Programming AMRO

AMRO is 3 or 4 days long, depending on how one counts the days. It starts on a wednesday evening, with lectures, and runs till Saturday late night (or Sunday early morning). So 3 days and a starting evening, or 4 days, the first of which begins with participants arrival.

Here an approx program structure:

→ see production page for details about dates and logistics

Each AMRO edition has a title / series of subtitles that informs less a thematic intention for the edition, and rather a lens through which contemporary issues can be observed, and around which the community is invited to bring own contribution through the open call.

The topics for discussion of AMRO develop by:

1. observing aspects of computing, networks and their intersection with wider socio-political conditions
2. are developed from Research Labs happening in the year(s) before
3. in exchange with local community group, loop list, individual exchanges
4. from the practice of other art hosters
5. from the exchange with AMRO participants of previous editions

• Talks, Lectures, Panels
• Workshops, Worklabs, Hands-on
• Performance and Sound
• Video
• Showcase
• other formats ?

Usually out in February/March, but we want it to be out earlier and earlier.
Note for the future: ask why the applicant think their project fits to AMRO.

Does it have to be connected to an AMRO topic?
servus also takes note of some applications for other events.

The review of the open call applications is done by a group oft volunteer AMRO/servus community members and AMRO Team. The program board members have different skillsets, interests and ties with the association.

The review proceeds in rounds, first one individual evaluation, then several group discussions.

• relation to the subject of the open call AMRO26 – Call for Participation | Art Meets Radical Openness
• overall quality and feasibility of the project in the context of AMRO
• use of use of free and open source, non proprietary software and hardware
• wider approach to the spirit of FLOSS and creative commons(+)
• urgency/priority we see in some proposals/topics to be featured

additional aspects that also influence the discussion:

• did the applicant participate already in AMRO?
• young artist / activist
• Project can be presented in some other format (eg proposed 30 min lecture could be a lightning talk) ?
• applications for only showcases or video works. Amro call explicitly asks for multiple formats. in such cases the jury evaluatea if the participant could participate with other formats.

all of the above mentioned is represented by a value:

  A = „I do not find it fitting in amro, but maybe someone else could“
  B = „maybe“, somehow interesting, not be convincing.
  C = „i think this is a good contribution to amro26“

interesting reference how program of OffDem(BE) is structured: https://oxygen.offdem.net/t/welcome-to-offdem-infodesk/272 Offdem is however closer to a worksession rather than a festival.