Deadline: 28-Jan-21
Are you a startup or an artist from the media field, working with data? Are you willing to make data exploration both entertaining and informative? Do you question the impact of data and technology on individuals and society? If yes, then apply for this MediaFutures Support Programme.
The MediaFutures support programme is looking for artists and startups eager to reshape the media value chain through innovative, inclusive and participatory applications of data and user-generated content.
Open Challenges
The first Open Call covers 4 Challenges.
Three of them are focusing on the coronavirus infodemic, the fourth one is open for other topics. Choose one of them and explain how you will address it through the MediaFutures support programme. Each of the Challenges can be addressed via the use of any dataset or combination of datasets, from those provided by the data infrastructure of MediaFutures, or other open or shared datasets.
The MediaFutures consortium will provide participants of the Open Call with (i) basic training sessions on data management technologies, (ii) a first level of technical support for orienting them within existing databases and tools. Technical developments dedicated to the projects shall be foreseen in their workplans and budgets.
To demonstrate the viability of your project, you should have a clear outline for the data you will require, including feasible strategies to access this data both technically and legally.
Challenges
- Virtual Complexity: In the context of the coronavirus and misinformation, there is an urgent need to engage and empower citizens with data literacy. Therefore they are looking for innovative and inclusive data literacy strategies to account for the complexity of the coronavirus crisis and thus combat the infodemic. Projects should address any of the issues surrounding the management of how citizens receive and engage with (mis)information about coronavirus in innovative ways. That could mean developing software or hardware to address these issues; artworks to highlight various aspects of them; or combinations of both.
- Building Bridges: This challenge seeks platforms, tools and artworks that help find ways to help build bridges between opposing views within and across communities, reconnect society, and encourage new connections. They want to encourage dialogue instead of confrontation, and knit together social fabric that has been torn apart by constant confrontations. Projects should address any of the issues surrounding the fragmentation of society in the context of coronavirus in innovative ways. That could mean developing software or hardware to address these issues; artworks to highlight various aspects of them; or combinations of both.
- The New Media-Tors: Both traditional and new forms of digital media, as well as new social media platforms, thrive on conflict, also in relation to the coronavirus pandemic. They want to strengthen the role of trustworthy mediators – whether they’re journalists, scientists, politicians, libraries, social media networks, influencers, or artists – who can help reduce misinformation, rather than increase its spread. Mediators can moderate polarising views, and help citizens to engage with and understand information in a non-reactionary way.
- Open Challenge: MediaFutures seeks novel solutions to support and strengthen quality journalism, science and science education, transparency and democracy, to help counteract the negative effects of misinformation across society, and help build trust in scientific and democratic institutions. Projects should address any of the issues surrounding misinformation in innovative ways. That could mean developing software or hardware to address these issues; artworks to highlight various aspects of them; or combinations of both.
Benefits
Apply to get the chance to receive:
- Up to €80,000 equity free funding for startups;
- Up to €40,000 for Artists;
- Technical, legal and advisory support;
- Data and computational resources;
- Mentorship and training;
- Networking and peer learning;
- Marketing and promotion through EU events and communities
Eligibility Criteria
- Startups and Artistic Companies
- You must be legally registered as an SME. Groups of 2 to 4 individuals can apply to the MediaFutures programme, as long as you commit to legally register as an SME at the beginning of MediaFutures programme.
- You must be established and work in one of the Member States of the European Union, their Overseas Countries and Territories, H2020 associated countries or the UK.
- Individual Artists
- Individual artists or teams of individual artists, from any artistic field, can apply.
- You can come from any country in the world, provided that you can travel to Europe for the MediaFutures programme.
For more information, visit https://mediafutures.eu/opencall/
