How will the Institute Work?

During the first week of the Institute, senior artists in the field of community-arts will pose questions, frame the challenge, and lead discussions (some open to the public). Participants will attend a series of screenings at Pacific Cinémathèque that broaden their understanding and awareness of the potential of video as a discipline. Media artists will be invited to participate in the institute to introduce participants to the principles of formulation and development of documentaries and storyboarding as well as instructing in the use of digital video cameras, lighting, sound, and editing equipment. The work of these artists will be complemented by instruction provided by Pacific Cinémathèque's own media production staff.

In the second week, participating artists will conceptualize their responses to the challenge of portraying engagement-based aesthetics on video. They will storyboard, gather video footage, shoot new sequences, and start the editing process. The third week will involve further editing, group critiques, and finalizing of the videos. A screening will be arranged at Pacific Cinémathèque with an invited audience of artists and others invested in community and social engagement art. A panel discussion will follow the screening. Following the three weeks of the Institute the videos will be packaged and dissemination strategies will be implemented.