Grant Information and Resources

Proposal

Include information about the project's significance and the contribution it will make to advancing participatory learning, the goals for the project in the 12-month grant term, and goals beyond the grant term. Explain why your idea is novel.

Our vision is to organize and create projects and events where interdisciplinary learning can take place in the most innovative of settings. Through the construction of interactive multimedia installations we use cutting edge technology and sustainable design to address education in the performing and fine arts, natural and social sciences. Our goal is to limitlessly explore the depth of imagination to simultaneously create a learning and community-building environment while pushing forward environmentally conscious actions and innovative research.

Digital video projections and integrated usage of the World Wide Web will add an element of 21st century communications technology so as to stay on the cutting edge of the toolsets for the manifestation of imagination and education. We also aim at helping other people to create and generate their vision through our production company. By means of our internet forum, people can come together to collaborate on projects and share critique and criticism so as to sculpt a dynamic and interactive learning space. The project has adopted the theme “Rebuilding Global Community through the Arts.” Thus we aim to:

1. Create mutually beneficial synergy between the local and global community by the perpetual creation of innovative art and information that is relevant to a wide range of people.

2. Partner with local and global businesses to establish a network that can sustain the presentation of the full range of perspectives, areas of expertise, and approaches to innovative ideas and have children and people of all ages benefit from this rich cultural and educational resource.

3. To establish pedagogical models that encourages mentoring, innovation, artistic excellence, problem solving, historical context, and community involvement.

4. Return to the communal and interdisciplinary concept of Global African music and arts – and extend that concept to all creative processes - allowing for the creation of greater cross-generational interaction (including a wide range of music, dance, theater, film, visual arts, digital arts, new media, science, technology, etc.)

5. Utilize renowned local and international artists, experts, scientists, and educators to create a new paradigm that assures that the online institute’s curriculum, creative projects, and programs are the most innovative, substantive, and successful in the world due to its global networking.

6. Maintain a resource development team that keeps the world appraised of our goals, successes, and that attracts funding that enables the online institute to provide full scholarships for a large proportion of its students.

7. Provide a diverse range of courses that includes diverse range of subjects designed for the professional musician, the serious student, global community resident seeking greater personal enrichment, arts aficionados, etc. and an outreach program that takes its curriculum into the K-12 public classrooms.

8. Support a performance and gallery series that presents a diverse spectrum of innovative arts on a virtual “world stage.”

9. Establish a “Media Visions Production Company” to document all institution’s work and events for archival, promotional, and fundraising use; and provide internships for young people looking for training and experience.

10. Create project groups that are small clusters of students collaborating with professors and engaging in artistic, technical and theoretical research in areas such as Commercially Viable Creative Products, Participatory Culture, Performative Technologies, and Educating Tomorrow’s World.

11. Use the educational framework, archives, marketing structure, and online broadcasting network as additional outreach and pedagogical tools and resources.

Educating the Artistically and Economically disenfranchised: The concept of “Rebuilding Global Community through the Arts” must contain the notion of early outreach and early academic preparation. The Novatopia would use its own outreach efforts as an opportunity to encourage more support of early outreach toward the development of creative and academic preparation. We have to reach young students and families before they reach high school if they are going to be able to meet the eligibility requirements for success in the global community. Since funding has been cut most dramatically over the years for low income, first generation university students, and underrepresented students, the Novatopia will work systematically to increase its own numbers of low income, first generation university students, and underrepresented students. Much of the early outreach involves making financial support available for low-income families.

Media Visions: Professional Company and Student Interns: The media has the full attention of youth throughout the world and the arts clearly stand as the universal communicator in 21st-century world culture. Combining the creative and educational potential of these two forces is what the Novatopia aspires to do. The concept of Media Visions involves a progressive educational media production company involved in both production of original intellectual property development and licensing of existing curricula around topic areas such as developing entrepreneurial skills, diversity, conflict resolution, communication skills, creative expression, problem-solving, self-esteem building, and music’s connection to science, technology and mathematics. The target market would include customers defined within three basic categories: educators, artists general). Student interns would learn all intimate details of operating such a business by participating is all phases of its functions. The Novatopia would also develop related courses directed towards enabling students to generate creative “products” for media sales, consumption, and distribution.

For example: We are creating a new Digital Arts and New Media (DANM) team taught, interdisciplinary course in Performative Technologies. At that time we noticed that most degree-granting institutions for Digital Arts and New Media (DANM) are now interested in studies and research in “Performative Technologies” that explore new methods for combining media and technology to create the visual, aural and connective material of performance. The Novatopia is interested in getting music students more involved in the broader implications of such a direction through the creation of interdisciplinary courses performers and composers were assembled into an experimental production ensemble/team aligned with mutual goals of DANM performance research students who were aspiring to generate new public and “performative” spaces where digital media, communication networks, and interactive systems, could be fused with innovative ideas with regards to lighting, movement, stage and sound design, to create real-time shared multimedia experiences for audiences and performers at remote locations. This activity could fit nicely with efforts at innovative outreach into the community.

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