CODE Programme 2022
Reclaiming Digital Agency
How to influence politics to fight for our digital rights? How do we make sure politicians and policymakers are aware of what is at stake in the technology space? How can we regulate big tech companies, curb their power, and protect our digital rights? What role should governments play, and how can we make them understand the urgency to act? What can we as concerned citizens, researchers, and artists do to support this process?
CODE seeks to bring together artists, non-artists, politicians, policy makers and researchers from Germany, Belgium, and The Netherlands to engage in dialogue, critical discussion, and artistic intervention. We hope to be able to influence public policy on a national and international level, by creating awareness for issues at hand, and by defining ways in which we can improve laws and legislation that will protect us as digital citizens and consumers. We want to inspire and facilitate cross-disciplinary collaborations, which hopefully have the potential to catalyse system change.
Each edition starts with a call for applicants. Selected participants will have the opportunity to work closely together in a co-creation process of three months consisting of a series of digital events: two workshops, a public symposium, a hackathon, various presentations at inspiring festivals, and an online exhibition. The events are spread over several months: from late March/early April till June, with presentations of the project’s outcome expected in September.
During this period, together we develop interventions and awareness campaigns to expose the power of tech companies and to activate politicians, policymakers and citizens to take action.
CODE 2022 is the second edition of CODE, and it organised by IMPAKT [Centre for Media Culture] together with School of Machines, Making & Make Believe (Berlin), Werktank (Leuven) and Privacy Salon/Privacytopia (Brussels/Antwerp). CODE 2022 is realised thanks to the kind support of Fonds Soziokultur, Fonds voor Cultuurparticipatie, Nederlandse Ambassade in België (Koninkrijk der Nederlanden), Nederlandse Ambassade in Duitsland (Koninkrijk der Nederlanden), Stichting Democracy and Media, Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie and Goethe Institut.
Explore our CODE Events:
Open call for participants (closed)
The Open call is closed. But if you want to read more:
CODE 2022 participants announced
In February 2022 we launched the second CODE open call for participants, i.c.w. School of Machines, Making & Make Believe, Werktank and Privacy Salon/Privacytopia. The open call was open to anyone from Germany, Belgium, and The Netherlands who shared our concern about digital rights and the power of big tech companies. We are happy to announce the 22 selected participants for the CODE 2022 programme. Together we will engage in dialogue, critical discussion, and artistic intervention to raise awareness about our digital rights.
We received over 80 applications from artists, researchers and concerned citizens. The participants were selected on the basis of their motivation. The aim of the CODE 2022 programme is to influence public policy on a national and international level, by creating awareness and by defining ways in which we can improve laws and legislation that will protect us as digital citizens and consumers.
Introduction + Workshop 1 - 8 & 9 April
CPDP - 23, 24 & 25 May
During the hackathon, the participants got together in the various physical spaces, and were connected to the other physical spaces and some participants joining from home through a hybrid video conferencing setup. They were asked to form groups of people of various backgrounds, interested in working on the same topic. They talked amongst each other in breakout rooms, to share and pitch ideas. On the second day, the mentors helped them concretise their ideas, and gave feedback on what they though could be improved.
Computer Privacy & Data Protection Conference in Brussels
At the Computer Privacy & Data Protection Conference in Brussels (BE), CODE had a booth set up where the participants could speak with various people interested in the project. There was also a round-table discussion with the participants, mentors, and interested guests, in which the relationship between art and politics was discussed. The participants shared their ideas about how art can be used to raise awareness with politicians, and how it can be used to influence policy.
Workshop 2 - 9 June
During this second workshop, the participants worked on their projects further to concretise them, and come to some sort of a first minimum viable product, or a prototype of their project. During this workshop, the mentors also gave their feedback on the more concrete projects, which helped the participants improve their projects and make some key last minute changes.
CODE Public Event - 1 July (Canceld)
CODE DURING UITFEEST / RONDJE SINGEL 2022
Hoe kunnen we grote techbedrijven als Facebook en Google harder aanpakken en onze digitale rechten beschermen? Welke rol zouden overheden moeten spelen? En wat kun jij doen? Tijdens het Uitfeest / Rondje Singel op 11 september 2022 nodigen we je uit om mee te denken over digitale rechten met CODE 2022.
CODE at the Dutch Media Week: DIGITAL RIGHTS ON THE POLITICAL AGENDA
7 October at the Dutch Media Week (12:00 – 12:45)
Hoe kunnen we politici en beleidsmakers bewust maken van de invloed van de ontwikkelingen in de digitale technologie? Welke rol zouden overheden moeten spelen en wat kunnen wij als betrokken burgers, onderzoekers en kunstenaars doen om dit proces te ondersteunen? Tijdens de Dutch Media Week gaat IMPAKT [Centrum voor Mediacultuur] in gesprek met Tweede Kamerlid Lisa van Ginneken (D66) over de veranderingen die nodig zijn om Big-Techbedrijven te reguleren, hun macht te beteugelen en het gebruik van technologie te binden aan betere ethische normen.
Tijdens de Dutch Media week presenteren we ook het CODE project Turning Tables: een kaartspel dat de Big Tech veranderd in Fun Tech.
CODE AT THE DUTCH DESIGN WEEK
Get Set for Digital Rights in Klokgebouw
This year we collaborate with the Dutch Design Week to present CODE: Reclaiming Digital Agency at one of the key locations of the festival in the creative district of Strijp-S in Eindhoven: the Klokgebouw.
Over the last months we worked with 22 participants in a series of workshops, hackathons and other public events. Working in cross-disciplinary teams, the participants developed creative interventions and awareness campaigns to expose the power of tech companies and to activate politicians, policymakers and citizens to take action.
During the DDW week we present a selection of these interventions. From a game to experience the power of lobbyists, to an interactive installation about the way we are constantly being tracked online, all the interventions are intended to engage and activate the DDW audience in a creative and playful way.
Turning Tables at the IMPAKT Festival 2022
It’s Time to Play a New Game. The new IMPAKT card game Turning Tables will be officially launched at the IMPAKT Festival 2022. With this card game, you can turn Big Tech into Fair Tech. With your help, an underpaid Chinese factory work beats Amazon boss Jeff Bezos and an overworked Facebook content moderator can trump Mark Zuckerberg.
Instead of the kings and queens we know from the traditional pack of cards, big tech companies and their CEOs now reign supreme. Turning Tables reflects these power structures and invites you to look critically at the world of Big Tech. The Good Jokers in the game are the inspiring tech critics and whistleblowers who will help you turn the tables and empower the powerless.
More digital agency? Also check out CODE 2021!
To read more about last year’s CODE 2021 Programme, click here: CODE NL-D 2021
To see the webproject presenting the results of CODE 2021, click here: Webproject