black homeplaces -a disco co(lab)

Sep. 2024 —

DISCO CO(LAB) is a new series of inter-institutional collaborative research projects hosted by the Black Communication and Technology (BCaT) Lab at the University of Maryland. We are seeking collaborators from across the U.S. and beyond to participate in DISCO CO(LAB). Summer microgrants will be awarded for participation.

Black Homeplaces is a project that harnesses VR/AR to recreate the ever-changing sites of the Black homeplace and Black placemaking practices across the African diaspora. One of the central outputs of the project will be an interactive XR exhibition of an archetypical Black home, including oral histories, artistic renderings, essays and more. This collaboration will be led by Dr. Rianna Walcott, the Associate Director of the BCaT lab and an Assistant Professor of Communication at the University of Maryland.

want to be a part of the black homeplaces co(lab)?

To get involved in the CoLab, join our Bookclub every Wednesday!

bcat bookclub Fall 2024: Black Homeplaces

This semester in BCaT Bookclub we will engage with art exhibitions, films, readings, and more, while exploring Black placemaking practices across the diaspora. Below are links to PDFs, art exhibitions and videos we will be discussing during October!

have a Suggestion for bookclub?

click below to see previous book club materials!

materials

wednesday november 6th

wednesday november 13th

wednesday november 20th

wednesday november 27th

reading week

reading week

bcat field trip

BCaT field trip to the National Museum of African American History and Culture: guided tour of the Power of Place exhibition, connecting it to project themes.

Please make sure to RSVP for the field trip here. Attendees will book their own tickets, and are welcome to either join this group meet or attend in their own time. Bookclub members outside of the DMV wishing to participate should find a similar exhibition, take a picture of a relevant piece of art and explain its connection to the Black Homeplace in our next meeting!

closed for the holiday

frequently asked questions

  • Anyone who is interested! This is inclusive of artists, creatives, academics, community members, and more, at any career stage/level of study and at any institution. The BCaT Lab will provide training, support, and mentorship for undergraduate and graduate students throughout the research process. Options for international participation are available.

  • Events will be held in the BCaT Lab (University of Maryland, Skinner 3115) with an option to attend virtually via Zoom. The Zoom link is the same for all BCaT Lab events.

  • Each DISCO CO(LAB) project will run over the course of an academic year (two semesters) and conclude with a hybrid retreat for collaborators to finalize deliverables. Opportunities for longer participation are available. For the Black Homeplaces project, we will begin in fall 2024 and hope to deliver outputs in the summer of 2024.

  • Collaborators will regularly attend a weekly DISCO CO(LAB) session to engage in communal learning, participate in co-working, and attend practical application workshops throughout the academic year. Each session will be 1-2 hours.

  • Potential outputs include artistic and creative collaborations (e.g., physical and digital renderings, audiovisual materials such as short films), essays, papers and stories (e.g., conference papers, public scholarship, journal articles), and digital humanities projects (e.g., interactive AR renderings, podcasts, and websites).

  • Beginning in Fall 2024, prospective collaborators should regularly attend BCaT Lab Bookclub to begin engaging with relevant art exhibitions, films, and readings, learn more about the project, and build community with other DISCO CO(LAB) collaborators. BCaT Bookclub is hosted weekly on Wednesdays from 12 PM - 1 PM at the BCaT Lab space at the University of Maryland (Skinner 3115) and on Zoom. Find out more on the BCaT Lab’s website.

  • For questions about DISCO CO(LAB), please contact Rianna Walcott, Associate Director of the BCaT Lab, at rwalcott@umd.edu.

info session recap

Missed the Co(Lab) info session? No worries! Feel free to look at the powerpoint below to see what you missed.