The Mixer: May 2019 – Creativity and Tech
Join us for food, drinks, networking, and a vital conversation with City leaders, industry professionals, and artists on the relationship between technology and creativity. Northwest Film Forum Executive Director Vivian Hua will lead a discussion on the challenges and opportunities for Seattle creatives in engaging with technology. You will be invited to break into groups to provide deeper feedback on the ways that technology and creativity converge or conflict in your work—and explore ways that the City can leverage resources to benefit the entire creative community.
This conversation is more important now than ever: the 2019 Creative Economy Report found that Seattle creative workers employed in tech (web developers, for example) are the highest paid in the nation, while creative workers employed in arts and entertainment occupations (such as photographers and musicians) are the lowest paid in the nation. The report also found that women and people of color are underrepresented in certain creative occupations, and that wage disparities exist along job title, race, and gender. We need to hear from you, Seattle’s creative workers, to help us better understand the full story behind these disparities and find ways to bridge the gap.
Join us to network with fellow creative professionals and to help shape the City’s vision for the future of our creative economy!
- Date: Wednesday, May 29
- Time: 5pm-7pm
- Location: KEXP Gathering Space – 472 1st Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109
This month our format is different – arrive at 5:00 to get the most out of the evening. Open networking goes until the program begins at about 5:30 (instead of the usual 6:00).
This event is free and open to the public. We will have complimentary hors d’oeuvres from That Brown Girl Cooks!, and Brown Liquor Cocktail Co. will have drinks available for purchase for guests 21+. All ages are welcome.
For ADA accommodations or accessibility information, contact laura.bet@seattle.gov.
This month’s Mixer is the first in a series of four community discussions meant to bring Seattle’s creative community into the inner circle as the City devises strategies to create equity and opportunity in our creative economy for years to come. We hope you’ll join us for this initial conversation focused on the intersection between creativity and technology, and mark your calendars for the following three Mixers on June 26, July 31, and August 28.
About the Speakers:
Netsie Tjirongo – Born in apartheid southern Africa to an Ethiopian mother and Namibian father, Netsie Tjirongo is a writer, director, and community organizer. Her work focuses on the intersection of gender, race, sexuality, and immigration status. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing from Knox College. Her first VR documentary short, “Dom,” inspects the nature of power through the eyes of a black dominatrix. Currently, Netsie works as a VR/360 teaching artist for the Reel Grrls/Arts Corps initiative Learning Immersive Technology (LIT).
Sandy Cioffi – Sandy Cioffi is the founder and executive director of fearless360º, a new media and virtual reality production company in Seattle. Sandy recently founded and directed SIFFX 2016, a showcase of the most current and creative thinking in virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and 360° immersion. Sandy has produced and/or directed several films as a film and video artist, including the critically acclaimed Sweet Crude, Crocodile Tears, Terminal 187, and Just Us. She has worked with human rights organizations in using video as a documentation and verification tool, and has also created media design for live performance at the Annex Theater, Hugo House, The Seattle Repertory Theater and On the Boards. As a long-time educator, she has also taught film at Seattle Central Community College, Seattle University, and Cornish College of the Arts.
Vivian Hua (moderator) – Vivian Hua is a writer, filmmaker, and organizer who worked with NWFF in various capacities before stepping into her role as Executive Director in October 2018. She first came to the organization as the Co-Founder of the national film and civil rights discussion series, The Seventh Art Stand, and then as the organization’s Design Lead, where she led rebranding efforts. She has been the Editor-in-Chief of the socially conscious arts publication, REDEFINE, since 2004, and much of her work unifies her interest in the metaphysical with her belief that art can positively transform the self and society. Her narrative short film, Searching Skies–which touches on the controversial topic of Syrian refugee resettlement in the United States–was released in 2017, after making festival rounds. She is currently writing her next film projects, as well as researching national efforts to preserve cultural space.
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UPDATE: Read our blog about what we heard at the May 29 Mixer
The Mixer | Seattle 