Digital Monuments: AR Workshops

This note was written in collaboration with Danielle Richardson, Executive Director of Common Weal Community Arts and Evie Ruddy, project coordinator of Digital Monuments

Project Description

In the fall of 2022, Common Weal Community Arts held 3D modelling and augmented reality (AR) workshops with approximately 50 students at four high schools in southern Saskatchewan:

• Scott Collegiate in Regina,
• Nakoda Oyade Education Centre in Ceg-A-Kin First Nation,
• Peepeekisis Pesakastew School in Peepeekisis Cree Nation and
• Indian Head High School

In collaboration with project coordinator Evie Ruddy, digital media artists Rene Dufour-Contreras and Taylor McArthur facilitated these workshops. They led the students through storyboarding their ideas for their individual and group AR projects and taught the students how to create and animate 3D models using the free programs, Blender and Tinkercad. Students also learned how to make their digital art interactive with the AR publishing platforms Artivive, Adobe Aero, and Co Spaces. Their projects ranged from animated 3D teepees to winter-themed 3D animations.

For more information about the project, click here

Reflection on the project

• Many of the students were deeply engaged in the workshops and participated enthusiastically.
• 81% of the students who filled out the feedback survey agreed that they were “completely absorbed” by the workshops and 94% said they had fun.
• 94% of the students agreed with the statement, “My eyes were opened to some new ideas and skills”.
• 75% of the students agreed that the workshops challenged them.
• Some students encountered technical difficulties and challenges; smaller workshop sizes and more time could help to address this.

Testimonials

• “I enjoyed learning how to make different objects and watching them come to life.” - Student, 14
• “It was fun, amazing, cool, awesome, & deadly!” - Student, 16
• “I really liked how we were given the tools and skills to create our AR, but were given creative freedom for what we wanted to do.” - Student, 14
• “I enjoyed the creative freedom I had with my project. Taylor and Evie were extremely helpful. I enjoyed seeing my project come to life!” - Student, 14
• “Thank you so much for being a part of an organization that allows these types of opportunities for students.” - Teacher

Community

Common Weal Community Arts is the only professional arts organization in Saskatchewan committed to socially-engaged practice. We create programming in collaboration with socially-engaged artists and Saskatchewan communities in pursuit of an equitable and just society.

For questions on this project, please contact Common Weal Community Arts' Southern Artistic Director, Ibukun-Oluwa Fasunhan - ifasunhan@commonweal.ca 

Organization name: Common Weal Community Arts

Website:  https://commonweal.ca/

Organizations or people involved: Evie Ruddy, Rene Dufour-Contreras, Taylor McArthur

Launch date: 2022-09-01

End date: 2023-03-31

Relevant fields of practice: Digital Arts, Inter-Arts, Media Arts, Multidisciplinary Activities, Visual Arts

Additional Keywords: free; youth; augmented reality; 3D modeling; workshop; community arts; Saskatchewan

Total Budget: Between $50,000 and $250,000 CAD

Funding Type and Partnerships: Federal, Provincial

This note is part of interConnect. If you are the content owner or the organization concerned and would like to take control of ownership of the note, write to IMAA at info@imaa.ca.