Call for applications: Design Futures Lab 2023

The lab is intended for digital storytellers, creative technologists, design practitioners and dynamic fashionists. The creative economy project offers South African and Zimbabwean content creators an opportunity to develop experiential and provocative digital narratives about sustainable fashion and design.

The project is looking for six teams (12 artists in total) – three teams from South Africa and three teams from Zimbabwe. The successful candidates will be supported and mentored in sustainable fashion practices and new immersive digital technologies. Each team will be awarded a grant of R60 000 (about $3 300) to develop their digital prototype/proof of concept.

About the project

• Each team needs to consist of one artist/designer and one creative technologist.
• Teams will create immersive media prototypes about sustainable fashion practices.
• Immersive media refers to highly interactive experiences that blur the lines between the physical and digital world and includes virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR).
• Teams will have four months (May to August 2023) to complete their prototypes with the support of advisors.
• Using new creative technologies and software, accessing international distribution channels and exhibition platforms, this initiative will facilitate access to new markets for sustainable livelihoods.

The lab will:

• Support creatives to bring their ideas into the immersive space using digital production skills in XR (including VR and AR).
• Cover travel, accommodation and meals for participants to the four-day in-person lab.
• Include a sustainable fashion workshop.
• Partner with local and international experts, guest speakers and market access professionals.

Who can apply

• Be 18 years or older.
• Be citizens or permanent residents of South Africa or Zimbabwe.
• Currently live in South Africa or Zimbabwe and be able to travel on the days required.
• Submit one concept per team.
• Have some form of experience in a creative technology field.
• Experience in fashion and/or design (including apparel, footwear and accessories).
• Be willing to complete a self-directed African creative economy course up to intermediate level.
• Attend all components of the Design Futures Lab.

How to apply?

Applicants can apply here before 15 March.

The application form requires participants to describe:

• Themselves in a one minute video clip.
• Their interest in the lab and what they would like to learn.
• XR projects that inspire the concept they will be submitting.
• Their creative practice/s.

Project ideas must:

• Be a digital prototype/proof of concept about a sustainable fashion practice/s anywhere along the value chain (from soil to landfill).
• Use immersive technologies, such as VR/AR.
• Can include 360 filmmaking, volumetric capture, world building, avatar creation, animation, Al, projection mapping, hybrid forms, and beyond.

Important dates

• Successful applicants will be notified on 24 March.
• The in-person Design Futures Lab workshop will be held from 21 to 24 April.
• Each participant must, during the course of the programme, complete the self-directed African Creative Economy course work up to intermediate level by 31 August.
• Complete digital prototype/proof of concept by 31 August.
• Market access feedback by September.

All enquiries should be emailed to info@electricsouth.org.

View the original call here.