Slow Media – a counter reaction to the modern, always-on world of instant and rapid media – goes under the spotlight at an event hosted by Bath Spa University next week.
The symposium on Thursday will bring together international scholars, journalists, filmmakers, creative writers and arts practitioners to explore ‘slow’ in relation to a range of media forms. 
Slow Media is as aspect of the Slow Movement, which began in 1986 with Slow Food, and works against the idea that faster is always better. The Slow Movement has applications across society including fashion, education, food, travel, science and technology. Slow Media is aimed at sustainable media production and media consumption – it was formed in the context of real-time news distribution such as Twitter.
The programme will be opened by award-winning writer and speaker Carl Honoré, whose books, In Praise of Slow, Under Pressure and The Slow Fix have been translated into more than 30 languages and are international bestsellers.
Carl, who coined the term ‘Slow Movement’ said: “When every moment is a race against the clock, everything suffers – our diet, health and relationships, our communities and the environment, even our ability to think, feel and savour the moment. The Slow Movement offers an alternative to this roadrunner culture by encouraging us to put on the brakes. ‘Slow’ can also be a powerful lens for rethinking and reshaping all forms of media."
The event takes place at the Media Futures Research Centre at the University’s Corsham Court site. Other speakers include Sabria David and Dr Benedikt Koehler (co-founders of the Slow Media Institute in Bonn, Germany), Lisa Marr and Paolo Davanzo (Echo Park Film Center, Los Angeles) and academics from the University of Glasgow, Cardiff University, University of Salford, Dublin Institute of Technology and University of Bath. In addition, Professor Kate Pullinger and Dr Kieran Fenby-Hulse from Bath Spa University will also be presenting.
Senior Lecturer in Media Communications and Creative Media Practice Dr Dan Ashton said: “This event has captured interest from a wide range of backgrounds and angles. There will be a varied programme that includes presentations, a documentary screening, and a workshop showcasing the Breathing Stone – a device that makes music from your heart beat to help manage stress. As fitting the theme, there will also be a leisurely walk with the resident peacocks at Corsham Court.”
Full details of the schedule and how to book a place on the symposium are available here.
Following the symposium, Echo Park Film Center will be holding an evening screening of The Sound We See: How Slow Film Can Change Your Life at Pound Arts, followed by a Q&A.
