Day: February 21, 2017

SL14B: call for infrastructure builders

Posted on by Inara Pey

L12B Community Celebration; Inara Pey, June 2015, on FlickrSL12B (2015) Welcome area by Walton F. Wainwright (Faust Steamer): would like to design and build one of the core infrastructure builds for 2017’s SL14B?

Celebrations for Second Life’s anniversary will once again be taking place in June 2017, when the platform celebrates its 14th “official” birthday with SL14B.

While there’s still a lot in the process of being decided, the SL14B team have put out a call for builders and designers interested in develop the core infrastructure for the regions, either full regions or multiple regions.  In particular interest is being sought from those would would like to design and build the Welcome Area, Performance Stage and Auditorium.

“We’re still working on many details for the celebrations, but we decided to put a call out to builders since we have more regions – eighteen in all – and plan for larger performance venues,” Diana Renoir, one of the coordinators for the event informed me.

Those interested in applying should complete and submit the SL14B Infrastructure Build Application form no later than Saturday, April 1st, 2017.

If you would like to apply, but have specific questions concerning the builds and their requirements, please contact either Diana Renoir (diana.renoir-at-gmail.com ) or Doc Gascoigne (doctor.gascoigne-at-gmail.com)  via e-mail or in-world.

The Auditorium build from SL12B, 2015
The Auditorium build by Anthony (ADudeNamedAnthony) from SL12B, 2015

I’ll be providing updates, etc., on SL14B as usual during the run-up to the event – including a full list of dates, once they are available, and also coverage of the regions and keynotes events which may be planned as a part of the celebrations.

Holly Kai Park: supporting Feed A Smile in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Brique Zeiner (Brique Topaz in SL), the driving force bethind Feed A Smile and some of the Kenya children from poor families for whom the programme provides daily warm meals
Brique Zeiner (Brique Topaz in SL), the driving force behind Feed A Smile and some of the Kenya children from poor families for whom the programme provides daily warm meals

We’ve made another small but important change at Holly Kai Park. Following discussions with Brique Topaz of Feed A Smile, we’re very pleased to announce that from February 2017 onwards, Holly Kai Park is an official supporter of Feed A Smile.

Feed A Smile is a programme run by Live and Learn Kenya (LLK) to provide nutritious warm lunches for over 400 children every day, paid for entirely from donations to the project – and over a third of the money comes from donations made by Second Life users. It is part of a broader programme managed by LLK, which includes finding sponsors to finance the education of children in Kenya, helping to provide them with everything they need: uniforms, shoes, text books, school supplies, etc., and even building a school in Nakuru, Kenya.

In addition, the organisation also provides medical and dental care for children, including check-ups and vaccinations. 100% of the donations received by LLK are transferred directly to Kenya to care for children, provide education, medicine, food, shelter and foster care. Nothing is lost to salaries, fees or administrative costs at LLK.

The Feed A Smile kiosk just inside the entrance to Caitinara Bar
The Feed A Smile kiosk just inside the entrance to Caitinara Bar

To mark this modest collaboration, we have located a number of Feed A Smile donation kiosks around the key venues and locations in the park: the landing point, at the stage area on the Art Hill, at the Pavilion live events venue and, of course, in Caitinara Bar. We very much hope that when visiting the park, should you enjoy your time, you will consider making a donation to Feed A Smile in lieu of the more usual venue tips (we prefer not to take venue tips at the park).

Also, as we do not charge for the use of our venue spaces, we also ask that anyone booking and using them to please consider a donation to Feed A Smile / advertising the boards during their event.

Call for entries: UWA’s Transformations in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Image courtesy of UWA
Image courtesy of UWA

The University of Western Australia looks likely to cease most of its presence in Second Life at the end of July 2017. However, before then the long-time patron of arts and artistic expression in Second Life is running one more major art exhibition, and recently put out a call for entries.

“Our final show is to be titled “Transformations” and is about beginnings, endings, transitions, change,” UWA’s art curator FreeWee Ling stated in the announcement. “The theme is deliberately vague in order to allow for the broadest possible interpretation. It is intended to highlight the technologies of SL as a medium for creative expression. We especially want work that reflects on the past in SL and/or imagines the future of virtual art.”

Those wishing to apply to be a part of the exhibition are invited to subject one piece in any or all of the following categories: 2D art, 3D art and / or machinima (so entrants can subject up to 3 pieces, one in each category). The closing data for entries is 23:59 SLT, on Sunday April 30th, 2017.

It is important to note that this event is an exhibition and not a UWA challenge / competition. There is no judging panel and there will be no prizes offered. However, official exhibition catalogue will be published on-line as part of the UWA Studies in Virtual Arts (UWA SiVA) journal series.

General guidelines for entries are:

  • As noted above, artists may submit up to one entry each in 3D, 2D, and/or machinima (up to 3 entries in total). Collaborations are encouraged, so if you participate as a named collaborator on any entry, you may also submit a separate entry as an individual.
  • Land Impact limit for 3D work is 300. Sound and light emitting objects should be carefully crafted in consideration of other nearby entries. Objects that might impact other nearby entries may have to be placed on a platform to isolate it. In such cases a poster and TP device will be placed in the gallery. Any entry with excessive script lag may be refused or returned for revision.
  • 2D entries should reflect the theme and must be images substantially created in SL. Post-processing (e.g., Photoshop effects) should be kept to a minimum.
  • Machinima entries can be of any length or subject matter as long a they are substantially produced using SL as the primary medium and conform to other criteria listed here. A poster and/or screen shot will be placed in the gallery and in the exhibition catalogue along with a link to the machinima.

For the full entry guidelines, including how to submit your entry, please refer to the call for entries blog post. All enquiries, concerns, etc., about entering the exhibition should be addressed directly to FreeWee Ling, who has final say on any issue.

Good luck to all who enter!

Additional links