Our Work

Client: Enterprise Catalyst
Sector: Digital content for heritage
Offering: Metadata creation and a sales web site

Brief: To produce metadata for archive photography and expose photographs to on-line audiences.

Inspired by our proximity to one of Europe's most iconic libraries, The Library of Birmingham, we are working with a number of local digital specialists to author a solution for the world-wide problem of cost effective metadata creation for archive photography. We've recently commissioned a web site which goes live later this year when the solution comes from under its wraps- watch this space. VYKA gratefully acknowledges the assistance of Birmingham City Council's Enterprise Catalyst Fund and The European Union's European Regional Development Fund for their generous funding of this project.

Client: Channel 4 Clipbank, Espresso Ltd
Sector: Education
Offering: Web clips for existing commercial site

Brief: Find an innovative way to engage reluctant fifteen and sixteen year olds in their school Maths.

Solution: We worked with rapper, Jon Chase, to create a series of fast-paced and memorable raps with lyrics to explain the principles of fractions, geometry and factorising. These were set to original tracks and performed in front of the cameras and classroom audiences. The result was that we had 15 and 16 year olds literally dancing in the aisles, and having memorised the lyrics during the performance chanting the principles of dividing fractions between themselves as they moved around school. Commissioning editor Jean Rowton was delighted with both the 'off the wall' idea and the potential of the clips to improve subscription rates to the Clipbank service.

Client: HE-STEM
Sector: Digital content
Offering: Multi Touch Surface

Brief: Interest young people in a career in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Solution: Working in partnership with The National Space Centre and Clusta, a digital agency, we developed a multitouch surface to present easy to understand information to young learners in an exciting and stimulating way. The playful and interactive surface encourages interaction with 400 video clips which explore 20 careers and the decisions participants made as they established their careers. Surface players can share content between themselves on the surface or e mail information to home or school. Client feedback conclusively proves that the table has raised the awareness of STEM careers.

Client: Ecorys
Sector: Communities
Offering: Documentary Films

Brief: Help EU commissioners, HE Institutions and potential agencies to understand the EU Life Long Learning Programme.

Solution: We researched a selection of good news stories from recent recipients of European grants for Life Long Learning and made high impact, short films about each. A German entrepreneur working with start-ups in London, a rehabilitation centre for young people which used an exchange programme with Eastern European orphanages to promote better wellbeing and a sporting exchange programme for probable Olympians for 2016 formed the diverse content. Every film had moments where viewers laughed and cried. Ecorys commented that they were very effective for their own staff to understand the impact of their work as well as distilling the aims of their complex funding mechanisms to potential partners in a very user-friendly way.