Ecologies of Culture | Creative Labs | FAQs
What are expected outcomes under Creative Labs?
The Creative Labs pillar does not prescribe outcomes or formats. Instead, it encourages applicants to follow the logic of their questions — whether they lead to a tool, a method, a process, a way of playing, an aesthetic approach, or something yet unnamed. Examples of projects may include, but not limited to, gaming, augmented and virtual reality, artificial intelligence, prototypes, research, multimedia installations, and other forms that promote experimentation and learning and address local or global challenges.
Do co-creators have to be from different sectors? Is it okay if co-creators come from the same sector yet from different disciplines ?
Creative Labs aims to stimulate intersectoral co-creation. Eligible applications must involve at least one co-creator from the arts and culture sector and another from a different professional sector, such as technology, science, engineering, product design, social sciences and environmental studies, etc. Co-creators from the same sector but from different disciplines are not eligible to apply.
For ex: a visual artist and a performing artist are from different artistic disciplines yet from the same sector. They can be co-creators only if they involve a professional from another sector such as a scientist, an environmental researcher or other, in their co-creation.
The co-creation is not just a question of purely artistic collaboration, but of bringing together worlds that do not always work together in order to better understand our collective problems and imagine new solutions.
For ex: a visual artist and a performing artist are from different artistic disciplines yet from the same sector. They can be co-creators only if they involve a professional from another sector such as a scientist, an environmental researcher or other, in their co-creation.
The co-creation is not just a question of purely artistic collaboration, but of bringing together worlds that do not always work together in order to better understand our collective problems and imagine new solutions.
Are all projects under the Creative Labs required to have a digital focus?
Not necessarily. While this call focuses on supporting individuals, collectives, and organizations that co-create, innovate, and experiment with digital technologies and artistic practices to address global challenges, the final outcomes of the projects do not have to be digital.
Projects can explore or be informed by digital tools, methods, or concepts, but the resulting work might take any form, as long as there is connection to digital innovation or creative use of technology within the process. For instance, in research projects, while the final output may not be digital, the research process itself should involve digital experimentation.
Projects can explore or be informed by digital tools, methods, or concepts, but the resulting work might take any form, as long as there is connection to digital innovation or creative use of technology within the process. For instance, in research projects, while the final output may not be digital, the research process itself should involve digital experimentation.
What do we mean by "digital focus"? Is a web-based film with interactive elements considered one?
Digital focus means that digital technology is a central element of the project in terms of its design, production, mediation, or dissemination. This may involve the use of digital tools such as VR, AI, audio or visual devices, web platforms, etc. It may also involve critical reflection on digital technology or public participation via interactive digital technologies. A web-based interactive film is therefore considered as such.
How do you define digital technologies? Does it include both software and hardware?
Digital technologies include all digital tools used to communicate, create, analyze, simulate, or interact. They therefore encompass hardware and software.
What is the difference between a co-creator and a collaborator?
- Co-creators are involved from the very first stage of design and contribute to the project's founding ideas. They influence the overall vision and are responsible for the project's design, development, and implementation.
Example: an artist teams up with a developer to design a video game together.
- Collaborators provide expertise or support on a specific part of the project, often after the design stage. They work on specific tasks without necessarily influencing the overall vision.
Example: A motion graphic designer who assists the artist and developer with the animation and 3D texturing of characters and sets.
Example: an artist teams up with a developer to design a video game together.
- Collaborators provide expertise or support on a specific part of the project, often after the design stage. They work on specific tasks without necessarily influencing the overall vision.
Example: A motion graphic designer who assists the artist and developer with the animation and 3D texturing of characters and sets.
Are project topics restricted to environment and gender issues?
No. The examples of global issues provided (climate change, digital transformation, and gender inequality) are not exhaustive. Projects may address other local or global challenges that are relevant to their specific contexts.
Are there any limitations on the fields or disciplines that applicants can co-create with under the Creative Labs pillar?
No, there are no limitations. Co-creators may come from different professional fields, as long as the team includes at least one co-creator from the arts and culture sector.
Can an institution from a non-eligible country co-create with a collective from an eligible one?
Under the Creative Labs pillar, entities or individuals outside the nine eligible countries may participate as co-creators. However, the lead applicant, whether an individual, collective, structure, institution, or organization, must be based in one of the eligible countries.
Does the collaboration have to be between institutions, or can it also involve a partnership between an institution and independent professionals from other fields?
Projects may be co-created by individuals, collectives, structures, institutions, or organizations from different sectors. There are no restrictions on the composition of the co-creator team, as long as the project is genuinely collaborative and cross-sectoral.
How does AFAC define partnership in this context—does it refer to equal co-authorship, a formal institutional collaboration, or a more flexible form of collaboration?
Within the Creative Labs pillar, partnership is understood as a relation of co-creation and collaboration involving the sharing of roles, responsibilities, resources, and expertise to achieve common objectives outlined in the proposal. The partnership should be meaningful and active throughout both the design and implementation phases.
To what extent should the co-creation reflect cross-sectoral exchange? For example, is it expected for both co-creators to contribute equally to the conceptual and production phases, or can the roles be more complementary?
Co-creators are the co-designers of the project, which means that the project cannot take shape without the active involvement of everyone. The nature and purpose of the project must stem from this shared involvement. The co-creation can take complementary forms, where each co-creator brings distinct yet interconnected expertise to the conceptual and production stages – what matters is the collaborative nature of the proposal and the relevance of each co-creator’s contribution to the project.