We’re excited to announce the second year of Virtual Grounds program, a series dedicated to feminist perspectives on digital sustainability and survival. Virtual Grounds: Platforms is a 3-part training and research initiative that considers how we navigate the future, protect our virtual selves, and shape digital landscapes. Over the course of a year, we will survey how technology continues to grow and impact our lives in different ways through a series of workshops led by practicing creative technologists, scholars, and artists.
The call for applications will open August 25th, 2021 until September 17th. Successful applicants will be notified by September 20th. The program will begin October 2021 through to the end of 2022. This year, our program will be entirely remote. As such we welcome applications from anywhere in Canada.
When we began this initiative in 2019 we wanted to create a space for artists and researchers to explore their association with technology and how it shaped our urban and rural environments. Through a series of in-person and virtual workshops participants were able to expand their knowledge about the everyday intersections with technology. With the support of their mentors and staff, each participant was able to build a project that helped them answer a set of questions around their relationship to technology. The amazing projects can be found at www.showcase.virtualgrounds.zone.
ABOUT THIS PROGRAM:
Virtual Grounds: Platforms is a 3-part online training and remote research initiative dedicated to navigating our experiences within virtual spaces and our relationship to surveillance and privacy. This program will support the study and dissemination of our understanding of digital rights within virtual spaces and how that intersects with the arts.
OBJECTIVES:
– Participants will build technical and critical capacity around the impact of digital technologies and how to re-shape digital futures.
– Participants will gain knowledge and experience around digital rights, data visualization, game design, narrative building, and/or using technology to build art.
– Each participant will work on an independent research project of their choosing which will be presented on an online, transmedia publication. Each project should take shape as or include a written or text-based format; creative components and creation are encouraged, but not necessary.
SELECTED RESEARCHERS RECEIVE:
– Full access to all training sessions of the 12-week curriculum.
– A $2000 professional research fee to participate in the combined training and research phases.
– A production allowance for the publication and independent research phase.
– A mentor of their choosing to help guide research objectives and support technical development.
– A complimentary, one-year production membership to Trinity Square Video
PARTICIPANT’S PROFILE:
– We are looking for 15 artists, researchers, writers, curators, and creative technologists. – – We welcome applications from those who are interested in digital rights and justice, and are motivated to learn and share knowledge with a diverse group.
The criteria for applying are the following:
– Be an artist or creative technologist residing in Canada. If you don’t identify with those fields but are interested please do apply.
– Be able to attend the training sessions bi-weekly, online. The sessions will be held on Tuesday evenings
This project requires a considerable time investment from the participants. In total, participants should plan at least 5-10 hours a month.
– Have the motivation to take back the learning experience to their community.
– We will be prioritizing Black, Indigenous and Folks of ColouR
