Students Launch CREATIVE DISTURBANCE Podcast

DALLAS, Dec. 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ Today Creative Disturbance announced its launch of a unique multilingual online platform for intellectually curious people around the world to make unlikely connections with each other. A key way for sharing those connections is through a curated catalog of original, multilingual podcasts covering a broad array of topics connecting the arts, sciences, and new technologies. www.CreativeDisturbance.org

A team of students and faculty at the University of Texas in Dallas (UTD), soft-launched Creative Disturbance a few weeks ago under the guidance of Dr. Roger Malina, Arts & Technology Distinguished Chair. Coordinated by undergraduate student Stephanie Brisendine, the Creative Disturbance team (www.creativedisturbance.org/meet-the-team) works closely with a number of podcast producers and partners located around the world. "Our team has built an innovative method for connecting perhaps a million people otherwise unlikely to meet," said Malina, then adding, "other than perhaps at a shared professional conference in their niche field, or accidentally though traditional online social media like Facebook, or even because they happened to sit next to each other on a plane. That is too 'by chance' for us, or for them."

The podcasts for Creative Disturbance are well underway, with channels (aka 'disturbances') such as Indie Game Nation, Big Dreams Big Data, Cinemersia, and Virtual Africa. The Bold Roast channel presents podcasts by international students regarding their MA or PhD thesis projects. The next phase, development of the social networking core element, will begin next month. Professor Cassini Nazir, who oversees the Creative Disturbance's student design team said, "Once completed, we believe CD [Creative Disturbance] will be a powerful, and truly important new tool for all scientists and artists to connect on unlikely projects." He continued, "The podcasts are great. Here you can listen in on fascinating conversations that, without Creative Disturbance, most likely would never happen. But that's just the beginning for us. Next comes the networking."

Dubbing it (tongue-in-cheek) as 'online dating for intellectuals', Malina emphasized that Creative Disturbance's network will be for anyone with interests in the interconnections of the arts, sciences, and new technologies. "Although a significant number of our members come from an academic perspective, either as faculty members or grad students, Creative Disturbance is truly for everyone who has a curiosity about their world, about science, about their art and their connections to others."

Creative Disturbance is currently conducting a Kickstarter campaign (http://kck.st/1yeXC7S) to raise funds for grants to international students to work with Creative Disturbance and spread its message. "We need multiple ambassadors on every continent, out to the four corners of the earth," said David Marlett, Executive Director of the National Crowdfunding Association (www.NLCFA.org), a Research Fellow in Malina's ArtSciLab, and who works on the Creative Disturbance Team. "This Kickstarter campaign is one way of helping fund those student grants. So, of course, we're seeking pledges shamelessly! Go there now!" said Marlett with a smile. "But our highest objective with the campaign is to raise awareness, to send up a flag telling millions of people that Creative Disturbance will soon be a one-of-a-kind online home for them."

To visit Creative Disturbance: www.CreativeDisturbance.org

To visit Creative Disturbance's Kickstarter campaign: http://kck.st/1yeXC7S)

For general information, contact: Dr. Roger Malina at rmalina@alum.mit.edu

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SOURCE Creative Disturbance