iNdigital Youth Collective
Level Up with imagineNATIVE
Formed through collaboration between imagineNATIVE and ENAGB Indigenous Youth Agency, the iNdigital Youth Collective is a new group of emerging digital + interactive artists aged 12-24 and based in Ontario. This collective operates with a collaborative spirit to engage Indigenous youth in a community-focused approach while fostering creativity, technical skill and confidence. The iNdigital Youth Collective’s mission is to empower Indigenous youth and grow the next generation of Indigenous voices in digital media.
2020: First Iteration
The iNdigital Youth Collective was showcased at the 2020 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival where emerging artists shared their experiences and highlights from the series of workshops. This conversation, Youth Rising iNdigital, is available on the imagineNATIVE YouTube page.
2021: Seven Generations Later
These “descendants” manifested in conjunction with the 2021 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival as life-sized vinyl characters, hosted in libraries across Tkaronto (Toronto), on AbTeC Island in Second Life and on the 2021 iNdigital Space platform. Each character represented layered spaces of traditional storytelling and Indigenous futurism, supported by contemporary technology.
2022: Video Game Design
The 2022 iNdigital Youth Collective cohort learned game design skills through a series of workshops alongside Indigenous mentors and artists. The games and experiences they created were featured as part of an online exhibition and special showcase at the 2022 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival.
2023: Bitsy Game Design
The 2023 cohort of the iNdigital Youth Collective dove headfirst into the captivating world of game design by building an interactive experience using the Bitsy game engine. Participants braced themselves for an exhilarating series of workshops with Indigenous mentors and talented artists, including director/producer Pōhaikealoha Panoke and creative technologist/game developer Steve Diabo.
Participants levelled up into an exciting realm of game design where the interactive experiences they created were featured as part of an online exhibition and special showcase at the 2023 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival.
Join the iNdigital Youth Collective
Sign up for our newsletter or connect with us on social media for updates and announcements regarding future opportunities to join the next cohort of the iNdigital Youth Collective. For more information, please email ktomaselli@imagineNATIVE.org.
The iNdigital Youth Collective thanks the Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, and EQ Bank for their continued support.
We’ve made a helpful booklet for this year’s cohort HERE. If there are any further questions, or concerns, please email iNdigital@imagineNATIVE.org.
HOW DO I JOIN THE INDIGITAL YOUTH COLLECTIVE?
The iNdigital Youth Collective operates as a 1-year cohort. We hope you will join us in 2023 for a brand new series of workshops, exhibitions, and learning opportunities.
Apply here:
For more information, please email ktomaselli@imaginenative.org.
The iNdigital Youth Collective thanks the Canada Council, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council and EQ Bank for their continued support.
