work celebrates the body as an integral part of enhanced immersive experience;
• Future Sex: A Brave New World, Cahil Milmo, The Independent, 2016. The article is about Ghislaine's exploration of the booming area of scientific innovation in relationships, linked to Ghislaine's curation of Future Love theme at Nesta's FutureFest 2016;
• DNA Match Dating, AI Orgasm Gels & Virtual Group Sex, Kitty Knowles, Forbes, 2016. Interview/article with Ghislaine Boddington on her curation of Future Love at FutureFest 2016, exploring the cutting edge of romance, dating, sex and porn;
• Can AI Ever Really Compete with Human Beings?, BBC Click, BBC World Service. As live from Ghislaine's debate panel "Machines that care for us" at FutureFest 2018 – chaired by Gareth Mitchell. Robotics, virtual and augmented reality, implants and wearables are some of the machine/body interfaces that are moving us into a new era of healthcare.
• The Games Europe Plays – Innovative EU Gaming for Young People', Maria Fonsecca, Intelligent HQ, 2016. Article on Ghislaine Boddington's curation of The Games People Play exhibition.
• 'Bacteria Genome Dresses and Judgmental Robots Probe Tech Boundaries', Kevin Holmes, Vice The Creators Project, 2016. Article on Ghislaine Boddington's curation of The Games People Play exhibition.
• Telephonica Digital Futures channel - Ghislaine Boddington Interview with Shivvy Jervis - 'Not a coder or techie? You're still a 'woman in tech!'
• Upload VR - How Teledildonics Will Create More Intimate VR Experiences and overview of future visions of Ghislaine Boddington (and others) by Alice Bonsario.

Recent conference presentations

Selected Keynotes, Presentations and Panels - - The Internet of Bodies - 2016 to date - Ghislaine keynotes internationally and had presented in over 30 countries in a range of sectors from arts and academia to creative industries and corporate scenarios.

2019

Collective Embodiment: Societal transformations through body/mind interfaces, Nesta; Women in Games European Conference, London College of Communication; Digital Culture Festival, Central St Martins; UKRI Beyond Conference 2019, Edinburgh; CRASSH Cambridge: Tacit Engagement in a Digital Age, University of Cambridge; The Pioneers, Vienna; Nesta Italia; Simulation & Training for Resilience & Safety Symposium London; Nesta Creative Economy Summit Bristol; Artificial Intelligence and the Community of the Future Milan Digital Week; LORCA Cyber Security Conference London; 4YFN Mobile World Conference 2019 Barcelona; A World Without Us, Utrecht.

2018

General Assembly, London; House of Beautiful Business, Lisbon; Deutsche Bank Women Entrepreneurs in Social Tech, London; Studio Wayne McGregor Questlab, London; Manchester Science Festival; Dansathon Sadler's Wells London; Imperial College Science Communications Unit Silver Jubilee Event; V&A London; Nesta FutureFest London; London Tech Week; Nesta London; SAT Montreal; Convergence Festival London; BBC Science - Welcome Collection London; London College of Fashion: Leadership in the 21st century King's College/British Council London.

2017

Convergence Festival London; Leadership in the 21st Century, King's College London; IMWorld Bucharest; Thinking Digital Arts, Newcastle Stylus London; Manchester Science Festival; International Forum on Digital Culture, Mapping Festival Geneva; FutureLab London; Thinking Digital Newcastle; IX Immersion Experience Symposium, SAT, Montreal; TLA Women In Tech, Techxlr8 / Excel X; TCCE / HEFCE Collaborative Research Day.

2016

TEDx Vienna; Media Trendy Warsaw; BFI Sci-Fi​ Fest; Develop VR; ISEA; Crafts Council; Forum Europe Digital Festival, Brussels; DEVELOP UK Brighton Gaming Software; 12th IFIP TC9 Human Choice and Computers Conference, University of Salford; The Market Research Council; The Crafts Council Make:Shift Conference; Digital Catapult AI Evolutions conference; Houses of Parliament British Library Supper Debate "AI/Machine Learning".

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