Virtual Reality
Workshop Series
For this pilot project the Near North Mobile Media Lab is working in partnership with Thinking Rock Community Arts and Mastercard Foundation to bring a series of free week-long passive Virtual Reality film workshops to communities across the Arctic and Northern Ontario. The VR Project aims to facilitate learning together (facilitating intergenerational knowledge-sharing, connections between communities and artists), creating and sharing art (either within a community or more broadly), creating Indigenous youth-led media, and sharing communities (place-based experiences). This project intends to work reciprocally with community and will not publish any films without community consent. Feedback from the artists, youth and participating community members will contribute to an evaluation that will inform future projects.
Communities
Nunavut
The Arctic part of this project involved our collaborators, primary tech consultants and workshop facilitators Nyla Innnuksuk and Ksenia Stassiouk of Mixtape VR who flew out to Iqaluit and Igloolik in March of 2019 to introduce the youth in these communities to virtual reality technology like the Oculus Go and Insta 360 OneX cameras.
Mixtape VR
Mixtape VR is an Indigenous-owned, female-run multi-media production company based out of Toronto that focuses on Virtual and Augmented Reality content. It was founded by Nyla Innuksuk with just a backpack full of VR headsets and a passion that started with her first Toronto meet-up in 2014. Mixtape tells stories and builds perspective. Its focus is creating narrative experiences in Virtual and Augmented Realities such as “Indian City”, an interactive, gaze-based music video for A Tribe Called Red and “Impossible to Contain”, a 360-degree documentary extension of the feature film “Kayak to Klemtu”, and an AR extension of Snowguard, Marvel’s first Indigenous character, created by Nyla. Mixtape VR operates with compassion, empathy, and focuses on engaging the audience by striving to remove the role of the passive viewer through immersive stories that connect and broaden perspectives. Whether it is through mixed realities, comic books, video games or feature films, we are excited about engaging boldly in the expression of technology, art, and culture moving forward.
Nunavut Gallery
Photo editing by: Carla Herrera
The Northern Ontario VR RV Tour
The Northern Ontario VR RV Tour is divided into two parts: the Northeast and the Northwest, where we will be sending two teams of artists for three weeks each in our Media Lab RV with all of the necessary equipment to host free passive virtual reality film workshops!
Northeastern Ontario
Sappho Hansen Smythe
Sappho is a sci-pop musician and 360 filmmaker based in Toronto, ON. She produced her first 360 music video for her single “Get My Sh*t Together” in 2018 using a combination of Tilt Brush graphics and live action, and her first full length solo album “Time Machine” will be coming out on all platforms later this year. Since discovering her passion for the virtual world she has worked with multitudinous VR companies (including VRTO/FIVARS, MRSV.io, and House of VR) helping curious n00bs step into the future, and has spoken on future-focused panels at Canadian Music Week, Tech in Motion, and Electric Perfume! She is beyond excited to assist in indigenous storytelling in VR with Near North Media Lab, and you can find out more about her at sapphosvoice.com
Northwestern Ontario
Casey Koyzan
Inspired by history, culture, technology, and their interactions with the human world, Casey Koyczan seeks to bridge the gap between visual and audio art. His large-scale artworks provide compositional value and experimental techniques to achieve his aesthetic; previous installations take on traits of amorphous beings that are invading or reclaiming space in modern architecture. Now as an interdisciplinary artist, he utilizes a wide skill-set within media-based outlets such as experimental video and virtual reality as a platform to present his visions. Casey has acquired a Multimedia Production Diploma from Lethbridge College, a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Thompson Rivers University, and will be attending the University of Manitoba in the fall for their Master of Fine Arts program. His artwork has been shown across Canada and in parts of Europe and South America. He is also a musician, actor, writer, and overall arts advocate for future generations in the North.
Sioux Lookout
Description: Virtual Reality artists Casey Koyczan and Mason Mantla will be visiting with Sarah Fraser at Digital Creator North for four-days of passive Virtual Reality filmmaking from July 21st – 24th, 2019
— No registration required
— Free snacks will be provided during workshops!
Thunder Bay
Description: Virtual Reality artists Casey Koyczan and Mason Mantla will be visiting Baggage Arts Centre for four-days of passive Virtual Reality filmmaking from July 26th – 29th, 2019
— No registration required
— Free snacks will be provided during workshops!
Nishnaabeg (Pic River First Nation)
Description: Virtual Reality artists Casey Koyczan and Mason Mantla will be visiting the Recreation Centre for four-days of passive Virtual Reality filmmaking from July 31st – August 3rd, 2019
— No registration required
— Free snacks will be provided during workshops!
