FAQ
What can I expect to be doing as part of this programme?
The main contact through the programme will be five workshop sessions of at least three hours each. The workshops will take place at Vivid Projects in Birmingham.
In addition we expect participants to spend additional time outside the workshop sessions, with the opportunity for one-to-one mentoring with the tutors and to perform live at an event at the end of the project.
Overall we will look for a time commitment equivalent to at least five days’ work spread over the five weeks of the project, but you are of course free to invest much more of your time.
We will provide a clear structure for the programme, however this is also an opportunity for you to do something new, so will be happy to look at adapting the shape of the programme to fit your goals and artistic outcomes.
We anticipate really varied levels of experience, there’s no need to have any experience with computer programming or making music or art. We’ll introduce you to all of that, get you up to speed and support you in taking it further/integrating with your existing artistic practice.
To get an idea of what you can expect from the programme please check out details from the previous programmes:
What is the schedule?
Following the selection process the cohort will have an initial meeting to get acquainted. This will take place online or in person in late May.
The main programme will take place over five workshops and one final performance.
We ask that each participant be able to attend the workshops and final performance in person.
What will I need to take part?
You will need a laptop running either Windows (version 10 or later), MacOS (Catalina or above) or Linux.
We will be installing software, which will require you to have full administrator privileges on your computer.
Chromebooks, iPads, tablets and phones are unfortunately not suitable.
Can you provide laptops or equipment?
Unfortunately we do not have the resources to provide laptops.
Headphones can be provided for use within workshops
When is the closing date for applications?
(Algo|Afro) Futures is not currently accepting applications. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, or Mastodon to find out when applications reopen.
How does the selection process work?
All applications will first be checked to make sure that they’re eligible. Those that are will be reviewed by the programme team first individually, and then as a group.
We will then contact successful applicants. At any of these stages we may contact applicants to ask for clarifications or further information.
How many people will be chosen?
Up to eight people will be chosen.
Can anyone from the UK apply?
Applications are welcome from anyone based anywhere in the UK. We only ask that you are able to attend each workshop in person and perform at the showcase event in person.
Can I take part remotely/online?
We ask that you are able to attend each workshop in person and perform at the showcase event in person, and so therefore remote/online participation is not possible.
Can I apply as a collective?
While we recognise that many artists and musicians work in groups, the focus of this programme is on the development of individuals, so unfortunately collectives/groups cannot apply.
Are there age restrictions?
This programme is for people aged 18 and above. There is no upper age limit.
Can students apply?
Yes. Students at any stage of their education can apply, as long as they are aged 18 and above.
How do you define early career artists?
For this question we borrow from Jerwood Arts’s defintion:
We think of those in the early stages of their careers as usually within the first 10 years of establishing their practice. Broadly speaking, this means the artist/curator/producer will have had some professional experience and reached a critical moment in their career, and will require a particular kind of support in order to maximise their potential and propel them into the next phase of their development.
For [this programme] it means that, unless an individual has had a career change or break, their first professional experience will have been between 2013 and 2023.
Why can only Black people apply?
Live coding is a developing practice that is in need of diverse perspectives in order to move forward in a creative and healthy way. There have long been efforts in this direction but with some exceptions, these have largely focussed on gender diversity, countering the heavy male bias in technology, with some success. These efforts have been intersectional but the recent growth of the Black Lives Matter movement during 2020 has caused us to reflect further on the disproportionate lack of Black artists in the UK live coding scene. This is despite much of live coded music heavily inspired by Black music, much of which developed against a political struggle.
Although this project responds to the lack of Black representation in the live coding and Algorave scene we don’t necessarily intend to ‘solve’ that problem. Instead we want to provide early career artists with the time and resources to explore live coding and algorithmic music/art, and take it in whatever directions they want to (or not!). In the process we can learn about what barriers and opportunities there are for those futures.
How do you define “Black”?
For this question we borrow the definition of Black from the Black Ticket Project
BTP define ‘Black’ as of Black African, Caribbean, Afro-Latinx and African-American heritage, including those of mixed-Black heritage who identify as such.
Do you provide expenses?
Each participant is supported by a £500 bursary which covers participation in the workshops and a final showcase event. This bursary is expected to cover travel and any other associated costs.
When are we given the bursary?
Participants will be given their bursary two installments, at the beginnig of the programme and towards the end of the programme