IM4 Media Lab

Photos from the third and final day of CTRL+ALT+CREATE: Career Pathways in Creative Tech! Thank you to our sponsors for making this workshop series possible! Creative BC (@creativebcs ) DigiBC (@follow_digibc ) Centre for Digital Media (@centredigimedia ) Terra Breads (@terrabreads ) • Sony Pictures Imageworks Tour (@imageworksvfx ) • Entrepreneurial Journey with Josh Nilson • Roblox Workshop with Omar Abdelwahed #CreativeTechnology #IndigenousInnovation #IndigenousTech #ImmersiveTech

Photos from day two of CTRL+ALT+CREATE: Career Pathways In Creative Tech! An inspiring day of workshops and presentations from professionals working in Vancouver’s creative technology industry! • Photogrammetry with Jonny Ostrem (@jonnyostrem ) • Pathways from Skills to Careers with Leah Bartko from First Nations Technology Council (@firstnationstechcouncil ) • Networking 101 with Aryana Raj and Shasha McArthur • Digital Carving and 3D Modelling with Maritza Louis (@_punchy_ ) • 3D Animation: Working with Digital Puppets with Nicole Almeida #CreativeTechnology #IndigenousInnovation #IndigenousTech #ImmersiveTech @creativebcs @follow_digibc @centredigimedia

That's a wrap on CTRL+ALT+CREATE: Career Pathways In Creative Tech! Thank you to all of our instructors and the amazing cohort of Indigenous youth that came together for this three day workshop. We couldn’t have done it without you! Here are some photos from day one! Our workshop facilitator Renae Morriseau with Shasha Mcarthur • Teaching in Immersive Space with Michael Running Wolf (@runningwolfjr ) • Indie and Pro: An Unreal Experience with Neel Nair • Falling with Style: Building My Dream Career in Game Development with Kahentawaks Tiewishaw • VFX in Motion (Design) with Ben McGregor (@benmcgreg_r ) #CreativeTechnology #IndigenousInnovation #IndigenousTech #ImmersiveTech @creativebcs @follow_digibc @centredigimedia

UPDATE: Registration is now closed. Thank you to everyone who signed up and shared! Are you an Indigenous youth age 18–30 curious about a career in Creative Technology? IM4 Lab invites you to CTRL+ALT+CREATE, an immersive 3-day experience designed to open doors into the industry through hands-on workshops, industry presentations, and a studio tour. Meet the instructors behind CTRL+ALT+CREATE: Careers in Creative Tech, facilitated by Renae Morriseau. [ Day 1 - Wed. April 8 ] • Teaching in Immersive Space with Michael Running Wolf (@runningwolfjr ) • Indie and Pro: An Unreal Experience with Neel Nair • VFX in Motion (Design) with Ben McGregor (@benmcgreg_r ) [ Day 2 - Thurs. April 9 ] • Pathways from Skills to Careers with Leah Bartko from First Nations Technology Council (@firstnationstechcouncil ) • Digital Carving and 3D Modelling with Maritza Louis (@_punchy_ ) • 3D Animation: Working with Digital Puppets with Nicole Almeida [ Day 3 - Fri. April 10 ] • Sony Pictures Imageworks Tour (@imageworksvfx ) • Entrepreneurial Journey & Roblox Workshop with Josh Nilson Lunch provided daily. Honorarium provided on day three. 📩 Questions or registration issues? Reach us at [email protected] 🪑 Maximum 10 participants. #CreativeTechnology #IndigenousInnovation #IndigenousTech #ImmersiveTech @creativebcs @follow_digibc @centredigimedia

Our second incredible creative tech artist for the Black Canadians in Creative Tech highlight series is DJ O Show! DJ O Show has worked from Vancouver to Toronto, Las Vegas to Texas, bringing years of experience, expertise, and cultural teachings into all of her work. In her own words, O Show is driven by her passion. She is Afro-Indigenous and a proud member of the Squamish Nation. She has hosted/MC’d/DJ’d for numerous clients such as The Vancouver Canucks, BC Lions, Vancouver Whitecaps, Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week, and opened for Kevin Hart and Russell Peters at The Great Outdoors Comedy Festival. DJ O Show is the recipient of a 2015 BC Indigenous Business Award, a 2018 Stand Out Award from the Vancouver Pride Society, a 2021 Alumni of Excellence Award from Capilano University, and a 2022 International Indigenous Hip Hop Award for DJ of the Year. #IndigenousTech #FutureOfStorytelling #TechMeetsTradition #InnovativeStorytelling #blackhistory365

To kick off our Black Canadians in Creative Tech highlight series, we are starting with IM4’s very own Technical Director Davis Heslep! Davis is an integral part of IM4 and has extensive knowledge in Digital Media Arts Workshop Facilitation and a range of creative tech areas including 360 Capture, MAX/MSP, and 3D Immersive Animation. In addition to the previously mentioned exhibitions, Davis also worked on Shemanshe and the Thunderbird Mural displayed by IM4 at Signals Creative Tech Expo. #FutureOfStorytelling #TechMeetsTradition #InnovativeStorytelling #blackhistory365

UPDATE: Registration is now closed. Thank you to everyone who signed up and shared! Are you an Indigenous youth age 18–30 curious about a career in Creative Technology? IM4 Lab invites you to CTRL+ALT+CREATE, an immersive 3-day experience designed to open doors into the industry through hands-on workshops, industry presentations, and a studio tour. Facilitated by Renae Morriseau, with a studio tour of Sony Imageworks. Workshops: • Game Development • VFX • 3D Animation & Modeling • Unreal Engine Lunches provided! $250 honorarium provided on day three. #CreativeTechnology #IndigenousInnovation #IndigenousTech #ImmersiveTech

IM4 Lab is celebrating Black History Month! Black History Month is an important time to reflect and appreciate the countless year round contributions from Black communities and stories of Black History. Over the next few weeks, IM4 Lab will be highlighting Black artists and creators in Canada who have made industry shaping contributions to creative tech. Keep an eye out for our upcoming posts to learn about some of the incredible Black artists in immersive tech! #BlackHistoryMonth #ImmersiveTech

Dive into Thunderbird Dreams, an intergenerational XR mural that unites Indigenous youth, Elders, artists, and technologists in a shared exploration of care, sustainability, unity, and kinship. Conceived and artistically led by IM4 Lab Creative Director Loretta Todd. Youth and Elders brought creative vision, personal teachings and imagination to every stage of the project, transforming it into a collective artwork. To honour the Coast Salish territories where the project takes place, Kwantlen muralist @brandongabrielart contributed the Thunderbird story as a symbol of transformation and renewal, as a unifying narrative thread that weaves together nature, technology, and cultural continuity. As public art, Thunderbird Dreams sparks dialogue across generations, inviting those who visit Signals by @follow_digibc and @viffest to interact, reflect, and imagine futures grounded in Indigenous values. #indigenousmedia #indigenoustech #IndigenousInnovation #FutureOfStorytelling #matriarchs

Solstice Greetings from the IM4 Lab! We wish everyone a peaceful and safe Winter Solstice. Thank you to our community for your support throughout the year!

Today is National Aboriginal Veterans Day. We take today to honour the thousands of Indigenous Canadians who enlisted and fought alongside their countrymen and women during World War II, even though they could not be conscripted. If you would like to honour our Indigenous veterans and learn more about the sacrifices they made, find the link in bio to watch Forgotten Warriors, a documentary by our Founder and Creative Director, Loretta Todd. A quote from Harry Lavallee, Leader of Aboriginal Veterans Association in 1993 at the Royal Commission: “Bless you, comrades, who gave your lives; bless you, veterans, of the First and Second World Wars who have fought to be recognized; who have been instrumental in organizing our people in the courts, in prison, in schools, on the streets, fighting for our rights, while our heroes have died in the wars -- in the streets, hospitals and prisons. Thank you fighting for our rights in this country, for land, for jobs and for education, yet our veterans are not recognized as First Nations people as owners of this land.”

Thank you to our incredible IM4 Matriarchs - Loretta Sarah Todd, Doreen Manuel, Cease Wyss, and Tracey Kim Bonneau. Your presentations at IM4 Day were greatly appreciated by everyone who attended. With deep respect and gratitude, we thank you for your contributions to the IM4 Media Lab and our community. Loretta Sarah Todd @doreen.manuel @cedarcopperwoman @traceykimbonneau