About mervin Jarman

mervin is a community art activist, interactive multimedia designer and human computer interface expert and brings the iStreet Lab to Australia.

dLux Media Arts has had a long-term partnership with mervin Jarman, hosting his first visit to Australia in 2007 as part of the Coding Cultures forum in Western Sydney. In 2010, with the support of the Australia Council - International Visitors Program conducted a speaking tour and has returned in 2011 to conduct a series of workshops through the iStreet Lab program.

The iStreet Lab program and the iStreet dLux Lab

The iStreet Lab is a new informal learning platform based on the highly successful Container Project. Built within a 250L wheelie bin, the iStreet Lab is a mobile multimedia studio that provides a unique approach to delivering educational programs to hard to reach youth.

An integral part of both the Container Project and iStreet Lab’s has been its success in building mentorships and generating positive role models within each community. The iStreet Lab also enables the development of sustainable partnerships and facilitates the possibility for cross-locational learning, sharing skills, culture and knowledge.

dLux Media Arts coordinates a network of youth digital arts programs facilitated by mervin Jarman in conjunction with local arts, education and community organisations. It aims to ensure that communities are prepared to access opportunities afforded by the rollout of the National Broadband Network, both in creative engagement as well as enhancing communications between them. These programs target disengaged youth in the city, regional, rural and remote communities across Australia.

In 2011 dLux MediaArts became a social enterprise of the iStreet Lab phenomenon where mervin Jarman designed and built the iStreet dLux Lab. As part of the dStudio program, the iStreet dLux Lab also extends its reach into the exploration of creative art practice for artists and communities alike.

About the Program

‘We must put ourselves on the line, as well as online’¹

Mervin's Bin from Wandering Gypsy on Vimeo

The iStreet dLux Lab program has the proven ability to adapt to different situations and circumstances. Its primary framework is directed towards exercises that encourage participants to use their own creativity and provides a platform for young people to be empowered and learn collaboratively through the use of digital technology.

The iStreet dLux Lab identifies existing gaps – prioritisng partnerships in communities where digital and creative engagement access and infrastructures are limited. Its unique structure embraces capacity building through story-telling, communication and potential economic development opportunities of creative industry pathways.

 

Principles

‘The premise is that everyone can be an expert, and you prove expertise by sharing your knowledge’²

Mutual Respect: to be open and supportive of ideas, people and environment.

Peer-driven learning: to facilitate cooperation and collaboration between participants.

Open-ended experimentation: to encourage critical thinking through project driven learning.

Production of Cultural Material: to develop skills that enable the building of local content.

Collaborative networks: to build sustainable nodes that engage in online networks and collaborative communities both local, nationally and globally.

 

Current Partners:

Broken Hill Art Exchange, Broken Hill Youth College

Save the Children, Wilcannia

Glebe, Pathways

Sydney Secondary College/Leichhardt City Council

Darwin Community Arts Centre

Boolarng Nangamal Aboriginal Art and Culture Studio

Designing out Crime

Regional Development Australia Far West NSW

 

References:

1 Francesca da Rimini, ‘Networking the Containter Project: a radical approach to digital literacy, creativity and social change’, Acoustic Space, University of Technology, Sydney, No 10, 2 March 2011

2 ibid

To read more articles and publications about mervin Jarman or the iStreet Lab, please see our publications section.