Coding Interactive Visuals for Total Beginners Spring 2022

April 27-May 20: four 2.5 hour lectures Wednesday evenings 6-8:30 pm pst, four 2 hour drop-in open labs Thursdays 6-8 pm pst, one final presentation Friday May 20th 8-9 pm pst (final presentation time might change to Thursday night after last open lab or earlier Friday May 20th depending on students availability, will not change if presents a conflict for any student).

Presented by whateverspace and Synth Library Portland, we are back by popular demand for a second run! We were floored by the quality of work from our first cohort and we are so excited to welcome you to this cycle. We designed the intro to creative coding workshop of our dreams, built from years of combined experience as students, artists, and educators. Tailored to those who have literally never written code, you will finish this intensive workshop with a unique interactive project written in the free program Processing. We will teach you basic concepts of coding and profound techniques for weaving creativity with computing. We will discuss and dispel the gatekeeping and mystery of programming. Most importantly, you will learn how to continue coding independently and ongoingly by using the ample free resources of the internet. Open lab drop-in attendance is expected, where you will receive one-on-one coaching on whatever you need to feel successful. Full notes of each lecture and recordings of zoom lectures will be available before and after the workshop begins for you to keep and refer to later.

Because of our own experiences with imposter syndrome and systematic exclusion, we understand that quality education in programming must explicitly address and teach techniques for dismantling these barriers. Did you think you need to memorize a bunch of stuff to be a programmer? Nope, after the initial introduction, a lot of programming is just looking stuff up online. Did you think you had to be a boy genius to be a programmer? Nope, every programmer builds off of the achievements of those who came before, and people of all genders learn as adults. We teach you how to access programming, how to access creativity, and how to access confidence so that you can enjoy this expansive form of expression.

Two full scholarships for BIPOC students are available, email whateverspacepdx@gmail.com to access. We will update postings when they have been claimed. Tickets are $200-400 sliding scale. If cost is prohibitive to you, if you would like to make a larger donation, or if you have any questions at all, please email whateverspacepdx@gmail.com