10th International UBI Summer School 2019

University of Oulu, Finland
10th - 15th June 2019

Application deadline: March 11, 2019
Credits: 5 ECTS (University of Oulu course code is 521154S)
Registration fee: 250 EUR
Accommodation: 35 EUR/day (per person in twin bed room in luxurious villa with sauna)

UBISS 2019 invites researchers, students, and industry and public sector professionals to gain theoretical insights and personal hands on experience on selected topics under the tutelage of distinguished experts. UBISS 2019 builds on the legacy of the previous nine successful UBI Summer Schools hosted by us in Oulu in 2010-2018.

UBISS 2019 comprises of four parallel 6-day "hands on" workshops (intensive courses) including:

C: CRITICAL MAKING: DESIGNING FOR ACTIVISM

Assoc. Prof. Eric Paulos, University of California, Berkeley, USA

Assist. Prof. Jill Miller, University of California, Berkeley, USA

Assoc. Prof. Georgi V. Georgiev, University of Oulu, Finland

Synopsis:

Sometimes designers need to make problems rather than solve them. In this workshop, students will spend one week developing a prototype for a tool that addresses social change or activism. As designers and artists, we recognize that life has layers and complications, and that we all exist in unique ecosystems (especially when we come from different parts of the world for this one week course). Together we will find common ground and collaborate on projects that are provocative, brave, and meaningful. Using digital fabrication tools, students will brainstorm, design, and prototype a tool of resistance.* Students will choose their theme area and design and build a protest tool to use in a public space. Areas of focus may include: environmental activism, gender equality, animal rights, immigration, democracy, dystopian futures, or other areas selected by students. With design research as a lens, students will envision and create an object or experience that critically explores a socially and culturally relevant issue.

Throughout the week, we will look at the history of protest strategies used by activist groups around the world. In parallel, we will have skill-based workshops that focus on 3D printing, laser cutting, and electronics tool kits. Inspired by the history of activism around the world, students will research and design a tool to be used at a future protest OR they will build one that could have enhanced a past protest. Some protest events and strategies students will explore include: Julia Butterfly Hill’s two-year occupation of a 1500 year old redwood tree in Northern California; The Free Speech Movement in Berkeley; Martin Luther King and civil rights protests; the Women’s March; the Occupy Movement;  French Yellow Vest protests; Sea Shepherds; Pussy Riot, #MeToo movement, 2018 Rome protests, and so on. Looking to these historical moments, we will pinpoint spaces where avant garde design could have enhanced, changed or altered the protestors’ messages.

Together we will harness our curiosity and discover new strategies for activism. Join us and make design your partner in protest! Hailing from UC Berkeley, the birthplace of the American Free Speech Movement, professors Jill Miller and Eric Paulos embrace “resistance” as a positive democratic tool for ensuring that free speech thrives in society.

Learning outcomes include:

• Designing and fabricating with 3D printers
• Designing and laser cutting different materials
• Proficiency in using a simple electronics kit
• A new understanding of public art and social activism

All students interested in design and activism are encouraged to apply. Students will work collaboratively in groups and are not expected to have full command of all skill sets used in the course. However, students who have experience in the following areas are ideal: Adobe Illustrator, Laser cutting, Fusion 360 or other 3D modeling software, 3D printing, Arduinos, Raspberry Pi, contemporary art, and collaborating with others.

For a preview of upcoming fun at the summer school, please check out:

UBISS Trailer:

https://vimeo.com/groups/315324/videos/277541487

UBISS 2018 The Film:

https://vimeo.com/groups/315324/videos/277789499

Further information and the online application form are available at:

http://ubicomp.oulu.fi/UBISS2019