Jeweller Sarah Kettley, who is working with emerging technologies in the Human Computer Research Group at Napier University in Edinburgh, is looking for personal stories surrounding jewellery for her current project, ensemble.

The ensemble installation is envisaged as consisting of up to ten pieces of jewellery, which may sense movement and in some cases touch. A soundscape runs in the background, and as people begin to play with the pieces on display, elements of the soundscape change. As people begin to interact together instead of just with the jewellery, personal stories emerge from behind the sounds. This work explores the relationship of personal histories not only with jewellery but also in the larger narratives being woven around the technologies used to make the piece, that is, Speckz as the ‘enabling technology of Ubiquitous Computing’.

Sarah explains “This is a challenging and ambitious project and we are looking for your involvement in two ways. Firstly, we are collecting recordings of anecdotes, remembrances and musings on the subject of jewellery, in the manner of Paul Auster’s collection True Tales of American Life, and secondly, we need to confirm a venue, or venues, to host the installation, which is designed to run for two hours, and which will be available in mid-December. It is a chance to open up the practices of craft, and its framing, and more prosaically, to draw a new audience into your gallery or space.”

If you would like to contribute to the archive that will help make up the narratives used in the interactive work then visit their weblog and submit your story.  Strong emotions are encouraged! Hated making a piece? Touched by a client's situation? Impressed by someone's work? Lost or found a piece with sentimental value? All of these are of interest. The deadline for submissions is the 30 November 2006.

Any venues interested in hosting the event can download more information in opportunities.