[Leonardo/ISAST Network] Leonardo to participate in Study on a Cultural Policy for the International Space Station

[Leonardo/ISAST]

Dear Leonardo Colleague,

The European Space Agency has awarded a consortium let by the Arts Catalyst
and including Leonardo/OLATS, a contract to carry out a 6-month study into
possible future cultural utilisation of the International Space Station, in
particular the European aspects of the station. Nicola Triscott, Project
Manager for the study provides the following information:

The International Space Station - currently in orbit around the Earth - is
our only permanent human habitation in space.  It is a great achievement of
human ingenuity and international cooperation, as well as a cutting edge
research facility. 

The European Space Agency is interested to open the International Space
Station to a new community of artistic and cultural users.  This new study
sets out to focus and investigate the interest of the cultural world in the
International Space Station, to generate a policy for involving cultural
users in the International Space Station programme in the longer term, and
to develop a representative set of ready-to-implement demonstrator projects
in arts, culture and media. 

Under the lead of the Arts Catalyst (London, UK), the study team also
includes Leonardo-OLATS (Paris, France), Delta Utec (Leiden, Netherlands)
and the MIR Network, a group of European arts organisations with interests
in space in Slovenia, Germany, Spain, Netherlands, UK and France. 

Artists and cultural practitioners across Europe are being consulted on the
features of the International Space Station and its ground-based support
facilities - including launch sites, astronaut training facilities and
national user support centres - that would be of interest to them. 

To get involved or receive further information about this study, please
email the study leader: 

Nicola Triscott: iss at artscatalyst.org 

We will send you a 20-page document (1.5 MB) that gives basic information
about the International Space Station and its ground-based systems.  We will
also send you a short questionnaire which might help to focus your thoughts.


At this stage, no restriction on the types of utilisation has been set,
however it should be noted that it is very unlikely that an artist would
have the opportunity themselves to go to the International Space Station,
certainly in the foreseeable future. 

The European Space Agency press release about the study is at: 

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/Pr_p_EN.html 

from where you can also access the German and French translation. 

Press enquiries should be directed to: 

Miranda Pope: mirandapope at artscatalyst.org 

We look forward to hearing from you. 

Regards, 

Nicola Triscott
Study Leader
ISS Study Team (Arts Catalyst, Leonardo-OLATS, Delta Utec SRC, MIR network) 

Nicola Triscott
Director
The Arts Catalyst
the science-art agency
e iss at artscatalyst.org
http://www.artscatalyst.org 

For further information on activities of the Leonardo Space Arts Working
Group see: http://www.olats.org