Two-Player Boundedness Counter Games

We consider two-player zero-sum games with winning objectives beyond regular languages, expressed as a parity condition in conjunction with a Boolean combination of boundedness conditions on a finite set of counters which can be incremented, reset to 0, but not tested. A boundedness condition requires that a given counter is bounded along the play. Such games are decidable, though with non-optimal complexity, by an encoding into the logic WMSO with the unbounded and path quantifiers, which is known to be decidable over infinite trees. Our objective is to give tight or tighter complexity results for particular classes of counter games with boundedness conditions, and study their strategy complexity. In particular, counter games with conjunction of boundedness conditions are easily seen to be equivalent to Streett games, so, they are CoNP-c. Moreover, finite-memory strategies suffice for Eve and memoryless strategies suffice for Adam. For counter games with a disjunction of boundedness conditions, we prove that they are in solvable in NP?CoNP, and in PTime if the parity condition is fixed. In that case memoryless strategies suffice for Eve while infinite memory strategies might be necessary for Adam. Finally, we consider an extension of those games with a max operation. In that case, the complexity increases: for conjunctions of boundedness conditions, counter games are EXPTIME-c

Assessing the effect of a catchment-scale restoration project in Wallonia (Belgium)

peer reviewedIn the context of fulfilling the Water Framework Directive requirements, the LIFE+ project Walphy allowed experimental restoration projects to be undertaken on two medium-size catchments of the Meuse basin in Wallonia (Belgium) between 2009 and 2014. Before undertaking sustainable rehabilitation measures, a multi-scale assessment of hydromorphological conditions (catchment, stream and site) was conducted. It was based on a variety of variables characterizing the river system and its geomorphic processes (e.g. sediment transport), along with human-induced disturbances (e.g. barriers to river continuity). The Bocq catchment has been subject to a large-scale restoration project through the removal or modification of 20 barriers (mainly old weirs), reconnecting the Bocq with the Meuse. In addition, 2.6 km of straightened courses were improved by restoring meanders or diversifying habitats through a wide range of rehabilitation techniques. The success of the restoration projects was evaluated on the basis of a multi-disciplinary monitoring. We compared hydromorphological parameters and biological diversity of benthic invertebrates, fish and macrophytes. 2-3 years post-rehabilitation, hydromorphology was significantly improved. Depending on the rehabilitation measures, the restoration effects observed for invertebrates and fish differ. Weir removal and restored meanders have resulted in the most positive effects, while habitat diversification has led to more contrasted results, depending on the level of ambition. The geomorphological monitoring has focused on the effectiveness of spawning gravel rehabilitation and the effect of barriers on sediment transport. Topographic surveys and the use of pebble tracers have highlighted a natural bedload transport following a weir removal.Walph

Sustainable Enterprise London Festival (SELF)

Sustainable Enterprise London Festival (SELF) was a cross-disciplinary investigation built on existing research by Adrian De La Court and Siân Prime. The outcomes were an online three week Festival, a short film made available on gold.ac.uk with foundations created for this to  become an annual event and a new tool for working with individuals and enterprise.   SELF was designed, developed and curated to understand how to build and support the capacity of the creative, social and cultural sectors to withstand the impact of a global pandemic and likely economic downturn. It built on Adrian De La Court and Siân Prime’s expertise and existing research, participatory methods, workshops and other enquiries into sustainability and resilience in cultural entrepreneurship. It interrogated issues of equity and inclusion as well wellbeing and financial sustainability.    Using a participatory design research approach, SELF consisted of workshops, talks, structured conversations and creative offers. The intention was to create a space for people to come together and be open about the difficulties, honesty and potential that is there. In so doing the project engaged participants from Lewisham, across the UK and East Africa as well as other regions and cities. We were able to reflect together through the creative lenses provided and input equally into the re-creation of a new tool. The skill of improvisation became consistently referenced. The final tool is inspired by Taleb, Eno as well as Cage and Cunningham. Bringing artistic improvisation to notions of enterprise.    SELF was online from 13 July 2020 – 31 July 2020, the programme included 39 creative and cultural sector presenters and the final documentation of the project is here.  SELF used a participatory design research approach to the development of a new framework for “antifragility” for cultural entrepreneurs and a sustainable enterprise ecosystem

Inspiring Start Ups

A toolkit to support people to gain confidence in creating an enterprise. This has been designed to support people traditionally on the margins of the creative economy, particularly people who are working class, or with other protected characteristics

Good Innovation Lab Tools (GILT)

Good Innovation Lab Tools (GILT) was a research project conducted by Prime with De La Court. The starting point was the hypothesis presented by Good Innovation that bringing charities together could lead to innovation in fundraising. In turn the research led to the creation of new revenue models and collaborative approaches for Third Sector organisations. Prime with De La Court researched to uncover common design principles needed for innovation in revenue generation for the Third Sector. Through participatory design research they were able to develop a series of tools and processes that are the GILT.   The research was initially framed in relation to a three-year project initiated by Good Innovation in 2016. Good Innovation created GoodLab to bring together a collaboration of leading charities to design new ways for charities to fund their work and bring new sources of income in to the sector. The groundwork, delivery and outcomes of the project led to the creation of new ventures by charities and alternative ways of thinking about fundraising. Prime and De La Court developed the enquiry with a review of practices of financial modelling and governance in the Third Sector and prototyped new tools to support the thinking and activities needed to develop alternative revenues.   Built on a notion that it was possible to repurpose capitalist tools that had been developed to commercialise Intellectual Property and innovation more broadly. GILT reviewed ways to transition charities in to new revenue and business models without replicating social enterprises or corporate models. GILT built on design thinking and co-design practices of Good Innovation and GoodLab; Prime and De La Court’s research synthesised practice and learning to find new insights that could be applied more broadly across the Third Sector and questioned existing notions of appropriate business models in the Third Sector

Employability Toolkit

This kit has been created by SYNAPSE, a programme that runs out of the Institute for Cultural and Creative Entrepreneurship (ICCE), Goldsmiths, University of London. The approach in this kit is to engage you with energy and creative curiosity to develop opportunities for your employment. Searching for your first job, your next job, or even a change of position can be daunting. This toolkit will help break the process down into a series of manageable and hopefully enjoyable tasks