Building the Future of Digital Arts Education
This year, we’ve been diving into the exciting world of designing our own online courses as part of our journey into digital arts and entrepreneurship. We’ve been exploring two platforms to make this possible: Instructure Canvas, which we’re using with the support of the University of Minnesota Duluth, and LearnPress, a WordPress plugin that allows us to host and deliver similar content ourselves—for free.
We’re especially excited about the possibilities of hosting and delivering our own content. This approach gives us the freedom to explore the arts in ways that reflect our unique perspectives and priorities.
As Jamie Bell, one of the founding members of our collective, puts it: “This project is ultimately about self-determination and self-reliance. With the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and their Digital Greenhouse strategic innovation funding, we’re able to create something that’s truly our own—something that honors our creativity and the ways we connect with communities through digital arts.”
The Digital Greenhouse is a dynamic initiative designed to support Canadian individuals, groups, and organizations by fostering digital innovation within the arts sector. It funds short-term projects that leverage digital technology to tackle a wide range of challenges. Key areas of focus include the development of new digital tools and solutions aimed at increasing the resilience, sustainability, and discoverability of the arts sector, as well as the creation of sector-wide collaborations, partnerships, and networks to support innovative digital business models and revenue strategies.
Additionally, the Digital Greenhouse seeks to address challenges related to accessibility, equity, diversity, decolonization, social justice, and climate responsibility in the digital world. It also focuses on enhancing digital/data literacy and ongoing digital transformation within the arts sector, while addressing the lack of access to digital infrastructure in remote regions and Northern and under-represented communities. Through these efforts, the Digital Greenhouse aims to create more inclusive and resilient digital environments for the arts and beyond.
Since launching this project in November, we’ve been loving the process—not just of creating content for online learning but also of building the platforms themselves and integrating new technologies into what we do. It’s been an incredible journey of discovery and growth, and we can’t wait to share more soon!
Stay tuned as we take the next steps in this exciting adventure!
A big thank you to the Canada Council for the Arts for their invaluable support through the Digital Greenhouse strategic innovation funding. This funding is making it possible for us to embrace self-determination and self-reliance as we design and build our own online courses, explore new technologies, and develop unique platforms for digital arts education. We’re incredibly grateful for the opportunity to shape this project on our own terms and for the confidence the Canada Council has placed in us. Your support is empowering us to create something meaningful for our communities and beyond.
