Exhibition Opening: 25 January 2008, 5–8.30pm
Long Table Discussion hosted by Lois Weaver: 23 Jan 2008, 6–8pm
Performance by Lois Weaver: 28 February 2008, 7– 8pm
‘On the Margins of Technology’ Symposium: 29 February 2008, 10am–5pm

The Not Quite Yet website

What if everyone had a role in deciding how society uses digital technologies? The growing relationship between networks and computer systems means the way we live is being increasingly determined by technology. The UK has an ‘ageing’ population that must live with the implications of these design decisions. The Not Quite Yet asks how older people can engage with the future design process of technology.

The Not Quite Yet presents an exhibition of new work by artists Manu Luksch + Mukul Patel, Loraine Leeson, Stacy Makishi and Lois Weaver. The artists have been invited to respond to a research project that engages groups of older people in East London exploring their relationship to technology and its development.

Stacy Makishi has created fashion objects inspired by Japanese Chindogu, a coined expression for the bizarre and emotional art of failed and un-useless designs. Loraine Leeson has collaborated with The Geezers group of senior men on a project to facilitate technological innovation out of their collective and extensive life experiences. Manu Luksch + Mukul Patel explore the research material with beautiful audio-visual twists. Lois Weaver presents a new performance developed directly from her involvement in the project to take place as a unique event on 28 February 2007. The Long Table Discussion is a public discussion around the issues raised by the exhibition and is a method for democratising the discussion process.

Throughout 2007, performance artist and researcher Lois Weaver led research sessions with groups of older people in East London with the aim of helping people engage with the social and political transformations technology makes possible. The research is a collaboration based at Queen Mary University of London, involving Pat Healey (Department of Computer Science), Ann Light and Lois Weaver (School of English and Drama), and SPACE.