UKAI Projects is interested in new approaches to producing culture. We host residencies, events, workshops and other activities to imagine and model different ways of being in relation to produce culture.
showing 1 - 2 of 2 responses to this question
The third and final year of Ferment was entirely virtual. This led to opportunities to try new things and difficulties when dealing with a diverse group of creators who hadn’t had a chance to connect in-person. New Not Normal continued to be the home for residencies, events, workshops, and connections during a period of forced isolation.
The second year of our year-long residency for cultural producers in Toronto, Ferment extended work in 2019 and carried over a number of contributors. COVID-19 interrupted our in-person gathering and the community turned toward virtual approaches to producing culture and making a living. Culture is a collective resource upon which we all draw to make sense of the world. A society that lacks diversity in culture is a society that lacks the imagination to deal with the massive issues of our times. Ferment convened people outside traditional and institutional spheres of arts creation and supported their work. We did this through research and experimentation on emerging business models, new platforms for collaboration, and unexpected sources of income.
Incubators exist to help ideas grow. The kinds of ideas that get support all look a lot alike though. A society that lacks diversity in culture narratives is a society that lacks the imagination to deal with the massive issues of our times. Ferment is a way of supporting stories that might not otherwise have a chance.
