vurv platform

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goals of this document

_ Clearly define the value that vurv provides practitioners in facilitating community, sharing knowledge, supporting their practice and amplifying their work.

_ Outline a structure that sustains vurv as an active community with minimal administrative responsibility (so we spend more time making stuff).

_ Define a decision-making model not reliant on unanimous agreement so that an individual core member, member, or collaborator can develop their own vision unimpeded, or, step away for an extended period w/out hindering progress of the collective.

_ Clearly define best practices to assure that only exceptional work is being produced under the vurv moniker.

_ Provide upward mobility and ownership of the vurv community and its work to reward active members who demonstrate vision and initiative.


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vurv

vurv is a tech-art collective specializing in the conception and production of emerging media artworks, installations and events.
Our members are artists, designers, engineers, audiophiles and all-around creative thinkers.
We empower each other through 2 primary initiatives: Jam Sessions & Projects.


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jam sessions

Jam Sessions are where we meet each other, exchange ideas, and co-work.
Attendance is open to anyone who values curiosity, friendship, humility, diversity, and professionalism.
Jam Session attendees are empowered to organize themselves and their projects.
Core members of vurv will occasionally set a formal agenda to guide organizational culture.
All jam session attendees should complete the vurv network visualization survey (vurvey r2) in advance of, or during, their first Jam Session.
The Network Visualization enables new and existing members and collaborators to find collaboration partners and acts as a tangible snapshot of the vurv community.

The Benefit
Got an interesting idea or a nifty skill?
The Jam Session can help you find funding, exhibition space, and resources to execute, document and promote your project.
Get connected to our extensive network of designers, artists, technologists, and AIPP contacts. (*finger gun + wink)

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projects

We are a project-driven collective.
A project could be an experimental prototype, immersive installation, social media initiative, art exhibition, workshop, or event.
Basically any planned activity that seeks to utilize and/or support the vurv network.
There are two types of projects; experiments and exhibitions.

The Benefit
Realize your vision by collaborating with vurv practitioners on projects.
Not sure where to start?
Find collaborators through the Jam Session, vurv Network Visualization, or on Slack.
Promote your projects through vurv.co or on instagram @vurv.co.


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experiments

An experiment is any investigation of a technology or idea.
The exact nature of an experiment is determined solely by its inventor(s) without intervention of vurv core members.
For these projects, vurv is simply a network of supportive co-creators, resources, and friends.

The Benefit
Create what you want to see and follow that where it takes you.
Experiments are an important part of how our practitioners learn from and support one another.
(Let’s make stuff!)


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exhibition projects

An exhibition project represents vurv in an official capacity to an outside audience.
Examples include public art installations, grant-funded projects, client projects, or group exhibitions.
At the exhibition level we hold each other to exceptional standards in conceptual development, technical execution, and professionalism.

The Benefit
The Exhibition Project structure (see sec. 7 & 8) is a roadmap to successful collaboration for teams of 3 or more.
Exhibition Projects are about working together to create the best work we can, to reach the widest audiences we can, and to knock those audiences’ socks off.


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exhibition project requirements

_ Funded, somehow.
_ Reach a substantial audience outside vurv.
_ Result in an exhibitable ‘experience’ with a strong concept/narrative/story.
_ Be delivered on time, in scope, and within budget.
_ Are documented for social media and vurv.co.
_ Have a dedicated project sponsor.
_ (3) Production Reviews

The Benefit
Your vurv affiliation should bring you clout.
When you bump into someone who has worked with us, seen our work, or heard about us they should be impressed. And they will be because we hold our Exhibition Projects to these standards.


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project sponsor and production reviews

Exhibition Projects require a project sponsor and (3) production reviews. The sponsor is a vurv core member focused on the successful production of the project. The sponsor can not also be a design or development lead on the project. The sponsor identifies milestones, facilitates collaboration, and creates a project time path and budget. They also organize (3) Production reviews for the project, with at least 1 additional partner in attendance:


Project Kickoff, at least 12 weeks from install.
Identify project team + roles. Review the project timeline and budgetary plans.


Prototype Review, at least 6 weeks from install
What could make this even better? Where are our risks and safety nets?


Final Staging, at least 2 weeks from install
Final staging/rehearsal/bug-testing/user-testing. Replicate instal circumstances.

The above milestones are guidelines and may not make sense in every case. Generally speaking through, 3 months is a minimum timeline for a healthy project and the above milestones make sense for that general timeline. Is your project different? Cool. Show your project sponsor a better way.

The Benefit
Ready to create something and put it out into the world? The project sponsor and production reviews encourage you to push your limits. Through reviews, vurv provides professional-level consultation on timeline, budget, concept development, technical execution and user experience. Creating exhibition-worthy work should be challenging, but not exhausting. We can help each other by mitigating risks and critiquing constructively.


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upward mobility

Any vurv practitioner who has completed (3) Exhibition Projects is eligible to become a vurv Core Member. As a result of this requirement, Core Member candidates are skilled at executing sophisticated interactive installations within collaborative team environments. (Final confirmation of this promotion is subject to a vote by vurv partners.)

The Benefit
As a Core Member, your initiative, creative vision, and interpersonal skills are rewarded with influence over vurv. You can now spearhead Exhibition Projects as a project sponsor, participate in project reviews, and weigh in on core discussions that affect vurv culture. As a bonus, Core Members are encouraged to list vurv as a reference or accomplishment on their personal resumes.


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mixing it up


The vurv collective started out as a few people with a few different skills coming together to create something we couldn’t individually. Over the past three years it has grown to dozens of people with a myriad of differences creating things we couldn’t have imagined in the beginning. But the core organizing body remains predominantly caucasian. We value diversity so project sponsorship and core member confirmations will favor intersectionality.


The Benefit
As curious people we like creating with people who are unlike us, because their perspectives and opinions make us see our work and the world in new and interesting ways. Diversity among our members and collaborators makes our collaboration, and ultimately our work, more interesting. Simple as that.


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slackers


Vurv also has a Slack channel. Online communication has been a big part of our evolution. There are dozens of members on the vurv Slack. Some active weekly, some mostly in the digital shadows. (Hey, it’s cool. We <3 our lurkers.) Anyone is welcome to join in on discussions or create their own.

The Benefit
Introduce yourself! To all kinds of people. Creatives, engineers, designers. All of them at least moderately interested in art, technology and collaboration. The slack is also a great way to keep tabs on jam sessions, exhibitions, and other vurv activities. Some members visit just for inspiration. Huzzah!