The Hand Eye Society is very excited to announce that we will be partnering with Oakwood Village Library in East York for the Toronto Arts Council’s Artists In Libraries initiative, taking place in the fall and winter months! We are looking for a local interactive fiction artist (or two!) to spend 12 weekly sessions on-site at the library to develop their own projects, engage with the community, and provide public programming to help people create their own IF works. Read on for more details, and please send any questions to info@handeyesociety.com!

(Note: The Interactive Fiction Writer’s Circle is being developed in conjunction with two other programs, Game Curious and Screenless Games, on different days of the week. Artists for these programs have already been selected, although we may issue a separate call for volunteers and assisting artists.)

Program Information

Location
Oakwood Village Library and Arts Centre
341 Oakwood Ave, Toronto

Program Dates and Times
Thursdays, Sept 28 to Dec 14 (12 weeks)
2:30 to 7:30 PM

Compensation
Minimum $3000 ($50/hour) for on-site residency and activity time.

The selected applicant will work with HES to determine their needs in terms of resources, transportation, programming and preparation time, and additional on-site assistance, which will also be compensated for in addition to the minimum rate above. The allocation of the budget is being determined collectively with the other artists depending on each project’s needs. If the applicant is unable to attend all 12 weeks, we can arrange for other applicants to complement the gaps in scheduling.

Residency Details

Each weekly session consists of about 3 hours of Residency followed by 1.5 hours of Programmed Activity. During the Residency, you will be given space at the library to work on a personal interactive fiction project of your choosing, while being generally available to answer questions from the public. During this process, HES will promote you and your work through our newsletter and social media channels, and provide you with any other assistance or support you may need.

The Programmed Activity is a scheduled project which you will plan with the help of HES and the library. In this case, the format is a “writer’s circle” that aims to offer peer mentorship, guidance, and technical support to anyone who wishes to develop an interactive fiction piece. You will lead a group of participants on an informal drop-in basis to make progress on their work and to gain feedback, insight, and inspiration. HES and the library will promote these sessions online and around the community, and the program will be open to everyone who wishes to join in.

Residency: 2:30 to 6 PM
Programmed Activity: 6 to 7:30 PM

Age range: The IF Writer’s Circle is aimed at older youth and adults. However, the program is free to the general public and open to all, so flexibility and experience working with children and youth is an asset.

Submission Form

*** Please fill out this form before Thursday August 24! ***

Successful applicants will be notified August 31 and will meet with HES staff to plan activities before the Sept 28 start date. The Writer’s Circle shouldn’t require too much advance planning, but HES will be available to help set you up with any resources you might need ahead of time. The ideal candidate should have the following qualifications:

• Is a professional artist* (can be emerging or established) and has complete and publicly available works of interactive fiction or games writing in their body of work
• Is familiar with Twine, Inform, Texture, or other IF engines that are free and able to be easily learned by newcomers
• Has experience working with people from a wide range of ages and backgrounds in informal learning environments

* The TAC defines a professional artist as: Someone who has developed their skills through training and/or practice; is recognized as such by artists working in the same artistic tradition; actively practices their art; seeks payment for their work; and has a history of public presentation.