How do we define feminism?
When we say “Feminist Futures” we are talking about anti-racist, decolonial, accessible, equitable, and just futures for people of all genders and all backgrounds. Our definition of feminism begins with the belief in and advocacy of the political, social and economic equality of all people.
What is a hackathon?
A “hackathon” is a gathering of people who come together to collaborate, ideate, learn, prototype and play. It started out as being something that was created for computer programmers and lasted a day or a weekend, but the hackathon scene is expanding, and our hackathon is for everyone — not just programmers. Oh, and it lasts 2.5 weeks. This hackathon will also include panel discussions, mentoring, social events, and other fun surprises.
When is the hackathon, and when should I apply?
The hackathon runs from April 12-28. Applications open on February 23 and close on March 16.
Who can apply?
We aim to have 50 participants. To apply you must be 18+ and be located within a distance of Copenhagen which allows you to attend events in the city several times during the hackathon. You don’t have to have any hackathon experience (or even know what a hackathon is) - we expect there to be many first-timers, and we will make sure to support you along the way!
What will this hackathon focus on?
The hackathon will have four tracks: Digital Utopias, Solidarity Economies, Commoning the Archive, and Bodies of Care. Each track is developed in collaboration with a community organisation that has proposed the project ideas that participants will be working on. When you apply you will be asked to select a first and second-priority track. You can read more about the tracks here.
Where will the hackathon take place?
The hackathon will be partly in-person and partly online. The in-person events will all take place in Copenhagen. The specific locations will be shared with the selected participants.
What do I need to have to participate in the hackathon?
You will need a phone, tablet or computer to participate in the online parts of the hackathon (this will happen on Zoom). We will communicate with you via email and Slack.
I have accessibility needs, how can I communicate them to you?
When applying to the hackathon, it is possible to let us know how we can best accommodate your needs. We take this responsibility very seriously and will do our best to accommodate individual needs.
- Non-Visual Options: Panellists, speakers and participants will be advised to audio describe themselves and relevant visual material at presentations and exercises for greater accessibility.
- Non-auditory options: We will set up automated live captions during panels, talks and online meetings. At the moment we are fundraising the possibility to have a Danish sign language interpreter, however this is not yet confirmed.
- Bathrooms: There will be accessible, gender neutral bathrooms in all our venues.
- Wheelchair and other mobility-related access: All the venues used for the hackathon will either be on the ground floor or have a working elevator. There will always be chairs available. Closer to the event, we can provide guides from public transit points. Parking will be available — this will be described in the intro materials.
- Video Conferencing: Some events will be in person only (six total). For the rest we will use Zoom. How you choose to meet with your team is up to you.
- Lighting: We may use flash photography for some events. Please let us know if you experience light sensitivity or have a risk of seizures.
- Transparency: We are working on a low budget and in a new organisational structure. We are doing our best, but acknowledge that we will not get everything right. We are always open to hearing your feedback, so we can improve.
What kind of project will I work on and what will be the outcomes?
The project you will be working on will depend on the track you apply for. Read more about the tracks here. We will be going deep into the topics and will imagine and design interventions that centre feminist futures. Your team will decide how you’re going to work and what you choose to focus on (within the given brief). From campaign proposals and art activism to digital interventions and data materialisations - as Our Feminist Futures proclaimed (and we agree): innovation doesn’t need to be high-tech to be high-impact.
What’s the schedule and time commitment?
You can see the tentative schedule by clicking here. We expect that between mentoring sessions, weekly check-ins, and community gatherings, you might spend around 5 hours a week on the official hackathon programme. To this you will need to add the hours spent working with your team or doing your own research. This might add up to around 5 hours as well (the most important thing is that you communicate clearly with your team). So a total of around 10 hours per week. The public talks will be recorded so they can be watched at other times.d
What happens after the hackathon? ︎︎︎
We value collaboration over competition, so we will not be announcing any winners of the hackathon. We also want to encourage long-term impact, which is why we are working on raising funds to support the teams who wish to continue working on their projects after the hackathon. We welcome potential sponsors to get in touch if they wish to hear more about these opportunities.
Who is organising the hackathon and why?
The main organising body of the hackathon is ETHOS Lab. In addition, we are very happy to have been joined by organisers from across a number of different institutions. You can meet our team by clicking here. As a collective of organisers, we have diverse experience in hackathon facilitation, communication, design, community organising, and experience in and connection with a large number of local grassroots organisations. We are passionate about collaboration and empowerment and are eager to foster creative spaces here in Denmark.
How is this hackathon considered research?
Since feminist hackathons are still not all that common, we believe in the importance of documentation and reflection so we can learn and grow. For this reason, we are very happy that our team member Alberte Bjerke is writing her thesis on the organisation of the hackathon. With an emphasis on participatory action research and feminist HCI, Alberte’s focus will be on how to co-create space to explore feminist futures, and how to accommodate inclusion in this process. Therefore, she will mainly conduct her research in the planning process, but will also be around to see how things unfold during the hackathon. All observations made will be anonymised. If you have any questions about this, you can reach out to Alberte (albs@itu.dk).
