Interactivos?'13 Tools for a Read-Write World. Call for Projects

Interactivos?'13  Tools for a Read-Write World

Medialab-Prado and The Libre Graphics Research Unit are looking for projects to be collaboratively developed during a two weeks workshop to be held in Madrid, 13-27 April 2013.

We are interested in your ideas for tools to design, edit, draw and write together. This edition focuses on (re)inventing a Libre Graphics workflow that supports collaboration and exchange.

The workshop will be a collective platform for research, production, and learning. It supports the development of prototypes based on selected proposals. The work will be carried out in multidisciplinary groups comprised of the project leaders and interested collaborators. A team of advisors provides conceptual and technical advice.

Interactivos?'13: Tools for a Read-Write World is organised in the context of the The Libre Graphics Research Unit, a collaboration between Constant (Brussels, Belgium), Worm (Rotterdam, Holland), Piksel (Bergen, Norway) and Medialab-Prado (Madrid), funded with support from the European Commission. This project brings together typographers, web-designers, illustrators, graphic designers, cartographers, writers, artists and programmers and proposes a wide variety of activities, from theory to practice, through written texts, research meetings, experimental prototyping, seminars and workshops.

Interactivos?'13 happily coincides with the yearly Libre Graphics Meeting, an international gathering of users and developers of Free, Libre and Open Source software for creative work.

Entry Rules
From among the submissions received a maximum of 8 projects will be selected to be produced in a two week workshop at Medialab-Prado in April 2013.

The chosen projects will be developed with the aid of several advisors and assistants in addition to a large group of collaborators.

The open call is aimed at typographers, web-designers, illustrators, graphic designers, cartographers, writers, artists and programmers, or to any other person interested in the theme of the workshop.

Proposals may be presented by individuals or groups. Each participant or team may present as many projects as they wish.

Selected projects must be open to the participation of other interested collaborators who will be able to contribute to the production of the prototypes during the development of the workshop.

Therefore, there are two levels of involvement in the workshop: 
1 - as a project leader
2 - as a collaborator in any one of the selected projects

Once the projects have been selected, the second step in the process will involve a new call for those people who would like to participate as collaborators The call for collaborators will be open from February 5 to April 9 at Medialab-Prado's website.   

General Information about the Workshop
During the workshop, various activities will be scheduled, such as talks, presentations, seminars or specific mini-workshops. Work days will be adapted to the specific needs of the projects in conjunction with the activities ongoing at Medialab-Prado.

Opening hours: 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
The workshop will be held partly in English and partly in Spanish, with no formal translation.

Given that the main objectives of the workshop are to foster the development, distribution, and free access to new approaches and new technological tools, participants are encouraged to prepare proper documentation for the developed projects, both during and after the workshop. For this version of Interactivos?, we ask you to publish the results and source code under licenses that grant access and distribution of the knowledge produced during the workshop.

Technical Requirements
The evaluation team will assess submitted projects for technical feasibility – successful projects should have clearly specified technical and spatial requirements. Should the evaluation team have doubts about any technical requirements, they will contact the authors of the proposal. Projects will be carried out and exhibited at Medialab-Prado buildings. Medialab-Prado will provide basic equipment and the means to produce the selected projects, pending prior application from the proposal’s author(s).Access and use of Medialab-prado’s technical equipment will be supervised by a coordinator from the space. Expenses for material or equipment not planned for or approved in advance will not be covered by Medialab-Prado, but will be the expense of the project leaders.

Medialab-Prado will provide Web hosting as needed for the projects and also the tools and platforms required by participants to properly document the process and the results. LGRU and Medialab-Prado promotes the use of free software tools and encourage participants of the workshop to work with shared and open code applications and environments. 

Travel and Lodging Aid
Medialab-Prado will provide lodging (at a Youth Hostel) for participants who's project was selected and who are residing outside of Madrid. Medialab Prado will also cover travel expenses to Madrid. In the case of collectives, Medialab-Prado will cover travel expenses for just one member of the group. 

Submissions
All those interested in taking part in the workshop must fill in and submit the online submission form

Open Call closes: October 31 2012 – January 15, 2013
Selection of proposals: January 15 - February 2,2013
Call for collaborators: February 5 – April 9, 2013
Development of projects: April 10-23, 2013