The application is open until December 1, 2018 at 11:59 pm EST
Overview
eTextile Spring Break is a weeklong camp for practitioners working at the intersection of craft, textiles, and electronics to meet, make, and learn together. Hosted for a second year at the Wassaic Project in upstate New York, eTextile Spring Break will take place from Sunday, April 7 to Sunday, April 14, 2019.
This year’s theme is Ritual.
Format
This camp is part residency, part community event that offers participants an opportunity to take a break from their daily lives to deepen their practice through hands-on building, skill-sharing workshops, playful experimentation, critical reflection, and collaborative making. There are three parts to this event:
MAKING
Participants will apply with a proposed project to make or explore during camp that relates to the theme (see above). You may decide to change your project once you arrive or combine it with another participant on a different idea – that is completely fine! For a deliverable, we expect you to document what you made on the camp website.
LEARNING
There will be three participant-led workshops scheduled prior to camp. Other than that, we will take an unconference-style approach with participants guiding the direction of skill-sharing, discussions, and making.
SHARING
We will hold a public event on the final day for us to share what we made and run small demos or workshops with the local community.
Who should apply
We are looking for makers, designers, engineers, artists, storytellers, and more who have experience in electronics, textiles, craft, programming, wearable technology, or other related fields who are interested in deepening their knowledge of eTextiles and electronic craft.
Electronic textiles or eTextiles embed electronics and electrical circuits into textiles using conductive fabrics, yarns, threads, and other materials through craft, fabrication, or industrial techniques. It describes an emerging hybrid practice that gives new functionality, interactions, and aesthetics to textile artefacts, often challenging the traditional ways we relate to the material world. These artefacts can live on the body, exist in our everyday interfaces, or explore new digital realms of craft-based traditions.
Applicants should meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Display an active practice in eTextiles, electronic craft, smart textiles, or wearable technology.
- Have an expertise in a related field including electronics, textile design, engineering, fabrication, fashion/apparel design, programming, pattern design, craft (lace making, knitting, crochet, etc), surface design, narrative design, etc.
- Show a working knowledge of a broad range of skills related to eTextiles or electronic craft (i.e. you are not necessarily an expert, but have some experience working with eTextiles and/or eCraft).
- Illustrate a vested interest in contributing to the fields of eTextiles and electronic craft and willingness to share what you learn with others.
Accommodation + Fees
Due to space constraints, we will not be able to accept all applicants. Applications will undergo a juried selection process and selected applicants will be notified in late December. If selected, participants will pay a fee of $450* to cover shared lodging, workspace, materials, tools, food, and drink for the week. Travel to and from the Wassaic Project must be covered by participants and is easily accessible by Metro-North railway. We are working to secure funding fellowships to support anyone who wants to join, but may not be able to cover costs. We will send out more information on this in the coming weeks.
This is an event built and driven by the participants. We expect you to come ready to pitch in and participate, whether that means helping to cook dinner, host a discussion, explain a tool, prepare tea, etc. We also expect everyone to treat each other with the utmost respect and seek to build a safe, inclusive community space. Please familiarize yourself with our Code of Conduct before applying.
How to apply
Fill out this application form by 11:59 pm EST December 1, 2018. The application includes a 300 word project proposal that should address the 2019 camp theme of ritual. The theme this year is intentionally kept open. Applicants should respond to and interpret it as best fits their own practice.
Please email info[at]etextilespringbreak[dot]org with any questions.
For those of you who have participated before…
You are incredible and you inspire us to no end. Unfortunately, we have had to make a (very, very) hard decision to cap the number of past participants this year. This event grew out of past summer camp conversations to create spaces for new practitioners to join the conversation, and, after much reflection on last year, we have decided to divide the number of spaces equally between new and past participants. We hope you understand our motivations and hope you will apply!!
* If you are accepted and choose to join, there will be a cost of $450 that must be covered by participants in full. If you are accepted, payment must be received in full two weeks after your acceptance notification. If you do not pay by this date, your spot may be given to another applicant. If you cannot participate after you confirm and pay, you can receive a full refund until February 15th and half a refund until March 1st. After March 1st, we will not refund your fee.