Village Gamer

All artists are observers of life, though it’s not every day you encounter an artist who has the official title of “creature supervisor.” But that is indeed the hat most often worn by Vancouver artist James Stewart, who created the lead character in The Chronicles of Narnia, and was responsible for creating the giant, prawn-like aliens in District 9.

Stewart’s successful career in the film industry has taken him to over 45 countries spanning four continents. Also an accomplished photographer, he has rigorously documented his travels and the thousands of lives that have touched his. These experiences find their way into his artwork. Most recently, he has returned home to create ‘Pangea,’ a series of beautiful and life-like bronze sculptures.

Pangea is the term for Earth’s landmass before it shifted to the continents we know today. It refers to a time when everything was together and connected. Stewart’s imagination is fuelled by his interest in other cultures, and his over-arching vision with this series, which is that our common roots speak about how we all remain connected. He maintains that connection can be seen clearly, even in our diverse cultures, if our observation is close and careful enough.

Stewart’s work, which is highly realistic and traditional, is also strikingly contemporary in how it is created. He imbues his figures with the subtlety of gesture, which brings them alive. While very familiar with working from a live model, Stewart created these works by referring to the exhaustive photographic records he takes while travelling. Working in front a large video screen and using multiple images, he re-creates his experiences in oil-based clay. He has been compared to a photojournalist who is reporting in 3-D.

Using the “cire perdue,” or lost wax method, Stewart works with the finest foundry, Artworks, to fabricate the bronze. This technique dates back to ancient Greece and was used by such renowned artists as Bernini and Rodin. The completed piece is then used to make a mould, which is used in the casting of the bronze artwork. Upon completion of the edition the artist will supervise the destruction of the mould.

Stewart’s incredible eye for detail (the kind most artists dream about) allows the viewer to enter his original experience. Looking at his sculptures induces an almost voyeuristic feeling. The eye can freely linger over intimate details — knock-kneed legs, poor teeth, wrinkled clothes, etc. — in a way that in real life would constitute staring. Here, it’s just close observation, a practice the artist would like to wholeheartedly encourage.

These sculptures, which represent the best techniques of the old and the new worlds, will be on display Wednesday to Sunday, 12pm to 6pm, from September 10^th to October 2^nd at 5 West Pender Street in Vancouver.

Alliance numérique has announced the launch of Montreal Digital (MTL DGTL), a new festival dedicated to the interactive digital content industry, and presented by the Canada Media Fund. This first edition, which will take place on October 31st,  November 1st and 2nd, will include four different events with programs focusing on mobility, the Web, video games, as well as research and development in partnership with media technology.

“Montreal is a key platform at the heart of major innovations within the digital industry,” says Pierre Proulx, CEO of Alliance numérique. “Montreal Digital will help in the outreach of all market spheres, both locally and abroad, through its role as the centre of world excellence with respect to creation, production and distribution of interactive digital content. We are proud to be leading this initiative which aims to bring together various players of the industry.”

MTL DGTL strives to unify professionals of the digital industry at the provincial, national and international levels by using conferences that encourage meetings, networking and sharing.

In order to meet the needs of the industry, programming has been divided into four portions:

Mobiz – a whole new event that is entirely dedicated to mobility and will allow attendees to network, as they learn more about the latest leading edge developments, as well as industry best practices.

Web-In – aims to help industry professionals in breaking new ground and reinventing the Web of the future by encouraging them to be a step ahead of common observation, leave their comfort zone and question their certainties through micro-conferences.

Consortium en innovation numérique du Québec (CINQ) – Innovation Symposium is a networking space for entrepreneurs and research specialists to foster the development of technical, scientific, financial and commercial partnerships.

The Montreal International Game Summit (MIGS) – is an international event that offers continuous training and networking opportunities for professionals, and contributes to the outreach of the video game industry. It values sharing and the development of new business partnerships.

Western Canada’s digital media sector will receive a major boost thanks to federal funding through Western Economic Diversification Canada. This investment will help Graphics Animation and New Media NCE Inc. (GRAND) improve technology transfer and research commercialization. The announcement took place at the first annual Design Thinking UnConference in Vancouver.

Our investment in GRAND will help provide enormous benefits for B.C.’s vibrant and growing digital economy, said Andrew Saxton, Member of Parliament for North Vancouver and Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board and for Western Economic Diversification, on behalf of the Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification. This project will provide new technologies, exciting knowledge-based jobs and stronger, more competitive companies.

Funding will help deliver a two-year targeted small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) outreach, commercialization, and technology transfer program. The program will take place first in British Columbia and then be expanded to Alberta in the second year.

The program will build partnerships and educate the digital media community about GRAND’s activities. Initiatives include targeted work with local SMEs on technology transfer and business creation projects, including the development of research that could form the basis of new companies, and workshops that teach businesses how to attract start-up funding.

The program expects to develop nine technology prototypes, conduct 40 technology demonstrations and bring nine technologies to market. WD funding signals the federal government’s continued support for Canada’s flourishing digital media industry.

GRANDis uniquely positioned to deliver cutting research to the marketplace, explained Kellogg Booth, scientific director, GRAND. Digital media research conducted within our network has the potential to directly impact the products, services and businesses of tomorrow and the everyday lives of Canadians. GRAND researchers are active all across Canada. The WD investment will be a catalyst for our western initiatives.

GRAND NCE is a multidisciplinary, federally funded research network focused in the areas of New Media, Animation and Games. Based in B.C. at the Great Northern Way Campus, GRAND has 24 university members across Canada (including the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, Emily Carr University of Art + Design, University of Victoria, University of Alberta, University of Calgary, University of Saskatchewan and University of Manitoba), and more than 30 industry partners.

Western Economic Diversification Canada works with the provinces, industry associations and communities to promote the development and diversification of the western economy, coordinates federal economic activities in the West and advances the interests of western Canadians in national decision making.

From the organizers of the very popular GamerCamp comes GamerCamp Jr. Toronto developers Mark and Jaime want to help the next generation of designers become more games literate and support any games-related ventures to express themselves whether it be as an enthusiastic player, a creative developers, or a thoughtful part of the media.

GamerCamp Junior offers a three part program to this venture for creative youngsters:

Game kits—We’re really excited for the game kits, which focus on critically thinking about why a game works or doesn’t work and then attempt to inspire remixing of the game to guide children in making their own games. For example, we took the beloved game Scrabble and created an entirely new game using the same board and pieces—this is one way to demonstrate to children that creating games isn’t bounded by programming experience or access to materials. We wanted to focus on kits that could be accessed from anywhere, so that children from across Canada can check us out. There are three kits right now spanning digital, physical, and board games: each are free to download on our website and come in a handy PDF.

Website—The Gamercamp Jr website will be the hub for all activity. We’ll be working with more game makers to create new kits to add to our library and as we find more information on helping children learn about making games we will post them to the website. We’d love to do a video on how games are made and are currently looking into resources to help accomplish this. The website is also where information about the meet-ups will be posted and you can also learn other ways to get involved with Gamercamp Jr!

Live Meet-ups—We think building a community is pretty amazing stuff—so having children and parents come together to work on games and meet other interested children and parents seems like a no-brainer. We know parents love making games too and trying out cool activities so Gamercamp Jr meet-ups requires both the child and parent/guardian to show up. Geared for kids 9 -13, the first GamerCamp Jr. Live Meet-up happens September 10, 2011 and is completely free. We’ll be working through the activities in the kits and more. Register now to participate.

By the way, the next regular GamerCamp takes place on November 25th through 27th. Tickets go on sale next month.

With just seven weeks left until the Ontario election, Damian Sommer, a student at George Brown College, has developed a video game where the player must dodge obstacles like tuition fees, debt and apathy to tackle a ballot box. The game is part of the Canadian Federation of Students – Ontario ‘Take It Over‘ campaign and can be played online.

“Drawing on the skills of our members, this game was designed to be a fun way to engage Ontarians about voting on October 6,” said Cindy Brownlee, Director of Education and Equity for the Student Association of George Brown College. “George Brown students, like students across Ontario, are struggling to pay high tuition fees and high levels of debt, so it’s important for us to encourage students to vote.”

“As students face another year of a five per cent tuition fee increase, we decided to offer them some relief from the stress that growing student debt causes through this game,” said Sandy Hudson. “The ‘Take It Over’ campaign has several components that are interactive and we hope that Ontarians will take the  chance to tackle the ballot box through our game, and then vote in the fall.”

The Nintendo-style game launched this morning as a browser game and will be available as a mobile app in the next few weeks. To date, students have released seven videos, held actions across Ontario and talked to hundreds of students about the importance of voting and the promises being made by the political parties to reduce the costs of college and university education.

The Canadian Federation of Students – Ontario unites more than 300,000 college and university undergraduate and graduate students studying at post-secondary institutions in all regions the province.

More children in southern Ontario will be able to experience real-world scientific issues and innovations thanks to an investment in Actua announced by Peter Braid, Member of Parliament for Kitchener-Waterloo, on behalf of the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).

“Our Government recognizes the importance of preparing young people for today’s high-tech economy,” said MP Braid. “By developing our next generation of scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians, we can help drive innovation and keep the economy growing in southern Ontario for years to come.”

Actua, a national science, engineering and technology youth outreach network, will receive up to $1.25 million to enhance its customized programming designed to engage youth who are typically underrepresented and underserved in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. This includes Aboriginal youth, girls, underprivileged youth, at-risk youth and youth living in remote areas or inner-city neighbourhoods. The funding will help Actua create more spaces in southern Ontario for children to participate in summer camps, classroom workshops, clubs and community outreach activities. These are delivered by university undergraduate students in science, technology and engineering programs who are instructors for Actua network members.

“We are extremely pleased to have this opportunity to grow our southern Ontario members’ capacities to deepen the impact and broaden the reach of our STEM programming, especially for youth who are underserved and underrepresented in STEM. This FedDev Ontario contribution will enhance Actua’s significant contributions to building the next generation of Ontario innovators!” said Jennifer Flanagan, President and CEO of Actua.

The investment is provided through FedDev Ontario’s Youth STEM Initiative, aimed at encouraging students in kindergarten through grade 12 to pursue an education or career in the STEM fields. For more information about the program and Actua, please refer to the backgrounder.

FedDev Ontario was created as part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan to support businesses and communities in southern Ontario. Now in its second year of operation, the Agency has launched a number of initiatives to create a Southern Ontario Advantage and place the region in a strong position to compete in the global economy. These initiatives are designed to support businesses and other organizations through partnerships and investments in skills and training; innovation; research and development; and increased productivity. To learn more, please visit the web site or call 1-866-593-5505.

The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, announces that Youth Employment Services (YES) will receive $1,012,022 in non-repayable funding to continue financing its Entrepreneurship program for a three-year period ending March 31, 2014.

“The Government of Canada is proud to support Youth Employment Services, which plays a crucial role in encouraging young members of the Greater Montréal English-speaking community to go into business for themselves,” said Minister Lebel.

This assistance will enable YES to continue offering services, including personalized counselling, business management training, networking and mentoring programs, to help the region’s youth in their efforts to start up a business.

In 2009-2010, some 2,200 young clients availed themselves of the organization’s services, for a total of nearly 9,000 visits. Each year, YES lends its support to the creation of about 200 small and medium-sized enterprises. This funding has been granted through the Community Diversification program.

The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, has announced that the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Economic Development Commission (FNQLEDC) has been granted $98,201 in non-repayable funding for the establishment of First Nations young entrepreneur clubs.

“The Government of Canada supports the creation of these clubs, whose primary mission will be to stimulate entrepreneurship among young members of the First Nations,” explained Minister Lebel.

Allocated over a three-year period, this financial assistance will enable the FNQLEDC to hire a coordinator to organize a variety of activities for First Nations community members between the ages of 18 and 35. These will include, among other things, conferences with Native entrepreneurs, enterprise visits, networking events, information sessions on the resources available to young entrepreneurs looking to start a business, and a series of training sessions. In the first year, the clubs will draw their clientele from various Native communities, including those in Lac Simon, Kitigan Zibi and Uashat.

This contribution from the Government of Canada has been granted through the Community Diversification program.

CDI College has opened a new campus in Victoria BC, making it easier for residents of the Island to get the career training they need, without having to travel to the Mainland. For more than 40 years, CDI College has provided thousands of Canadians with the skills and knowledge they need to successfully pursue new careers.

The new campus in Victoria will bring that wealth of experience to a wider range of students and allow them to train closer to home. With increased growth on Vancouver Island, there is greater demand for well-trained professionals in many communities. Applications are now being accepted for all programs at the new Victoria campus.

“Our graduates are in high-demand across the country, and we’re excited to offer residents of Victoria and the surrounding communities the opportunity to train with us,” says Bohdan Bilan, VP of Academics. “Students who enroll at CDI College will benefit from our small classes, industry-experienced instructors and our hands-on method of teaching.”

The new Victoria campus will offer several programs including Accounting and Payroll, Health Care Assistant, Paralegal, Addictions and Community Services Worker, and many more. With start dates staggered throughout the year, CDI College in Victoria makes it easy to head back to school, no matter what your situation.

Randy Cox, President of CDI College attributes Vancouver Island’s growth in the last several years as the reason for expansion. “Recently, we’ve seen huge demand for trained professionals in the areas of business and healthcare across the Island. This makes it the perfect time to open our latest campus in Victoria.”

CDI College grads become part of an extensive alumni network composed of thousands of professionals in the business, technology and healthcare fields. These connections prove invaluable when starting out in a new career field. With 21 campus locations across Canada, CDI College grads are recognized throughout the country.

Vancouver Freelance Camp is having their second annual, information packed UNconference on Saturday, September 10th at The Network Hub New Westminster, which is situated at Unit 205 – 810 Quayside Drive. Experienced business personnel and successful local freelancers will be sharing their stories as well as insight on how to grow a freelancer’s business.

This is a true UNconference, the schedule is created the morning of when the attendees arrive. The camp will open at 9:00am with guests pitching to be presenters for the day and the freelancers vote on who they want to hear speak. Registration for Freelance Camp is just $10.00 +HST, with the proceeds going to charity.

Topics from landing a freelancer’s dream project to dealing with the nitty gritty details of doing business will be discussed. The Freelance Camp is the opportunity to make connections with like-minded people across many fields. Over 130 people attended last year’s event, including freelancers from Victoria, Kelowna and Seattle. The UNconference hosted 22 presentations where 196 cups of Waves Coffee was consumed. You won’t leave empty handed either because $5400 worth of goodies and $448 worth of door prizes were given to attendees last year to make being a freelancer even better. Attendees were also part of a wave of social broadcasting with 1478 tweets mentioning the event and were also a top trending topic in Canada on twitter for three hours.

The success of Freelance Camp raised $1100 last year and donated all its proceeds to Mental Health Camp – a conference on examining the possibilities of using social media to achieve and maintain mental health. It is important to Freelance Camp to give back to local initiatives and was excited to have Mental Health Camp as the benefactor.

The satisfaction of last year’s event has propelled Vancouver Freelance Camp to make this year’s event even bigger and accessible to more freelancers. We’ll be the first local event to use Google+ Hangouts to engage a maximum of 25 attendees per session off-site. Through live streaming video, participants can view and ask questions in Google+ Hangout allowing for 725 online viewings.