David Wilcox

After the inspiration of AppsforGood in Tulse Hill, I found more evidence last week in another part of London of the scope for using mobile phones to engage people both young and old in thinking about their neighbourhood – and meeting their neighbours.
The Freqout! project, run by Vital Regeneration, have been working with young people and older residents in Lisson Grove to research the history of the area, shoot photos and video, carry out interviews, then transfer content to formats that can be viewed on phones.
Smartphones using GPS recognise where they are, so it is possible to create a Mediascape allowing you to wander around an area with a phone and see what others have created. The system used by Freqout! requires a phone running Windows mobile.
I talked to project manager Jenny Irish and participatory artist Melissa Bliss at the event last week where they showcased the results. They explained that one of the great benefits of the work was not technical at all – it provided an opportunity for people to meet others in the community that they might not otherwise get to know. Social tech for social cohesion.
Create-A-Scape: making mediascape instructions at Futurelabs
Earlier case study of Freqout! in Social by Social