DIY Citizens Conference

What is the DIY Citizens Conference?

The DIY Citizens Conference and hackspace is organized at the University of Toronto that explores how technological change and social media are changing the nature of citizenship today.

Conference organizer Megan Boler provides us with a better understanding at her website
“DIY Citizenship” invokes the participatory nature of these diverse “do-it-yourself” modes of engagement, community, networks, and tools—all of which arguably replace traditional with remediated notions of citizenship.

The term “critical making” refers to the increasing role ‘making’ plays in critical forms of social reflection and engagement. This interactive conference extends conversations about new modes of engaged DIY citizenship and politics evidenced by the exponential increase of DIY media, “user-generators”, “prosumers,” “hacktivists,” tactical media interventionists, and other ‘maker’ identities. We invite scholars, activists, artists, designers, programmers and others interested in the social and participatory dimensions of digitally-mediated practices, to engage in dialogue across disciplinary and professional divides.

Hungry Eyes Involvement

In true DIY fashion, 12 students were chosen and given basic camera’s like a Sony DCR-TRV39 and were tasked with documenting different aspects of the DIY Citizen Conference. 

To prepare these students for their project they received workshop training in basic filming, media use and effective communication with editors by award winning Toronto director Sudz Sutherland and professor Rhonda McEwen.

Five professional editors also took time to assist the students including award winning editor Jeff Warren.