NOTE: This feature has been edited to reflect new dates – the deadline has been extended.
Do you want to create an immersive digital experience about sustainable fashion and design? After a successful inaugural Design Futures Lab 2022, the application call for Design Futures Lab 2023 is now open. The deadline is 26 March 2023.
The lab (9 – 12 May) allows for the worlds of fashion and immersive technology to merge in a radical exploration of storytelling, world-building, and reimagining futures by combining the skillsets of fashion practitioners and digital technologists.
Electric South, Twyg, KOROKOZA, and Crossover Labs are supported by the British Council #SouthernAfricaArts to produce this exciting creative economy project. This year the call is open to South African and Zimbabwean fashion practitioners (including accessories and footwear) and creative technologists.
We are looking for six teams (12 artists in total working in creative pairs) – three teams from South Africa and three from Zimbabwe – to create immersive media prototypes of sustainable fashion practices. Immersive media refers to forms of media such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) that provide a sense of presence and immersion by allowing a user to enter and interact with a simulated or augmented environment in a seemingly real way.
“The great thing about this technology is that it is immersive, so it can take abstract ideas and represent them visually, emotionally, and sonically. The moment we start physically and emotionally resonating with the problems we are facing, is when we will start to really care about the solutions,” says multi-disciplinary artist Natalie Paneng, one of 18 creators selected to participate in last year’s Design Futures Lab 2022.
Holly Bell Beaton, one of the selected artists to the first edition of the programme says the lab, “It’s a perfect example of how we can foster hope through collaboration and connection through trying global times.”
Deadline: 26 March 2023
About the Design Futures Lab 2023
- The Design Futures Lab which will take place in Cape Town, South Africa, from 9 – 12 May 2023.
- We are looking for six teams of two artists each (12 artists in total) – 3 teams from South Africa and 3 from Zimbabwe.
- Each team will be awarded a grant of R60,000 to develop their digital prototype/proof of concept ideas.
- The programme will include both a sustainable fashion workshop and a digital lab that will challenge successful applicants to explore and expand their digital production skills in XR (extended reality).
- Using new creative technologies and software, accessing international distribution channels and exhibition platforms, the lab will facilitate access to new markets for sustainable livelihoods.
What will the lab do?
- Bring together education, experimentation, and exploration to support young creatives to bring their ideas into the immersive space.
- Partner with both local and international experts, guest speakers and market access professionals to set our participants up in an environment that promotes collaboration and creativity.
- The Design Futures programme will fully cover travel, accommodation and meals for participants based outside of Cape Town for the in-person Lab.
When will the Design Futures Lab 2023 take place?
- In-person residency-style lab from 9 – 12 May 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa. This will be a full-time commitment.
- Market access feedback will take place virtually in September 2023.
Who can apply?
Applicants must:
- Be 18 years or older.
- Submit in pairs, with one concept (two creatives per concept).
- Be citizens or permanent residents of South Africa or Zimbabwe.
- Currently live in South Africa or Zimbabwe and able to travel on the days required.
- Have some form of experience in a creative technology field. Experience in fashion, design, and creative technology preferred.
- Be willing to complete self-directed African Creative Economy course work up to Intermediate Level. See website for more detail.
- Attend all components of the Design Futures Lab.
How to apply
The application form requires that you:
- Tell us about yourselves (including a short 1 minute introductory clip).
- Tell us about your interest in the Lab and what you would like to learn.
- Tell us about XR projects that inspire the concept you will be submitting.
- Tell us about your creative practice/s.
- Tell us about your XR idea — your idea should express the narratives and ideas around sustainable fashion (including footwear and accessories) practices, as well as how you want to integrate technology. This isn’t an in-depth description, just show us how you imagine using the immersive tech.
- Include your initial creative concept materials — this must include links to visual or audio references. This could be a mood board, compilation of work that inspires you, etc. We want to understand your aesthetic intentions for your XR idea.
Project ideas must:
- Be a digital prototype/proof of concept with immersive narratives around themes of sustainable fashion practices along the entire value chain (from soil to landfill) and which address issues pertaining to the environment, and regenerative solutions.
- Use immersive technologies, such as Virtual Reality (VR) or Augmented Reality (AR). This could include 360 film-making, volumetric capture, world building, interactive worlds, avatar creation, animation, artificial intelligence, projection mapping, hybrid forms, and beyond.
Important dates
- Please complete and submit this form by 11.59pm SAST on 26 March 2023.
- All successful applicants will be notified by 3 April 2023.
- The Design Futures Lab 2023 residency will run in-person from 9 – 12 May 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa (full-time).
- Each team must complete their digital prototype/proof of concept by 31 August 2023.
- Market access feedback will take place virtually in September 2023.
FAQs
What is ‘Immersive media’? Immersive media refers to forms of media such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) that create a highly interactive and engaging experience for the user. This type of media provides a sense of presence and immersion by allowing the user to enter and interact with a simulated or augmented environment in a seemingly real way. The goal of immersive media is to create a more lifelike and interactive experience that blurs the line between the physical and digital world.
What is Sustainable Fashion & Design? Sustainable fashion refers to the practice of designing, producing, and purchasing clothing, accessories, and other fashion items in a way that minimises harm to people and the environment. This involves using environmentally friendly materials, ethical manufacturing processes, and reducing waste throughout the entire life-cycle of the product. It also involves designing clothing that is durable and has a long lifespan, rather than being designed for short-term use.
What is Extended Reality? XR refers to the collective term for Extended Reality (XR), which encompasses Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR).
What is Virtual Reality? Virtual Reality (VR) is a simulated 3D environment that enables users to explore and interact with virtual surroundings. It typically involves wearing a VR headset and complete immersion in a 360 virtual world/space.
What is Augmented Reality? Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology that overlays digital information and virtual objects onto the physical world. AR adds layers of digital information, such as graphics, text, audio, and video, to the perceived physical environment. AR experiences are delivered through devices such as smartphones, tablets, and wearable devices. They are often triggered by specific markers or objects in the physical environment.
What level of tech savvy does one need? You need to have an eagerness to learn and engage with some new creative practices that extend your existing knowledge. Prior experience in digital and interactive media such as photography, videography, digital design, virtual and augmented reality will be useful.
Any other questions? Please contact coordinator@electricsouth.org and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
Note: All applicants who aspire towards entrepreneurship in creative industries like fashion, music, film, photography and digital arts are being offered the chance to join an e-learning programme launched by the British Council. This forms part of a collection of free courses for the next generation of African leaders to support them through their creative business journey. All successful applicants will be required to complete this self-directed course work up to Intermediate Level. Link found here.
Partners
Electric South
Electric South has an award-winning track record in producing storytelling expressed in an immersive format. We run labs and workshops for creators, demonstrating cutting edge work and growing their practical skill set. We provide ongoing creative and technical mentorship to our artists in production. We regularly exhibit work and give talks at local and international festivals and events to evangelise new digital immersive media. Through our digital platforms, we share knowledge, tools and resources. Our aim is to grow the ecosystem of artists using new immersive technologies for storytelling in Africa and to facilitate collaborative information exchanges on the African continent. Electric South, a non-profit providing support and mentorship to digital visual storytellers, will implement a 3-day in-person lab in Cape Town. The focus will be on developing digital prototype/proof of concept ideas inspired by Twyg’s sustainable fashion workshops. Electric South will explore a number of different creative approaches including 360 filmmaking, volumetric capture, world-building, avatar creation, and augmented reality.
Twyg
Twyg is a not-for-profit media platform using storytelling, experiences and campaigns to promote a way of being that is sustainable, circular and ethical. One of its projects, the Twyg Sustainable Fashion Awards is a first-of-its-kind annual event that strive to celebrate and support South African designers, creators, thought-leaders, and innovators who use best practices to help change fashion. For the Design Futures Lab, Twyg is designing a series of virtual workshops about sustainability, decoloniality and regeneration as it relates to growing, making, wearing and wasting of fashion in Africa. By challenging the participants to reflect on the fashion industry, Twyg will introduce ideas that will germinate stories about the future of fashion.
KOROKOZA
KOROKOZA is a creative media organisation focused on providing skills development, networking, and market access for artists, designers, writers, and technologists in Zimbabwe.
Crossover Labs
Crossover Labs, are immersive media specialists, experts in the curation and creation of cutting-edge projects that combine technical innovation and storytelling. We like to collaborate with artists and technologists to present immersive, interactive work that will resonate with audiences around the world. Our series of eight live cinema documentaries combine stunning archive footage from the past century with contemporary soundtracks composed by popular musicians. In our Labs, Crossover works with top industry mentors, incorporating design thinking and bespoke methodologies in order to encourage meaningful collaborations between different creative artists and technologists. We run workshops on Immersive Media development, VR and 360 video production and photogrammetry. Our workshops focus on the development of project ideas centred on story and audience development and routes to market. Crossover Labs will facilitate market access and feedback. All selected concepts will gain access to South African and UK markets with a keen focus on grants, funding and festival strategies.
British Council
The British Council’s Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) Arts programme works in the diverse and varied countries of Sub-Saharan Africa and the U.K. Individually, each country and art sector has much to offer and exchange – collectively they tell multi-layered stories of contemporary Sub-Saharan Africa and the U.K. Our arts programmes are underpinned by research, focused on young people, and are committed to; Supporting the creation of new art and sharing this art to audiences both online and in-person, sharing skills and knowledge between creative communities in the countries of SSA and the U.K and Creating new connections between young people. Our programmes are delivered by partners (artists, arts professionals, arts organisations, collectives, hubs) who have the vision and understanding of their creative communities and are best placed to lead and tell the stories of their local art sectors. With our partners, we stimulate new ways of connecting with and understanding each other through the arts. Design Futures Lab 2023 forms part of our Creative Economy programme in South Africa and aims to support young creatives with skills, opportunities, and knowledge that they need to build sustainable creative enterprises, build rich and provocative digital content and facilitate greater access to markets.
- Apply here
- Cover image: A still from Oliver Hunter Porohille and Holly Bell Beaton’s Design Futures Lab 2022 prototype ‘All Is Precious’
- Images of Design Futures Lab 2022: Photos by Half & Halve
- To learn more about Design Futures Lab 2022, read this article.
- To learn more about each of the prototypes created during the Design Futures Lab 2022, click here.
