Hope in the COVID Home stretch
2020 has brought big challenges to all of us. But have hope because OPPORTUNITY is the creative response to challenge.
Let’s prepare NOW for the great opportunities to come in 2021.
With optimism and pluck, Oika is launching Hope in the COVID Home Stretch. For the first quarter of 2021, this special course in ecological intelligence is offered at reduced rates.
This course is an opportunity for artists (and all creative people) to prepare for the cultural rebound on the other side of the pandemic.
We need to seize this opportunity now in order build the better world we all want to live in. If we don't, the powers that created this mess will.
The "Hope in the COVID Homestretch” Oika course unfolds in a self-paced format that includes:
- 6 video conference calls
- 10 Documentary short films examples below
- Access to an online collaborative workspace example below
- Personal mentorship, critique & development
- Real-world, self-guided practices called Earth Stories
- Post-course continuation through the Oika Campfire Circle - see faq
- Collaborative grants, awards and exhibition opportunities - see faq
- Potential certification (and work) as an Oika Artist or Educator - coming soon
- Note: This virtual course satisfies the prerequisite for all future in-person workshops and collaborations.
For questions or more information, email Dr. Rich Blundell directly through the form at the bottom of this page.
The most friction-free way to introduce Oika is to release it directly into the living artmosphere
FAQ
What is Oika?
Oika is a traveling education program designed to empower artists and other cultural creatives to have positive impact and prosperity in the world we collectively create. We teach people how to participate in natural, ecological dynamics as personal and professional development. The curriculum draws equally on science and the Humanities.
What is Ecological Intelligence?
Ecological intelligence refers to the field of communication generated by nature that also infuses human consciousness.
Why should I take this course?
This course is designed to give all artists, media-makers, educators, communicators and cultural creatives access to deep ecological insights that they may not have gotten through formal education and training.
You will learn how ecological systems work and see how nature can amplify your creativity and infuse your practice. You will also gain new language, concepts and the confidence to talk about your work in a way that matters in the Anthropocene.
This course is less about aesthetics or artistic skills and more about developing your existing powers of attunement in conversation with nature.
How does the course progress?
Each month we announce informational "Campfire" calls that are an international mix of Oika course graduates and interested artists. We then accept participants from this ongoing stream of the Oika community during occasional "in-take" periods.
Once started, the Homestretch course an be completed in six weeks (or up to 3 months). Each participant joins 6 video calls that they select from a weekly schedule. Call dates and times vary and are listed on a course calendar. Each call holds up to 10 participants.
Video calls (aka "Campfire Circles") are exploratory and conversational and generally take a Q&A format in order to meet the needs of those who are attending the call.
How is the content delivered?
Course content (Core Concepts, Elective Concepts and Story of Nature, etc) are delivered, on-demand through short videos. The real-world, practicals (Earth Stories) are self-directed throughout the course. Individual course progression is documented on a group or individual Oika Board (this is optional).
What opportunities arise after the course?
Lots of opportunities emerge from an Oika course. The Oika Campfire Circle (OCC) is the emergent creative community of the Oika project. Participants who complete an Oika Course are eligible to continue with the Oika creative community through Oika Campfire Circle.
Other opportunities include mini-grants, collaborative grant proposals, professional consulting and critique, group and solo exhibitions, or future work as an Oika Firekeeper, educator or artist (see below).
What is the overall trajectory of collaborating with Oika?
Artists who take the Oika Course are eligible for extending the creative trajectory into new, ecologically intelligent projects. The trajectory will unfold something like this:
- Attend an Oika Campfire Circle or Intake call
- Take the course & begin Oika as part of your artistic practice.
- Design a project that integrates Oika principles (PERSON/PLACE), fieldwork (PRACTICE) and identify potential funding sources (PROSPER).
- Complete the course in good standing
- If appropriate, pursue funding with Rich (and possibly other artists) as collaborator
- Execute project including cultural communication and documentation
How much does the course cost?
There are two tiers of tuition for the course and one sponsored category (choose the category that works for you):
- Benefactor ($250): pays the course fee for self and a grantee
- Participant ($125): pays for one participant
- Grantee: Apply in writing for reduced or free inclusion
Those who graciously pay the higher tier allow for the inclusion of someone who cannot pay.