Online 45 hour 3 month course details
hello all, i am traveling and wifi is not stable so i meant to get this out sooner but alas, red path realities.
this post contains much of the information in the sign-up document sent to approved applicants. you will still have to apply first. But I wanted to show the pertinent details here so that you can decide if you even want to apply.
first: here is the webpage that includes the application and links to relevant material around the course: Deathclown Demo Group 2023 | Animist Arts
I may update this article and the above webpage as needed on-the-go during august so bookmark them as you will not get any notifications for updates.
now for the details:
The overall structure
The three month container and curriculum will be delivered in three ways:
Full-group weekend sessions led by Dare, including lecture and large and small group exercises, for a total of < 24 > hours;
Smaller-group cohort auxiliary practice sessions facilitated by Dare, for a total of < 21 > hours;
A Telegram group to share and stay connected throughout the course, check-in about assignments and whatever else y’all design and initiate to support yourselves in this art-making crucible.
The above graphic contains a visual breakdown of the dates. I made it so that the course is finished before “thanksgiving”. (don’t ask a taino descended person how they feel about that “holiday” but go wild, eat food, love yr family.)
Granular breakdown of dates
This schedule is 90% solid, with some room for flexibility as we all go forward on this journey together. ALL TIMES ARE LISTED IN PST. The weeks are categorized by the Wednesday aux session. Aux sessions are 3 hours long on WEDNESDAYS and exact time is based on your cohort (see cohort section below). During skip! weeks we will still communicate via telegram app (see tech section below)
Month 0 - August
There will be a free online meet & greet that will be hosted while I am traveling, sometime at the end of august. More details to come.
Finalizing all fully paid students and assigning cohorts.
Month 1
Week 1&2: Sept 9 & 16
Sept 9: 7am-10am, break, 3pm-6pm PST. Sept 16: TBD
Weeks 2-4: Sept 13, 20, 27: 3 hrs each Weds, exact time depending on Cohort (see below)
Month 2
Week 5: No meeting this week: use this time for rest, integration, art-making! Oct 4 (we will communicate via telegram app, see tech section below)
Week 6: Oct 11
Week 7: No meeting this week: use this time for rest, integration, art-making! Oct 18 (we will communicate via telegram app, see tech section below)
midterms! Sat Oct 21 or Sun Oct 22 -. (we will decide which day/time as a cohort)
Week 8: Oct 25
Month 3
Week 9: No meeting this week: use this time for rest, integration, art-making - (check in via telegram based on that weeks prompts HALLOWEEN EDITION)
Week 10: Nov 8
Week 11: Nov 15
Week 12: Finals! Nov 18 or 19 (we will decide which day/time as a cohort)
The cohorts
Depending on the total number of students and the different time zones, there will be 2-3 cohorts. The cohorts will meet at different times during the week for the auxiliary sessions. The auxiliary sessions are not “optional” but I am leaving some wiggle room so that people can make-up missed classes at another time slot. However, it is highly likely that there will just be 2-3 sessions happening on a single day. This is so that when I am traveling I hope to make it easier for myself by blocking out a single day for all the aux sessions.
As we move forward, I will be creating cohorts based on time zone, total number and personal intuition. Cohorts will range from 8-15 people. If it works out, there will only be two cohorts.
As it stands now:
WEDNESDAYS (because weekends are always packed)
Cohort A PST Morning Time TBD
Cohort B PST Afternoon Time TBD
Cohort C PST Evening Time TBD
If you need to know exactly when these are happening i can only give you a range during morning, afternoon, evening.
Each session is 3 hours long, so if hypothetically there are three cohorts, then it might look something like
10-1, 2-5, 6-9 PST
Or it might look like 7-10am, 11-2, etc. depending on if the group needs more early times.
But I also can't really have 20 ppl in one cohort and 5 in another, it has to be more distributed than that so students can get attention.
If there are two cohorts, the range will be 8-15 ppl each. If there are three cohorts the range will be 8-10 ppl each.
Here is a time zone converter so you can see my time PDT/PST in relation to yours https://www.worldtimebuddy.com/
You will need to check your time zone and any seasonal changes in regard to my time zone whenever those happen for your location.
Missing dates
I only want you to attend this course if you can commit to all the weekend dates and most/all of the aux dates. The main weekend dates are a non-negotiable for me as a teacher. I would say you can miss max two of the seven aux sessions and it will be on you to meet up with fellow cohort members to catch yourself up. I also will request to know exactly what dates you will miss so i can have some sense of each cohort sessions number.
The cost
Ideally you will pay the full fee ($500) before August 15th to secure your spot.
(if you send the fee before applying i will not accept it)
At this moment there are more applicants than the maximum number I can include in the course, so your spot is not guaranteed until you send the fee. I cannot give refunds for any reason. I must do this to protect myself in this society and culture.
I will not consider you part of the course until you have sent the full fee.
While in a “perfect” world i would offer payment plans and also have the administrative support to track everything, keep in mind this course is being offered at 50%-100% off the full market value of $1000.00-$2000.00
I based this on the total hours given per student, which is 45, plus I am hosting more than that because there are multiple aux cohort sessions. If this course were full price, then yes, I probably would have a sizable deposit and then monthly fees, but it would probably be the exact same setup: 500 down and 250 a month times two months for the 1k fee, etc. This is why I need help funding and marketing the work, etc. etc. Colonial Capitalism is complete madness, and it corrupts our ability to share our gifts with each other.
Once you have paid the fee, I will contact you about which cohort is best suited for your time zone availability. If you need to know which cohort before you commit, I understand but I have not figured out how to make that sequence feasible in any sane way. This doesn’t mean there isn’t a good way, just that I haven't figured it out.
A final note on cost- i need a minimum number of people to sign up to even run this course. At this moment I would say I need 15, with a max of 30. At this time 33 people's applications have been accepted and are able to sign up. In the event that I don't have enough people by September 9, I will give those that have signed up either an altered class schedule worth 500 and/or private sessions, and/or some combination of services that honors their payment. After all, I am still going to create the curriculum.
The tech
There are various technologies we will be using in the 3 month course.
The first and foremost is the zoom app, which must be updated frequently.
In addition to zoom you should have a functional camera and microphone.
Here are some ideas:
Visual
I use the Camo - Great video made easy (reincubate.com) app on my windows laptop and on my iphone to use my iphone as a webcam. You can attach your phone to your laptop or use a camera stand or tripod as you wish. I use this combination of hardware:
RAUBAY Monitor Top Camera Mount Clamp, Hanging Webcam Stand with 1/4" Screw, for Live Stream, Video Conferencing, YouTube, TikTok, etc. CM-01
combined with a clamp like this:
Ailun Tripod Phone Mount Holder Head Standard Screw Adapter Rotatable Digtal Camera Bracket Selfie Lens Monopod Adjustable Ring Light for Camcorder,Compatible for Most Cellphones iPhone
There are many rabbit holes to go down in terms of hardware and software and it's a good idea to try and understand what you are wanting in terms of your ease of use and be prepared as soon as possible, using the hardware and software long before the first class starts.
For mac users there is a whole component called continuity camera, with associated hardware for that as well. Please refer to this article for more ideas:
How to Turn Your Phone Into a Webcam (2022): Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android | WIRED
Of course, you can also use another external webcam or integrated webcam but even with those it is good to have adjunctive software that maximizes the potential of the cameras. This is why I use Camo, but a free professional program is called OBS Studio which is considerably more complex but is open-source/no cost, and provides many of the same functions as Camo. You will have to learn the software though.
Audio
For the microphone there are many options, all depending on what is available to you and your computer. It is useful again to try and understand what you want in terms of stability and mobility. This will determine if you want a wired or wireless option, and the reality of keeping the wireless options charged. Many people own airpods which seem to function well enough. I do not have airpods but I do have many different options, including a wired usb condenser microphone (irig mic HD2) and many wired and wireless options, most of which are very cheap.
I believe there is also an option with camo and using your iphone as a camera to use the integrated mic in the iphone as a mic at the same time, using the zoom audio interface, but i have not tried this yet. In any event, it will be good to have options for people to hear you when you are not close to the screen.
You will also be required to be familiar with changing your audio settings on zoom to muffle various background noises.
Internet & Space Setting
If possible, you should use a wired internet/ethernet connection and not rely on wifi during the sessions. For some computers a dongle is needed to plug an ethernet cable into the device and set it up. again, you need to figure this out on your machine.
It is also good to unplug your modem completely for 60 seconds and plug it back in to refresh the strength of the signal before the sessions.
Depending on the strength of your internet service, others on the same network may interfere with your signal. This is all case by case dependent and requires you to be proactive with troubleshooting, not just reactive, testing your devices, hardware and software and various connections based on the exact locations you want to attend the classes from. If you need extension cords and accessories to make your computer the right height, with the right lighting and such, you need to experiment asap. Likewise if you are casting the screen to an external monitor or roku smart tv.
You should also close all extra applications and put your phone on airplane mode.
You should take the sessions in a private space where you can move freely including lay on the ground comfortably and have a range of seating for your personal needs.
Lighting
In terms of lighting do not be backlit, although if you have camo, you have many blur features to diffuse the harsh light and make a very crisp image, but there are times when you will need to not have any blur in the background during some exercises. Again, understand your options and become skilled in switching between them.
Communication between sessions
In terms of staying in contact with your cohort between sessions and completing the various homework assignments, I will be assigning each cohort access to a google drive, as well as using the Telegram app which has both free mobile and desktop software.
The telegram app works with your phone number to engage in a private group that i will invite you into so that you can check in on the go, away from your laptop/desktop, as well as be able to check in outside of social media apps such as instagram, facebook or reddit.
You will have to set up telegram on your phone and desktop, as well as complete the steps to link your devices. Communicating via telegram will also cut down on emails from me to you, and provide alternate means of accessing the material and activities between sessions.