You might think that it is a funny title for a programme promoted by UNESCO!
Not at all, Young Digital Creators by DigiArts is an electronic tool to promote knowledge,
research and communication within the framework of culture and ICT. It is a pilot project
aiming to investigate new methods of acquiring knowledge through experiences based on
artistic practices and peer-to-peer communication. It also seeks new modalities of learning
using online facilities as well as creating human environment within Internet through the
establishment of creative communities. But, most of all, DigiArts intends to prepare young
people to tomorrow's social, cultural, aesthetical practices. We are presenting to you art and
design works created on line by some 150 young people from different geo-cultural regions
linked to major issues of sustainable development.
Being creative and collaborative is the motto of the Young Digital Creators (YDC) Programme, which is a web-based programme designed for young participants of different cultures to gradually construct, through a collaborative process and creative digital tools, a deeper understanding of each other's cultural values and shared perspectives related to issues such as water, HIV/AIDS, and urbanisation. As entertaining and creative as the participating experience would be, it brings motivation for teacher and educators as well towards new teaching methods, combining ICT, creative thinking and different subjects.
As such, online medium is meant to foster exchange of images, sounds, and ideas taking on a local flair or tone, it serves as an interactive platform across cultures. As for the YDC programme Scenes and Sounds of my City, it gives the floor to young people to present the realities within their own urban space and environment. It is a virtual visit to a city 100,000 kilometres away from ones home, it connects young people around the world to make a collective expression of tales of cities told by themselves.
We realize that we live and act not only in our local community but also in a global community. The works made by students from other countries helped to feel other cultures, other nations and to understand that we are involved in a joint project (Belarus participants, Palace of Youth and Children, Session 2004)
Check out the urban productions:From UK: BombingWeb
http://unesco-mycity.paris4.sorbonne.fr/gallery/040624/dia/Tregib
From Belarus: Minsk is so different
http://unesco-mycity.paris4.sorbonne.fr/gallery/040624/dia/Palace
From Australia: This is what it is like down under in Melbourne
http://unesco-mycity.paris4.sorbonne.fr/gallery/040624/dia/Sophia_M
Have you ever realized how we are surrounded by so many different soundscapes of water? Taking notice of water as an issue, as well as of its sounds, and what it means to humankind is what young students are invited to reflect on through the Sound of our Water YDC programme.
This is what YDC is about, not just playing with digital tools and creating multimedia productions, but feeling responsible for the dynamics and changes of our society. Realizing that one could play an essential role as creative citizens of society by expressing ones thoughts, ideas on different kinds of global issues of our time.
Doing fieldwork and visiting different places, not always clean and healthy, made us think of changing our own attitudes towards water (Brazilian participants, Laboratory of Ethnomusicology, Anthropology and Audio, Session 2004)
Listen to the digital water pieces (save the mp3 in your file and open it): http://unesco.uiah.fi/water/pieces
Through Youth Creating and Communicating on HIV/AIDS, young participants are asked to work in collaboration in adopting creative thinking. The programme gives youth a chance to exchange unique reflections with their peers by making joint digital triptychs on HIV/AIDS with a special focus to embrace different socio-cultural realities and environments.
Working together in groups was one way of building on the strengths of the students (Trinidad and Tobago Participants, Port of Spain sister Cities UNESCO Youth Club, Session 2004)
View the triptychs: http://www.digiarts-hiv-unesco.org/modules.php?name=Triptychs
A stout cheer and highest appreciation to all the young artists, creators, and teachers who have participated and shared their valuable experiences in YDC since its launch in April 2004!
Join us for session 2005: Call for participation to the Young Digital Creators
Now that you've gone through the art works of the young creators, would you like to participate in Session 2005 of the Young Digital Creators programme with your students?
What do you need to be a part of the Young Digital Creators? All the basic resources and tools are online, so if you have a computer, internet connection and, above all, the spirit to be creative and collaborative, you're ready to go!
For more details and a registration form, visit the DigiArts portal.