1. introduction

This new Research Centre has successfully raised 448,000K for two years, through the Science Research Innovation Fund (SRIF), for the equipping of a unique, cutting-edge research facility in the Digital Media Arts. The Lab was completed in September 2006, and will be offcially launched on Wednesday, December 13th, 2006. This Lab, bringing together a wide range of researchers, mainly from the Schools of Social Sciences, Media and Cultural Studies (SSMCS), and Architecture and Visual Arts (AVA), offer unique, advanced facilities and research support to staff and research students, as well as to digital media artists in the region.

The Lab is unique in offering the ability of producing and editing up to 36 video tracks, and presenting them as an installation in perfect synchronism. The tracks can be presented ona variety of LCD monitors in different sizes, as well as being projected onto reflective screens. Both monitors and projectors/screens are carried by the grid and powered by it, and data-fed through a Gigabit LAN.

A number of research proposals are now being worked on, and will be ready by January 2007. It is intended that the Lab will be connected internationally to similar labs, such as the MARCEL project, or the MIT Media Arts lab, and will be able to cooperate and exchange work with institutions in the UK and abroad. The Lab Director is Professor Haim Bresheeth, from the School of Social Sciences, Media and Cultural Studies.