LUNCHTIME TALKS
Chaired by Geoffrey Catchpole unless stated

8 January 2004

His talk covered activities concerning public presentations at the Roman Baths and elsewhere from 1980 to today and the near future. He began with a slide of a scene from a relatively simple animation introduced within an historical BBC programme in 1981 which showed excavations of a temple precinct beneath the Pump Room in Bath. This imaginatively amplified upon views of the fragmentary remains then possible. Plans provided by archeologists and on-site views by the public could thus be helpfully supplemented, through the provision of depictions of the elevations of ancient buildings, particularly where contemporary buildings dominate sites. Slides of scenes from animations then available showed some limitations, since human figures could not then be introduced. The Department of Mechanical Engineering at Bath University helped the introduction of two-dimensional geometric shapes to help to provide scale and proportion, as well as some realism and human interest.
From 1995 moving animations, additional to wooden models, audio recording playbacks, drawings, etc., became available for public presentations at the Roman Baths locally. University of Bath research students used computing resources at the University over the summer of 1994 to produce animations, but such resources were inadequate for effective animations and the results were stilted. In Wales the Roman Bath House at Caerleon was also having similar animations created, with similar results. In late 1993, however, breakfast television had shown two brief animations produced for IBM, on Cluny Abbey and a partially destroyed church in Dresden, which had aroused a great deal of public interest. The resources employed for them were much greater than those employed in Bath and cost several hundred thousand pounds, but results were much superior to those to be found in Bath productions. The speaker showed both animations and reported that the authorities in Bath were then prompted to sponsor a Cardiff-based company called 'Splash' to produce the 'fly-through' animations which now introduce visitors to their Roman Baths.
Since 1995 further animations have been developed at the Baths. In 1999 the temple precinct site received animations which allow visitors to view its differing areas from various points, where the remains are visually transformed into what they once were, with human figures moving in three-dimensional space. The speaker referred to the 'challenge' of thus promoting the 'social interpretation of virtual space'. Such sequences had to be brief, in order to avoid attracting crowds, which necessarily disadvantage some individuals on their fringes. Speech insertions were also avoided, since they would disadvantage some foreign visitors. Problems arising from inter-activity, which encourages queues for such engagement, were also avoided through the provision of 'looped' short continuous presentations. Examples of other recent animations were also illustrated and discussed by the speaker.
Budget constraints normally require productions of animations to be extended over several years, but the Peregrinus Project, costing around £60,000, was partially funded by the European Union, through its 'Culture 2000' programme more speedily. The Bath authorities were given responsibility for developing the Project, which involved a number of European partners, each developing animated features at their sites in relation to a nominal visit by 'Peregrinus'. The Bath site has an altar stone which carries an inscription dedicated to Peregrinus, a wanderer from Germany, who would serve to link the various sites of the Project through a website. Each site developed its presentations locally, so they differ, but the speaker considered the most arresting and imaginative were those provided at Alicante in Spain, which has a Roman site founded in the 1st century A.D. The accuracy of the views provided there was assured through the use of G.P.S. satellite technology. Another Spanish site near Cordoba offers a Roman villa in an olive- grove, with little visual interest now, but with potential for a visitor centre, whose development could be encouraged through animated presentations to locals. A World Heritage site in southern Hungary has early Christian decorated chapel crypts in a Roman town of the 4th century A.D. Another World Heritage site in Sicily and an eastern Italy site with striking mosaics complete the current partnership. On the website E.U. sponsorship is acknowledged and four languages are used. Slides of stills from the website and some panoramic animations which permit inspection of items in a roving view were illustrated. The website is to be found at www.peregrinus.org .
Another animated presentation being prepared for Bath shows how its spring has changed in context over 7000 years. Funding for this will have to be spread over several years. Sample clips were shown depicting the spring external to buildings later enclosing it. A more ambitious project now being developed is Peregrinus Two, being funded over three years with the E.U. once more, which may involve eight European sites. It is envisaged that young people at each site will be invited in teams to develop animated stories of Peregrinus wandering from site to site, with co-ordination again being provided from one base.
The E.U. will offer around three-quarters of a million pounds for Project development, but its criteria for selection will no doubt eliminate a number of applicants.
After the talk the speaker answered questions. Local needs and views determine the contributions at each site, but the E.U. welcomes the evidence of international co-operation, which results in the funding assistance. The Peregrinus Projects have the potential not only for a 'virtual cultural journey' through the Roman Empire, which could involve the Bath authorities, but also for journeys to sites reflecting the influences of the Vikings, Alexander the Great, etc., but that could not concern the Roman Baths here, of course. Once production costs are met, the cost of maintaining an associated website would be low and as many languages as needed could easily be incorporated.

Geoffrey Catchpole