Scotland-based Choreographer and disabled dancer honoured in UK-first AI artwork to mark The National Lottery’s 30th birthday

  • The National Lottery marks its 30th birthday with a unique AI art installation at V&A South Kensington to celebrate the achievements of remarkable people that have had transformative impact across Arts & Film over the past 30 years.
  • Unveiled on Friday evening (1 November), the seven Game Changers include award-winning director Gurinder Chadha and founder of Yorkshire Sculpture Park Sir Peter Murray.
  • The AI-driven data painting uses cognitive technology to transform the brainwaves of seven Game Changers into a living, breathing canvas at V&A’s Exhibition Road Courtyard.
  • Marc Brew, prolific choreographer and disabled dancer is amongst seven ‘Game Changers’ being honoured through the installation. After rediscovering dance after being left with spinal cord damage following a car accident, Marc Brew now trains disabled and non-disabled dancers internationally, choregraphing for Candoco Dance Company, Scottish Dance Theatre, AXIS Dance Company, Scottish Ballet and Ballet Cymru

A man in a black flat cap and black and white striped jumper in a wheelchair (choreographer and producer Marc Brew) pictured in front of an old building with a colourful light show projected on to it.

Marc Brew for The National Lottery by PA Media.

A mind-blowing AI artwork inspired by the impact of inspirational people across arts and film transforms the façade of one of the UK’s most iconic arts buildings, as part of The National Lottery’s 30th birthday celebrations.

Created using state-of-the-art cognitive technology, the AI data painting, uses the brainwaves of seven ‘Game Changers’ – who have had transformative impact across grassroots and iconic Arts & Film projects - to create a beautiful ever-changing projection inspired by their journey, work, inspirations, creative processes and impact.

Re-imagining the iconic façade of the V&A’s Exhibition Road Courtyard building, the ‘Symphony of the Game Changers’ AI cognitive painting, is a UK-first artwork for Istanbul-based Ouchhh Studio, who use ground-breaking cognitive technology to illuminate iconic buildings across the world.

A crowd of people gathered on a dark evening in winter watching a light projection on an old building.

Image by PA Media.

Each chapter of the artwork brings to life the unique journey and passion of a Game Changer, to recognise their extraordinary impact with the help of National Lottery players who raise £30 million every week for good causes.

Choreographer and disabled dancer Marc Brew is being honoured amongst the Game Changers for his contribution to UK arts and culture. Marc was a promising ballet dancer when he was involved in a horrific car accident in South Africa that left him with a spinal cord injury and a wheelchair user for life. Despite this life-altering event, Marc’s passion for dance remained undiminished. 

He retrained and continued to pursue his career, becoming a prolific choreographer and dancer. Marc has worked internationally for over two decades, collaborating with renowned companies like Infinity Dance Theatre in New York, AXIS Dance Company, Candoco Dance Company and Scottish Dance Theatre. In 2001, he founded the Marc Brew Company, where he developed his unique choreographic voice. His work often explores themes of identity, resilience, and the human condition.  

The Marc Brew Company has received £520,000 of National Lottery funding via Creative Scotland - Scotland’s national arts development and funding body.

Marc Brew, founder of the Marc Brew Company said: "I am deeply humbled to be recognised as a Game Changer by The National Lottery, and to think that my story could be inspiring to other disabled people. In 1997, a drunk driver crashed into a car that I was in, killing my friends and leaving me with a spinal cord injury. I didn’t want to give up on my dreams of being a professional dancer and have been able to not only travel the world dancing but follow my passion for choreography to start my own dance company.

"Thanks to National Lottery funding, we have been able to perform and teach inclusive dance around the world. To represent and be a role model to show more people that through difference there is beauty and anything is possible."

Iain Munro, Chief Executive, Creative Scotland said: “The National Lottery’s 30th Birthday is a significant milestone, and an opportunity to reflect on all that has been achieved over the past three decades. National Lottery funding for the arts and screen has changed the nation through the imagination and passion of people and communities across Scotland.

“Marc Brew is an inspiration in the creative world and beyond. He’s had a huge impact on dance in Scotland and internationally and is without a doubt, a Game Changer."

To mark the 30th anniversary of the first draw in 1994, The National Lottery is celebrating 30 inspirational people - Game Changers - who have achieved amazing things across the UK in the last 30 years, with the help of National Lottery funding.

The Game Changers were nominated by members of the public and selected by a panel composed of members of The National Lottery family and partners.

28 Game Changers have been revealed in September and October at four installations which focused on an area of National Lottery funding including, the arts & film, heritage, sport and community.

A group of people pictured in front of an old building with a colourful light show projected on to it. These are the seven Game Changers selected to represented arts and film for The National Lottery’s 30th birthday.

Image by PA Media.

The final two Game Changers will be announced on The National Lottery’s New Year’s Eve Big Bash scheduled for broadcast on ITV on 31 December.

The seven Arts & Film Game Changers announced today were selected as examples of dedicated, inspiring, high achieving individuals who have had a transformative impact on their industry, and a significant impact on their wider communities and society.

For 30 years, money raised by National Lottery players has helped create extraordinary moments across Arts and Film that have inspired the nation and helped to transform lives and communities.

Since 1994, more than £7.9bn has been awarded to support thousands of Arts & Film projects across the UK- like those of the Game Changers.

The funding has been instrumental in nurturing and fostering the exceptional talent that graces both the big and small screens, while preserving its past and supporting its future.

Find out more here: https://www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/gamechangers.

Background

Full biogs on all National Lottery Game Changers can be found here: https://www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/gamechangers

About The National Lottery

  • National Lottery players continue to raise around £30 million to good causes every week
  • Since its launch in November 1994, The National Lottery has created more than 7,200 millionaires or multi-millionaires across its games. On average, seven millionaires are created every week - that's a new millionaire every day of the year
  • But its primary purpose is giving to good causes. National Lottery players have raised more than £49 billion for good causes and more than 690,000 grants have been awarded across the UK

About Creative Scotland

Creative Scotland is the public body that supports culture and creativity across all parts of Scotland, distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further information at creativescotland.com. Follow us on FacebookLinkedIn, and Instagram. Learn more about the value of art and creativity in Scotland and join in at www.ourcreativevoice.scot

Ouchhh Studio

Data as a paint, algorithm as a brush.

Ouchhh Studio stands as a leading force in the realm of creative new media, boasting over a decade of unparalleled innovation in the intersection of art, science, and technology. This global studio has carved a niche in pioneering data-driven art forms, including data paintings and sculptures. Their unique methodology merges technological exploration with a deep understanding of the enigmatic roots of art, science, and technology, crafting a vision that's decidedly futuristic. Their diverse team, comprising engineers, scholars, academicians, ai coders, data scientists, architects, creative coders, designers and media artists unites under a shared conviction: knowledge transforms into extraordinary poetic public experiences.

They consider themselves to be a multidisciplinary creative hub focused on interactive new media platforms, data paintings, artificial intelligence, data- driven sculptures, kinetic public arts, immersive experiences, offering direction, art direction, and producing A/V architectural facade performances.

Ouchhh has created approximately 75 public art projects for every continent including Tokyo, New York, LA, Mexico, Seattle, Chicago, Miami, Abu Dhabi, Milano, Paris, Melbourne, Shanghai, Beijing, Washington DC, Montreal, São Paulo, Seoul, Roma, Moscow, Prague, Brussels, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Scotland, Singapore, Las Vegas, London, Barcelona, Berlin, Petra, Dubai, as well as many festivals, institutes, museums, brands such as Ars Electronica, CERN, NASA and Google.

About the artwork:

To create the artwork, a variety of brainwave data was captured using a headset worn by each of the Game Changers. Each type of data shows different states of consciousness from Game Changers:

Alpha waves—creativity and daydreaming, those moments when new ideas are born.

Beta waves—deep thinking and problem-solving.

Delta and Theta waves—deep sleep, representing the subconscious mind.

Gamma waves—problem-solving, happiness, and compassion, reflecting our highest mental and emotional states.

Heart rate data was also collected, adding another layer to the artwork. This creates a living, evolving piece that reflects both their minds and emotions.

About the V&A:

The V&A is a family of museums dedicated to the power of creativity. Our mission is to champion design and creativity in all its forms, advance cultural knowledge, and inspire makers, creators and innovators everywhere. V&A South Kensington is a world of extraordinary global creativity, with unmissable exhibitions, experiences and educational programmes for all. One of London's most iconic buildings, it is home to national collections of art, design, fashion, photography and furniture to theatre, performance, architecture, and ceramics, as well as the UK's National Art Library. It is a place where everyone can experience a story of creativity that spans 5,000 years and every creative discipline, which brings that story to life through programmes and activities for all ages and specialisms, and world-leading research and conservation. vam.ac.uk

Media contact

For further information please contact: [email protected] / 07580 747 545

Full biogs on all National Lottery Game Changers can be found at: https://www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/gamechangers