Public Authoring and Civil Society
Social Tapestries is a research programme exploring the potential benefits and costs of local knowledge mapping and sharing, what we have termed the public authoring of social knowledge.

Proboscis is running a series of projects investigating the social and cultural benefits of public authoring (knowledge mapping and sharing). These playful and challenging experiments build upon the Urban Tapestries framework and software platform developed by Proboscis and its partners.

Through collaborations and partnerships with other civil society organisations we are addressing education & learning, people & environment and citizenship, neighbourhoods & public services to reveal the potential of public authoring to:

• create and support relationships that transcend existing social and cultural boundaries;
• enable the development of new social and creative practices based around place, identity and community;
• reveal the potential costs as well as benefits to communities and individuals.

Our partners and collaborators include:
Birkbeck College/London Knowledge Lab, Local Level, & London School of Economics.

Key Project Reports & Publications

• A Case of Perspectives (March 2009) – Artists Bookwork
• Measure Once, Cut Twice eBook (March 2009) – PDF 1.1Mb
• Social Tapestries eBook (November 2008) - PDF 600Kb
• Experiencing Democracy (April 2008) - PDF 3.7Mb
• Snout Project Documentation (January 2008) - PDF 8.8Mb
• Conversations and Connections (for Ministry of Justice, May 2007) - PDF 3.3Mb
• St Marks Housing Coop (October 2006) - PDF 4.2Mb
• Everyday Archaeology (September 2006) - PDF 1.6Mb
• Public Authoring and Feral Robotics (March 2006) - PDF
• Sound Scavenging (March 2006) - PDF 1.1Mb
• Urban Tapestries: Public Authoring, Place & Mobility (June 2005) - PDF 2Mb

An Atlas of Enquiry