Emma Jane Kirby, the author of the true story ‘The Optician of Lampedusa’ has given permission to use this work as the basis for my project, and has agreed to meet to discuss it. Date to be arranged.

Professor Lucy Orta (UAL Prof of Art and the Environment) was due to see me this week but our meeting was deferred due to her diary clash. Another date to be arranged. I am sending her a copy of Emma’s book. Prof Orta is currently chairing ‘Passagens: No Borders’ at UAL, a series of conferences around the subject of the migration and refugee crisis in Europe.

I am meeting Michael Mueller, Scriptwriter and owner of Scoop Films, next Tuesday to discuss a treatment and script for my exhibit.

 

My wife, Suzy Aitchison (TV, Jam and Jerusalem, Topsy & Tim) has agreed to take the part of Teresa, the wife of Carmine Menna, the optician. Teresa was in the boat rescuing refugees and was hugely affected afterwards by what happened (they only managed to rescue 40 out of 400 refugees – more and their boat would have sunk). Suzy’s scanned 3D image, reflecting Teresa’s reaction during the rescue, will be one of two life sized sculptures in the exhibit.

  

Leo Wringer (TV, The Moonstone, 2016) has agreed to take the part of one of the refugees.

  

I now have a Microsoft Hololens.I have a Vuze 3D VR camera on order, which starts shipping on 3 March. Sion Fletcher, a lecturer at Central St. Martins, with a special interest in the CSM 4D studios, has agreed to provide support as I grapple with the technicalities of filming and displaying the actor’s narrations in Mixed Reality.

I have ordered Castable PLA materials for my Ultimaker 2+ Extended 3D Printer which is now installed in the MA Fine art Digital studio at UAL Camberwell college of Arts. I am making all these facilities available (while supervised) to other MA FAD students.

That’s it for the moment. I will post regular blogs from now on, to report progress as we head towards our final MA Show exhibition in July 2017.