Upgrade! Paris

Upgrade! @ Wintercamp ::: 3-7 mars

Winter Camp is an event, organized by the Institute of Network Cultures and will take place 3-7 March â¬Ë09 in Amsterdam. Network Cultures Winter Camp will be a mix of presentations and work spaces with an emphasis on getting things done. It will be a four-day program of work spaces and plenary presentations, in which a dozen networks (each of which has 5-15 people) can work on their specific current topics.
http://networkcultures.org/wpmu/wintercamp/

Participating networks :
Blender
Bricolabs
Creative Labour
Dyne.org
Edufactory
Floss Manuals
freeDimensional Network
Genderchangers
GOTO10
Microvolunteerism
MyCreativity
Upgrade!

Background info
When a network settles down, and is not so new anymore, it can be quite a challenge to keep it's activity level. Should a network then transform into a so-called â¬Ëorganized network'? Organizing a network does not necessarily mean decreasing the level of spontaneity to make way for rules and hierarchy: it can provide a place for sustainable knowledge sharing and production. As Ned Rossiter argues in his book Organized Networks (2006), face-to-face meetings are crucial â¬Åif the network is to maintain momentum, revitalize energy, consolidate old friendships and discover new ones, recast ideas, undertake further planning activities, and so on.â¬Â Network Cultures Winter Camp is therefore meant for those networks and (potential) network members that need support to gather in real life, conspire, discuss and make the necessary steps forward. Winter Camp does not have an (academic) educational or training component, but there is a lot to learn.

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The Institute of Network Cultures is a media research centre that actively contributes to the field of network cultures through research, events, publications and online dialogue. The INC was founded in 2004 by media theorist Geert Lovink, following his appointment as professor within the Institute of Interactive Media at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (Hogeschool van Amsterdam).
http://networkcultures.org/

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Upgrade!
coordinator: Kyd Campbell

An ever-growing network, upwards of 30 nodes at present time, started in 1999 in NYC. Mandate: Upgrade! is an international, emerging network of autonomous nodes united by art, technology, and a commitment to bridging cultural divides. Its decentralized, non-hierarchical structure ensures that Upgrade! (i) operates according to local interests and their available resources; and (ii) reflects current creative engagement with cutting edge technologies. While individual nodes present new media projects, engage in informal critique, and foster dialogue and collaboration between individual artists, Upgrade! International functions as an online, global network that gathers bi-annually in different cities to meet one another, showcase local art, and work on the agenda for the following year.
Past goals have been to grow the network and add new nodes all across the world. Present goals include to create cross-network collaborations and improve our online tools. Future perspectives include discovering our need for â¬Åorganizationâ¬Â and finding out how to sustain the network.