An open call for proposals is ending soon for a forthcoming local conference on the melding of art, culture, and technology at the Institute of Texan Cultures downtown. The 2018 ACTLab New Media Conference, Culture, Art, and Technology in the 22nd Century, is the second such event organized by the Convergent Media Collective, a group of San Antonio futurist-creators that formed in 2013.
The conference will be a space and opportunity to exchange and expose new ideas, especially within the context of new media – the technology that is redefining our lives as humans – and how it is cross-pollinating with traditional ideas of art and human sciences.
The Convergent Media Collective is formed of local artists, educators, “tech-geeks”, activists, and thinkers who collaborate to further each others’ ideas. The collective shares a motto with ACTLab program: “Make stuff, take risks, and be awesome.” With this attitude, the group focuses on connecting community nonprofits with emerging media to create “reciprocal learning and mentoring experiences” to encourage inner growth and opportunities.
Collective founder Dr. Joseph Lopez, a former UIW professor and proprietor of Dreamonoids Hi-Fi, indicated that the conference will be a community-inclusive event and encourages anyone who has an idea worth sharing to take the leap to participate, regardless of experience or ability level.
“Our [ACTLab convention] graduates have become artists, student persons, film-makers, activists, millionaires, teachers, advocates and much more,” says Lopez. “We want to see people’s passions, not products.”
Proposals are being accepted for ideas that mesh art with modern media, such as:
- academic papers on on art, culture, and technology
- round-table discussions
- maker workshops
- proofs of concept
- performances and storytelling
- print- and poster-making sessions
- hacktivism and collective intelligence programs
- audio and digital media compositions
- Trans and Feminine identity into the 22nd century
To submit your proposal, first review the complete guidelines here, then email your submission to actlabconference@gmail.com as an attached document. The deadline for proposals is this Friday, March 2, 2018.
Guidelines for Submission:
Submit your: Name, Address, Email Address, Phone Number, Title of Submission, abstract/description and a Short Bio Papers: submit an abstract, no longer than 250 words Performance, demonstration, or experiences: submit a short proof of concept video, no longer than 5 minutes Video and audio compositions and demos of projects: submit a short essay pitching your project, no longer than 250 words Electronic proposals preferred. Submission should be emailed to: actlabconference@gmail.com