DigiCamp, Stockport’s first unconference, took place in April 2024 with the theme "Art, tech & community: redefining the possible". 

Over fifty people from Stockport’s creative sector, local businesses, and government attended with 27 people leading talks and discussions.

Highlights included MadLab Chair Dave Carter’s “What’s needed for Creative Tech in Stockport” which drew a large audience keen on seeing more shared spaces and cross-sector networks for research and change in Stockport.

‍Abandon Normal Devices led “Tales from Abandon Normal Devices: a Digital Arts Festival”. Other speakers included Stockport Council’s Software Developer team, XRP miners, creative technologist Chris Ball, OminiMusic, BlowUp, and Age UK Stockport.‍

“It made me think how great it was to get all of these local people together. It would be so useful to create a network of these art, tech, and community practitioners”

“DigiCamp Stockport is not just an event but a movement towards a more participatory, collaborative, and innovative digital future”

“It was quite liberating to just talk to strangers about something that means a lot to me”

An unconference has no pre-scheduled talks and no hidden agenda. Participants turn up and can choose to present, perform, or workshop anything related to the day’s theme. This structure eliminates corporate sponsors and speakers who pay/ are paid to discuss a specific topic and opens the floor to those who matter most: the community.

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