Join us this Fall for a new Milieux Experiential Learning Workshop Series! Each hands-on session invites participants to experiment with new tools and discover unexpected connections across disciplines.
Designed for all our members across clusters, this workshop series offers students a chance to expand their skill set through diverse exploratory workshops—exploring everything from AI and microscopy to digital mapping and tactile sound.
[ September 9] Digital Decay Workshop
Join us for a hands-on workshop that explores the generative potential of decay in digital and material images. From corrupted files to faded photocopies, we will use processes like hacking, glitching, scanning and printing. Inspired by Hito Steyerl’s In Defence of the Poor Image and Legacy Russell’s Glitch Feminism, we’ll rethink the aesthetics of deterioration. How can the ruin of an imager an archive or document open up new creative pathways?
This workshop is hosted by the Textiles & Materiality cluster and organized with the support from Dr. Miranda Smitheram, as part of a Milieux Institute Investigations micro grant.
September 9, 2025
1-5 PM
Textiles and Materiality Cluster EV 10.730
[ September 26] Seeds, Samplers and Schedules: An Introduction to Image Generation
For Machine Agencies’s first skill share of the school year, new media artist and Machine Agencies member, Rowena Chodkowski, will move beyond the hype of AI Image generation to think about what it means to create “AI Art”.
Throughout the workshop, participants will gain hands-on experience using the Stable Diffusion model with the Automatic1111 interface to experiment with the ways seeds, samplers and schedules shape the image generation process.
This introductory workshop is perfect for those who are curious as to how AI models can be used to explore new possibilities in artistic creation.
September 26, 2025 12-1:30 PMMilieux Learning Atelier EV 11.425
[October 3] The Educational Power of Zines: A zine 101 Workshop With an Overview on Zines in Education and Research
Join the Visual Methods Studio and the Concordia Ethnography Lab for an interactive workshop about zines led by zinester Sage Pantony!
In this workshop, participants will discuss about zines their history and usage in and outside of classrooms (across formal, non-formal, and informal education), their benefits and limitations, and different ways to create them. Participants will also be invited to make their own zines !
October 3, 2025 2-4 PMConcordia Ethnography Lab EV 10.625
[October 23] TouchDesigner as Research-Creation: An Introductory Workshop
Join Machine Agencies and LePARC as we dive into the world of interactive visual creation with TouchDesigner!
Over the course of this hands-on introductory workshop, creative technologist Michel Didier, will show participants how they can utilize TouchDesigner to generate real-time visual projections, synchronize visual effects with music, and create electrifying artistic experiences at the intersection of research and creation.
No prior experience with TouchDesigner is needed, just a laptop and a desire to explore this exciting new technology.
Registration October 23, 2025 2-4 PMConcordia Ethnography Lab EV 10.625
[October 28] Altered Perceptions: An introduction to the Biolab through Microscopy
After an introduction to the Biolab, Alex Bachmayer will guide participants through the exploration a variety of tools that can be used for imaging tiny worlds: DIY macro-lenses that can be easily mounted to a cellphone camera, small-scale magnifiers, portable lab microscopes, as well as polarization, dark-field and fluorescence on the main lab microscope!
This workshop covers both technical skills and playful approaches to working with microscopic structures, patterns, and scale.
October 28, 2025 1-4 PMSpeculative Life Biolab EV 10.835
[November 11] Mycosculpture: An introduction to growing biomaterials
Join the Speculative Life Biolab for an introductory workshop exploring the use of mycelium in bioart & design, facilitated by Amélie Brindamour and Alex Bachmayer.
Mycelium, the fibrous, vegetative part of mushrooms, has been used in recent years to build furniture, art pieces, and even small buildings. Come to the Speculative Life Biolab to learn more about mycelium, how to grow it on burlap in petri dishes, and get to know techniques to use lab tools in order to avoid contamination. Using a blend of organic matter and mycelium, participants are invited to design & grow their own mycosculpture!
This workshop is open to members of all Milieux research clusters and groups.
November 11, 2025 1-5 PMSpeculative Life BioLab EV 10.835
[November 17] Tactile Sound: Sensing the audible
This workshop aims to explore the senses by transforming the experience of sound from the auditory to the tactile and visual. How can we re-imagine the experience of sound via textiles and other material substrates?
Together with multi-disciplinary artists Ryth Kesselring and Geneviève Moisan, participants will look at different computational and electronic platforms for integrating sound creation capabilities into textile and learn different methods of creating soft speakers, affording opportunities for sound to be worn, felt & viewed in different ways.
*THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL. You can register your interest below, and you will be contacted in the event of a last minute cancellation.
November 17, 2025 1-5 PMTextiles + Materiality Commons EV 10.730
