In 2020, the Ammerman Center for Arts and Technology held the [Re]generation Summit, where we convened "leaders and collaborators for a two-day dialogue with the goals of creating a more equitable and inclusive field and sustainable partnerships across institutions." It was an exciting and rewarding event, with lots of momentum for new initiatives and ideas to act on.
Three weeks later, the world stopped.
The global pandemic has slowed and complicated personal and professional lives in myriad ways, and we all were forced to take care of ourselves and our communities in new ways. While a great deal of momentum was lost, we have learned a lot about adaptability, the politics of care, and how our original intent from the Summit might in fact be served well by the past 18 months.
Indeed, the hybridity of events and workshops opened up potential guests and audiences, increasing accessibility greatly both in the region and internationally. The Center devoted the 2020-21 year to the theme of “Breakout,” and hosted public talks and workshops by Amelia Winger-Bearskin, the Movers and Shakers Glenn Cantave and Idris Brester, Ingrid LaFleur, and Seth Parker Woods.
We hope to continue the work and regain momentum moving forward.
In that spirit, we’re reconvening with some former summit participants alongside a few new friends for a one-day event to pick up where we left off and pursue our shared commitment to exploring local and regional alliances and collaborations among a range of institutions, from small and independent to larger and academic, around arts and technology programming and mutual support. The Summit [Re]Visited will take place Friday, November 12, 2021.
To guide us, we will use the most enthusiastic feedback we’ve received following our February 2020 gathering as a guide. Our participants seemed to be most interested in exploring the following, all with an eye towards increased equity and access:
- Annual or bi-annual in-person Arts & Tech-focused gatherings/events,
with a focus on our local corner of the northeast. - Shared online resource banks for arts & tech teaching, grants, activism, events, conferences, publications, videos, etc.
- Interinstitutional grant applications
- Student conferences/workshops
The day will consist of a mix of working groups, discussions, a featured talk and the drafting of action plans for future collaborations. A full program for the day will be shared shortly, and we hope to emerge newly dedicated to these actions that will improve our professional and artistic projects, institutions, colleagues, and communities.