Electric South co-hosted a series of workshops in late June 2022 for 41 interdisciplinary practitioners interested in expanding their skills in immersive media and using them to address themes related to corruption. Electric South collaborated with a range of partners, including BlackRhino VR, Ona Stories Group, and Lorna Okeng Atim, each with local experience and expertise, to design and host these workshops.
Held over two days in each of three East African countries – Nairobi, Kenya; Kampala, Uganda; and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – each workshop consisted of exploratory exercises and demonstrations focused on Augmented Reality (AR) through a curriculum that utilized accessible learning tools and resources.
The objectives of these workshops were:
- To empower artists to use AR technologies in their work.
- To build a network of talented artists committed to creating immersive media addressing social issues, including corruption.
- To establish a database of artists, activists, and technologists working in the immersive media field in the region.
- To strengthen local networks within the three countries and foster connections between the East African region and South Africa.
Following the workshops, 11 AR prototypes were commissioned with support from micro grants. Additional funding enabled the enlistment of technical and ethical advisors to support the prototyping phase, specifically addressing challenges related to corruption.
