WORKSHOP : Fest-Forward Imagining Future Festivals

After a two-year interruption in cultural activities, a long-awaited return to "normal" rightfully excites artists, organizers, and audiences alike. This excitement, however, threatens to mask the existential questions that the ongoing pandemic continues to raise for the culture sector and society at large: the fragility of human coexistence in times of rapid technological advancements, climate catastrophe, and global health crises. COVID-19 has shown that the adaptability of those festivals working in the digital creative realm makes them uniquely positioned to address these questions. This outcome will not be achieved through a false sense of "solutionism" but instead by shifting perceptions and generating new understandings.

This session invites artists, curators, industry professionals, and the wider public to jointly imagine the changing role of the festival, beyond a platform for artistic practice toward a vehicle for critical investigations of the existential questions of our time.

Hexagram-UQAM room: The room SB-4105 is located on the 4th floor of the Pavillon des Sciences Biologiques at UQAM (141, avenue du Président-Kennedy). The entrance to the building is on the southwest corner facing Kimberley Street and is wheelchair accessible. The elevators are located on the left as you enter. The nearest metro station is Place-des-Arts which has a ramp. Accessible toilets are available at the entrance of the room.

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Please note that this activity will be held in English only. During the event, no translation or interpreter for the hearing impaired will be present.

This event will take place in person at the rooms indicated and no virtual streaming retransmission will be made and offered.

By your presence on the premises, you consent to being filmed, photographed and MUTEK has all rights to this material for the purposes of promotion and publication.

Presented in collaboration with Milieux Institute for Arts, Culture and Technology at Concordia University and Machine Agencies.