course
description

All around us, the forces of electromagnetism are at play! Motors, radios, speakers, and more recently, inductive charging and Radio-frequency identification (RFIDs) are all working on the same principals that use coils, resonance, and electromagnetism. Sometimes these forces feel mysterious and magical, but in this class we will explore them tangibly through hands-on exploration. This class will not use math, but will focus on an experiment-based intuitive understanding of these technologies. Each participant will receive a kit which will be used to build weekly examples.

In this five-week course we will focus on a handful of embodiments of electromagnetic forces. We will produce motion and movement by

creating our own motors, solenoids and electromagnets with coils.

This course covers both audio outputs, in the form of making our own speakers out of embroidered coiled wire, and inputs in the form of electromagnetic field sensors. Throughout the class students will be guided to use these concepts in their own work, which we will present to each other in the final week of the class.

Please note, due to the fact that this is a hardware-based class, sign-ups are open until 18. October, three weeks before class begins in order to have enough time for you to receive your kit. Thanks for your understanding.

course outline

Week 1: Introductions

In this class, we will introduce ourselves and our backgrounds, discussing how this class might fit into our existing practice or curiosities. We will cover the basics of what is inside our kits and cover a few key concepts. We will discuss our intended projects for the upcoming five weeks and how we will track our progress.

Week 2: Magnets & movement

In our first hands-on week we will learn how electromagnetism is used in motors. We will review basic types of motors and actuators, and then build our own. We will create homopolar motors which create circular motions, and solenoids that create linear motions. We will explore how these concepts can be used in creating non traditional types of movement.

Week 3: Soft Speakers & Audio Outputs

In week three we will build our own speakers. Through using embroidery and magnets, we will use the same materials from week 1 to make our own speakers. Students wil have the opportunity to explore how materials used influence the sound quality and volume, and hook up their speaker to a music player.

Week 4: Exploring EMF and audio Inputs, RFID & inductive power

This week will consist of building EMF sensing devices that can sense the EMF fields produced by everyday electronics. We will explore the relationship between materiality and sensing, and how different circuits can be used to hear and create different frequencies. We will also explore RFIDs and how power can be transferred wirelessly, and build a small wireless circuit.

Week 5: Presentations

In the final week we will dedicate time to answer remaining questions and present our final work.

who is this program for?

This class is for artists or creative people who are looking for a hands-on way to explore electromagnetism and EMF through examples and experimentation. There is no math or engineering knowledge needed for this course. Some knowledge of textiles or soldering may be helpful, but expected knowledge is entry level. This is a great course for sound or fibre artists looking to add an extra dimension to their work.

what tools does this program aim to teach?

• Basic concepts of electromagnetism

• Building your own motors and creating masic electromagnetic movement

• Building your own speakers and EMF listening devices

about live classes

Classes are 'live' meaning that you can directly interact with the instructor as well as with the other participants from around the world. Classes will also be recorded for playback in case you are unable to attend for any reason. That said, we kindly ask that you please only purchase a ticket if you plan to attend regularly. For specific questions, please email us and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

about tickets

Tickets for this class are currently available via Eventbrite. If you would like to avoid Eventbrite fees, please email us for direct payment options.

about VAT

For tax purposes, we need to include the 19% VAT on top of ticket price for people living within the EU. IF YOU LIVE IN THE EU AND HAVE A VAT NUMBER— IT IS VAT ZERO! WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO HAVE AND PROVIDE THIS VAT TAX NUMBER. In order to utilise this feature at checkout, under Registration Type & Tax Receipt Information, select Business (which as a freelancer you technically are), then enter in your USt.ID. If you have any questions, feel free to email us.

about solidarity

We realise we're living in uncertain times. During this time, we are offering a limited number of pay-what-you-can solidarity tickets for this online class. These are reserved for women, POC, and LGBTQ+ who would otherwise be unable to attend. We are a small organisation with no outside funding and like many, we are also in survival mode and we ask you to consider this when making your donation. For more information, see the FAQ page here.

We kindly ask that all pay-what-you-can students register through Eventbrite. Due to reduced staffing, we’re unable to handle specific payment requests for these registrations.

meet the instructor