The Immersive Media Design (IMD) and Arts for All New Works Incubator is a nine-week summer development program designed to support the creation of immersive media projects by students from across the UMD campus. The Incubator enables accepted individual student creators and teams to explore new areas of immersive media and to create works based on their own interests and initiative.
Applications are open now! Apply here.
Program Overview:
Beginning the week of May 29th, 2023, students accepted into the New Works Incubator will meet twice a week with IMD Technician Ian McDermott and other UMD faculty and staff to develop their concepts and explore immersive media subjects of interest to them.
Over the course of the Incubator, students will both work independently and gather as a cohort to share their progress and get feedback from their peers. Workshops will be held Monday and Thursday of every week from 12:30-3:30pm starting June 1st. All projects will be supported by UMD faculty and staff and student creators will have access to the Immersive Media Design lab spaces and equipment to assist in the creation of their work.
A select number of projects will be featured at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center's NextNOW Fest, September 7 and 8, 2023. Additional venues may include the Clarvit Courtyard at Parren Mitchell Art-Sociology Building, The IMD lab in the Iribe Center, and the IMD Visualization Room in AV Williams.
Theme:
The theme of this year’s New Works Incubator is Present.
The pandemic had a deep impact on our ability to be present. Increased screen time, the constant barrage of news and information, and the need to disassociate during a time of stress took a collective toll on the ability to live in the now. The lack of living in the present moment can impact one’s self perception, mental wellbeing, and relationships with others, and in doing so negatively impact social, economic, and regional relationships.
When used improperly, immersive media can contribute to distractions and take us away from the present. Conversely, the medium and its tools can enhance the present through feedback and amplification of the real world. Using high-resolution technology like motion capture, photogrammetry, 3D scanning, and volumetric video we can highlight, rather than hide reality and become more aware of ourselves, our neighbors, and our world. Students are encouraged to develop projects that promote awareness of the present and create positive social interactions through audio, visuals, sensors and haptics.
New Works Incubator Schedule 2023:
April 26th-May 14th: Open call for entries
June 1st-June 27th: Incubator workshops
Required workshops to learn Immersive Media tools and techniques. Students are expected to attend the majority of the workshops every week, Monday and Thursday from 12:30-3:30pm.
June 29th-July 24th Incubator projects are developed.
*Projects completed by August 1st will be eligible to be featured at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center during NextNOW Fest. Projects will be invited to be presented at The Clarice by August 1st.
Week of July 24th: Projects will be demoed to the public and NextNOW staff for selection in the NextNOW festival.
Week of September 4th: Projects will be set up and tested in advance of public presentation as part of NextNOW Fest, September 7 and 8, 2023.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: I’m not an IMD major, am I eligible for the New Works Incubator?
A: Yes! The program is open to all UMD students.
Q: Can I apply with a team?
A: Yes! Please include all students that will be a part of the team on your application.
Q: I’ve never made a work of immersive media before but I’m interested in creating something, should I apply?
A: Yes! Whether you want to expand on a project you started previously or explore a new idea, the New Works Incubator is set up to support your process as a creator. Whether your goal is to experiment with a new software platform or polish a pre-existing project for public presentation, the Incubator will give you the space and structure to make it happen.
Q: How much does the program cost?
A: The program is free to attend.
Q: Is there funding available to create my project?
A: Yes. There will be a limited amount of funds available to pay for project materials and equipment for works that will be presented as part of NextNOW Fest.
Q: Where will the program take place? What’s the schedule like?
A: Each week will have two three-hour workshop sessions for students involved. These will take place Monday and Thursday from 12:30-3:30. All students are asked to attend the majority of the sessions. Additionally there will be regular progress checks that will be scheduled with NWI staff and faculty. The rest of the time will be largely left up to each student or student teams to work on their projects as best suits them