Frequently Asked Questions
Basics
Housing and Logistics
Funding
Program
Participate
Basics
What is the Allied Media Conference?
The Allied Media Conference cultivates strategies for a more just and creative world. We come together to share tools and tactics for transforming our communities through media-based organizing. Read more about the mission and vision of the conference.
When is the conference?
Friday, June 18 to Sunday, June 20, 2010. The detailed AMC schedule with start times for sessions and special events will be released as the conference approaches. Check back.
What time does the conference begin and end?
Thursday, June 17 is reserved for pre-conference meet-ups and special strategy sessions. We are hosting a pre-conference art event that night. The conference will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, June 18 and does not let up until Sunday evening, June 20. You don't want to miss a minute, so plan your travel accordingly.
Housing and Logistics
Where is the conference?
The AMC will be held in the McGregor Conference Center and Community Arts Building on the campus of Wayne State University in Detroit. The conference weekend will also feature several off-campus events, including our gallery event (June 17), bowling & karaoke party (June 18) and music event (June 19). The bowling party will be at the Garden Bowl in the Majestic Theatre Complex. The Garden Bowl is the oldest active bowling alley in the U.S. The location of music event will be announced soon.
Where will I stay?
When you register, you can reserve a room in the Wayne State residence hall or a place in the crash space. Details on those and other options are listed on the Places to Stay page.
How will I get around?
We will provide a shuttle to off-campus events, but other than that you will walk to get meals or anything else you need off-campus. More info on the Getting Around Detroit page.
Can I request to stay with specific people in the dorm?
You can share your residence hall suite with up to 3 other people. Please let us know your roommate request when you register.
Can I cancel my registration?
We hate to see you go. Registration can be canceled and refunded. A $25 administrative fee will be deducted from your refund. Housing and parking reservations are non-refundable after June 4, 2009.
Why that weekend?
The AMC has been held on the third weekend of June for the past 10 conference. For the 2009 conference, we had to move the conference to July 16-19 due to availability restrictions on our conference space. For some, that rescheduling may be inconvenient. For others who were never able to attend the AMC because of scheduling conflicts with our June dates, the move to July is an exciting opportunity to finally be able to attend.
Funding
Can I donate money to the conference?
Yes, you can donate money to the conference. Thank you!
How much does the conference cost?
The requested registration fee is $100, the actual cost of the conference per participant. You can choose to pay the standard rate of $70 or the scholarship rate of $30. If you can, please support the participation of others as a neighbor ($250) or community ($500) supporter. We encourage you to register at the highest level that you can afford. This "sliding scale" keeps the conference affordable without requiring a big bureaucracy to award discounts. It requires the good faith of all registrants, so please respect the other conference attendees and pay what you can afford. Prices of other items are listed on the conference registration page.
Do you offer group rates?
No, we don't.
Do you have scholarships to help me afford the conference?
We offer a sliding scale registration fee, which means you can select a scholarship rate of $30. Learn about collaborative fundraising opportunities through the Allied Resource Initiative.
Can I volunteer my time in place of a registration fee?
We welcome people's contribution of time and energy to promote the conference beforehand and facilitate it during. Here are is a list of our volunteer needs. We request that volunteers support the conference by paying for registration, because registration revenue is critical to the sustainability of the Allied Media Conference. We will be somewhat flexible on this and grant some complimentary registrations.
Program
Why do you organize the AMC?
We believe we can create the world we want to live in through participatory media and creative communications. Creating our own media is a process of speaking and listening that allows us to imagine other realities and then organize our communities to make them real. When we choose to use media in this way, we transform ourselves from consumers of information to producers, from objects within narratives of exploitation and violence to active subjects in the transformation of the world.
As we enter the second decade of the 21st Century, more and more social justice activists recognize that we need new organizing practices rooted in deep listening and communication of many voices. More people recognize, as renown Native feminist scholar and activist Andrea Smith said during her closing remarks at the 11th annual Allied Media Conference in July 2009, that creative expression and organizing should not be separated:
One of the main things I've learned from this conference is that organizing itself is a work of art. ...We need to build a revolution that gives to us as much as we give to it – that's sustainable in the long-term. We also need to create a beautiful revolution. When we start to create communities that are beautiful, we start to rethink the way we see ourselves. ...What creating a beautiful revolution means, is not just organizing people who have the title "artist" but recognizing the artist within us all, because what we are doing is creating a world that we can't even fully imagine...and that's why we need artistic work: to unleash our political imaginary.
The Allied Media Conference is the most effective annual convergence of it kind: a translocal gathering of practitioners of this new political imaginary; a space for artists and technologists and organizers to cross pollinate ideas and visions, and to develop strategies for network-wide action.
Who attends the Allied Media Conference?
The Allied Media Conference brings together a vibrant and diverse community people using media to incite change: filmmakers, radio producers, technologists, youth organizers, writers, entrepreneurs, musicians, dancers, artists, and beyond!
What happens at the conference?
Over 100 workshops, panels, film screenings, art and music events, strategy sessions, the AMC Media Lab, and bowling.
Participation
I'm not part of an organization. Can I still attend?
Yes. Many people attend the AMC as individuals because they want to get more involved with the participatory media community, craft stronger connections, or are just curious.
I'm not a media maker. Can I still attend?
Yes. Whether or not you think of yourself as a "media maker," the AMC is about becoming a more effective communicator, something that is important for everyone.
Can I propose a session for the conference?
Yes. Use this form.
Can I get a display table at the AMC?
Yes. You can reserve a table when you register for the conference. You have two options: a full table is $50; a half table is $30. Tables are 3 feet by 6 feet.
When can I table?
The exhibition area in the Outer Gallery of the Community Arts Building is open for tabling on Friday (8AM-6PM), Saturday (8AM-6PM) & Sunday (10AM-3PM). Times include set-up and clean-up.
Can I leave my table set up overnight?
The exhibition area will be locked overnight. However, if you have any high-value items, you should not leave them on your table overnight.
Can I perform at the AMC?
Performers at the AMC are usually drawn from the circle of past participants, but we are always eager to hear new music. If you want to let us know about your music project, send us your stuff.
Can I organize a caucus for a particular group or to discuss a particular topic?
We do our best to support your networking at the conference. Please use the session proposal form to request space for a caucus.
