WAC Fellowship

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Become Web3 literate and start imagining new use cases for the arts and culture.

By merging in-depth discussions and education with real prototyping sessions, the WAC Fellowship will be offered to 8 cultural institutions to bring blockchain literacy within the art sector and prototype use-cases for Web3 technology in the artworld and the culture sector as a whole.

Join the waiting list for the next cohort

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Understanding the WAC Fellowship program

As arts institutions navigate social, environmental, and economic flux, Web3 offers a new world of challenges and opportunities. While institutions struggle to find their way into Web3, a generation of crypto-native collectors have their sights on the legacy artworld, and new protocols challenge the meaning of the word “curation”. But in an ecosystem of $69 million .jpgs and promises to change the world, how can the arts and culture sector see through the hype and build a sustainable institution with the blockchain?

The WAC Fellowship program is offered to eight arts and culture institutions by We Are Museums and TZ Connect, with the support of the Tezos ecosystem, in collaboration with Blockchain Art Directory 2.0.

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Our goals

~~Educate and onboard eight arts and culture institutions onto Web3. We’ll give them a crash course on the blockchain and NFTs, and plenty of good ideas on how to use them.~~

~~Create a body of examples of Web3 working for cultural institutions. Not only are these inspiring proofs-of-concept, they’re open-source software institutions can use to build their own future.~~

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Our three areas of focus

The WAC Fellowship program’s research is currently focused on three areas:

~~How arts and culture institutions can use Web3 technology to further their mission for social good, and a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.~~

~~How institutions can include Web3 in their commitment to environmental justice. This includes frank discussions of environmental justice, sustainable practices, and climate activism.~~

~~How institutions can use Web3 to navigate the financial crisis weighing down on the culture sector. We research new models for fundraising, membership, and revenue distribution.~~

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What do we offer you?

An educational program covering blockchain basics. Several topics will be addressed to provide a baseline understanding of the blockchain and its possible applications. Think about NFTs, DAOs, encryption, DeFi, consensus mechanisms, oracles, etc.

Forward-thinking lectures and interactive workshops which will help you explore innovative possibilities in a disciplined way, and the tools to bring these learnings back to your institution. This will include futures literacy, workshops focusing on the future of museums, the arts, collecting, and more.

~~Blockchain tech reality check: everything that’s possible with today’s technology… and what isn’t.~~

~~One-to-one mentoring sessions with technologists and strategists in the blockchain and art space.~~

~~Weekly informal conversations where fellows meet the people shaping the space today.~~

~~Access to resources including the latest press reviews, ecosystem mapping, a knowledge library with tutorials and useful links and bibliographies, and an open-source library to develop new projects.~~

~~Exposure to a wide range of experts and professionals at the intersection of web3 and the arts and culture sector.~~

~~Access to an exclusive communication platform for fellows, mentors, and their partners.~~

~~Promotional support across the press, social media, our website, and events features.~~

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Who is part of the first cohort?

BeFantastic (India)

C/O Berlin (Germany)

Light Art Space Foundation (Germany)

NXT Museum (The Netherlands)

Octobre Numérique (France)

Signal Festival (Czech Republic)

Van Gogh Museum (The Netherlands)

Villa Albertine (United States)

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Understanding your role as a fellow

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Who can apply?

This program is intended for arts and culture institutions including museums, foundations, galleries, art centers, festivals, fairs, and auction houses. Non profit institutions are encouraged to apply.

The successful applicant, or group of applicants, will be a candidate on behalf of their institution. Each institution can be represented by 1-4 fellows participating in the program.

The program will be held digitally, and in English. Our celebration event at the end of the program might be held in person, circumstances permitting.

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What can you expect?

~~To become Web3-literate. You’ll come away with a deep understanding of how the space is going to affect your sector, and how your institution can leverage the technology to your long-term advantage.~~

~~To become part of a network of innovative arts and culture institutions venturing into Web3, supporting each other as you explore a new environment and bring those learnings back to your institution.~~

~~To build a working proof-of-concept for a Web3 project tailored to the changing needs of your institution and others like you, or the possibility to have your idea built during the hackathon.~~

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What are you committing to?

Fellows will be expected to attend the training, co-creation workshop and mentoring sessions provided. In the middle of the program, we will write with you or your team a brief for an innovative use-case of Web3 for the arts and culture sector. The brief will be submitted to our online global hackathon that will run for four weeks, where teams can pick up your idea to turn it into a reality. During the hackathon, you or your team can support the team of developers and designers who will contribute to the realization of your project.

In practical terms, this means a commitment of five hours per week for 8 weeks.

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Who is doing the tech?

Despite its current fame, Web3 is still in its very early days. That so much core technology doesn’t exist yet can be a challenge, but it’s also an opportunity for us to build projects that could have a lasting influence on the sector as it develops.

Our program does not seek to deliver finished products, but to experiment with the building blocks that do exist and build inspiring prototypes that illustrate a positive future for arts and culture institutions in the Web3 space.

To make these prototypes real, we’re partnering with the open-source software development platform Gitcoin. The WAC Fellowship and Gitcoin will run a four-week hackathon with the talented developers and designers required to help make your ideas real.

You’ll have the opportunity to work alongside these developers, ensuring the project stays on track and aligned with the institution’s needs and ambitions.

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Let’s get practical

Over the course of the fellowship, you will:

~~Join our informational event and a create Idea Lab to shape your ideas on how Web3 technologies can be useful to your institution.~~

~~Apply here to make your case for joining the fellowship.~~

~~Once we have reviewed the applications, you’ll receive a notification email.~~

~~Join the kick-off online meeting.~~

Attend the training session and work closely with the mentors over four weeks to learn, hone your skills, and start to imagine how Web3 technology can be used for your institution. The estimated time commitment is five hours per week.

~~Submit your creative brief to the hackathon participants, via Gitcoin.~~

~~Be available to guide the participants into the production process.~~

~~Join the final event to celebrate the end of the fellowship and present what has been produced.~~