Call for Participation: “Digital Spirit” AR Workshop

Story Posted: 13 August 2018
Categories: Press,Workshop

In relation to the Digital Imaginaires: Premonition Exhibition, Fak’ugesi Festival is collaborating with the Wits Art Museum to offer a specialist workshop in Augmented Reality.

Young digital artists, designers and makers using UNITY in Johannesburg can expand their AR knowledge with experts in the field through a 10 day workshop and its all mahala!

The aim of the workshop, outside of learning augmented reality, is to explore as a theme the intersection of urban, spiritual and digital spaces in Johannesburg; the “Digital Spirit” of Johannesburg. This may explored by natural or unnatural time; through people and how they are connected; or the types of data produced and used in and about Johannesburg.  What is your understanding of the “Digital Spirit” of Jozi?

This workshop will run alongside an exhibition at Wits Art Museum, part of which showcases the work that was developed in the first and much shorter workshop at the Dakar Biennale in May, 2018.  The outcomes of this Johannesburg workshop will be shortlisted to show at the ZKM in Germany in October as part of the Digital Imaginaires project.

The workshops will provide the opportunity to:

• Two weekend workshops exploring AR and expanding your existing knowledge of UNITY.
• Learning from AR industry experts in a masterclass setting.
• Explore Joburg through the light of its “digital spirit”.
• Develop a piece to be shorted listed for the ZKM exhibition.

Requirements:

• Aged 18 to 35
• Have existing knowledge of UNITY.
• Be based in Johannesburg or willing to cover your own travel & accommodations costs to participate in the workshop.
• Have functioning smartphones and computers that meet the operating requirements of UNITY.
• Full availability during 25 August – 2 September 2018 – over these weekends.

To join the workshop, please write a brief proposal with the following details:

• Name
• Age
• Occupation or Place of Study
• Do UNITY compatible phone and computer, or access to one?
• 400 word description of how you will explore the “Digital Spirit” of Jozi through AR
• 200 word basic description of your previous knowledge and use of UNITY.

Deadline for proposals: 19 August 2018, 23h00. 

Submit your proposal to: fakugesisocial@gmail.com

Workshop dates: 25 – 26 August  & 1 – 2 September 2018  

Workshop Location: Tshimologong Precinct, Johannesburg

Workshop Facilitation:

Portraits from the Centre for the Less Good Idea https://lessgoodidea.com.

Gareth Steele and Rick Treweek as ALT REALITY. ALT REALITY is a technology studio  based in the heart of Braamfontein, Johannesburg. We merge multi-media inputs within VR space. We combine 3D printing + digital design in a new way. Interactive immersive experiences.  360 Photosphere / Videosphere Capture. VR App and Game development. Digital Environmental Design. Custom Branded VR Headsets and Hardware. We create our own research and development projects as well as collaborate with clients to create immersive experiences. Utilizing disruptive technology like 3D printing, we are exploring new mergers of custom VR headsets and custom controllers with custom VR software.

Arnaud Mukenge Kim Chulu Amina is an entrepreneur in technology & a lecturer in Graphic design and Multimedia at the Pearson Institute. Founder of Kimard Studio, the start-up focuses on Gamification for the non-game environment, User Experience design and Educational Games. He has a strong love for interactivity and exploration. Arnaud was born in the DRC, completed his Cum Laude degree in South African in Multimedia specializing in Gamification for educational content. He has won a few competitions including the NASA Space Apps Challenge in the people’s choice challenge for South African twice, and the Gamification for social good in Ethiopia in 2015 which certified him by GIZ in gamification. He is a conference speaker about Gamification and User Experience in at the E-Learning Africa in Egypt and Ethiopia and Germany.

He is a Founder of Afrinterest.com, a tech profiling magazine for African startups. He is a User experience consultant and a mentor at Tshimologong Precinct.

Digital Imaginaries is a joined project of Kër Thiossane and Afropixel Festival in Dakar, Wits Art Museum and Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival in Johannesburg, and ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe, funded by the TURN fund of the German Federal Cultural Foundation (Kulturstiftung des Bundes). The workshop series Competences and Visions for the Digitization of Africa in Dakar and Johannesburg is financed by the GIZ commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.